Hello

Please forgive me but I can find the answer anywhere in the forum.

We are changing our licence from English to Swiss which is no problem, but I am sure you don't get your English licence back. We keep a car in the UK so still need to insure it etc, does anyone know how we do this?

Best wishes

Helen

Be sure to tell your insurer in the UK that you have a Swiss license, as you are resident here, but I doubt that this would be a problem for them.

As long as you have a UK address where the UK car is registered it will be fine. It won't matter to them either way

Did they not inform you that you won't get it back when you gave it to them?

If you buy your insurance online with someone like Tesco or Churchill, one of the drop down questions is licence and I think the choices are UK, EC etc.

Switzerland is considered in the EC treaty, so that is the one you select.
There is generally no difference in premium as a result of this.

The beauty of using your Swiss licence in UK is that you don't get points if you give your Swiss address and a copy of the Swiss licence.

Having insured a car in the UK last year on my Swiss licence, I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in the premiums. I was classed as a "foreign" driver despite having taken my test in the UK. It cost me £900 to insure a VW Polo with 6 years no claims in Switzerland... A friend with a VW Golf, 4 years no claims and a UK licence paid £300. No I didn't live in a dodgy area either!!

I was quoted a 300 franc increase on being a named driver on a UK insurance policy (through Aviva) when I told them my license was changing from UK to Swiss... I am subsequentyly no longer insured on my mother's car! It is worth some hunting around though, as a few people have told me that some companies don't charge more... now if only I could remember some names....

That seems very high!

I insured a VW Beetle 2.0ltr:
Fully comprehensive
Swiss licence
Gave an address in the UK
Parked in Driveway
Annual mileage less than 8,000 miles.
+12 years no claims
I put an ex girlfriend in the UK as partner and as a named driver (putting a female on the policy always reduces it by about £30; even if she never uses the vehicle - tip for saving dosh).
I paid Churchill £238 for a year with usual excess of £250 in event of crash.

Retracted my previous answer on the grounds of it is not the best thing to do.

The bloody UK driving licence.

When I applied for the Swiss driving licence a friend of mine told me that I would have to hand in the UK licence to obtain the Swiss licence.
He advised me to apply to DVLA for a new licence on the grounds of having lost it. I did and DVLA sent me a replacement licence for a fee.
I thought there would never be any problems because Switzerland is not in the EC.
I was chuffed as I thought I now had two licences; a Swiss and UK.
A year later I notified a change of address in the UK to DVLA and sent the licence in. I recieved a letter from them telling me that I already had a licence within the EC (similarly Swiss send your UK licence back to Swansea) and if I wanted a UK licence would have to submit it.
I was so detemined to get a UK licence that I changed my surname in the UK through the courts (As far as I know you can not change your surname in Switzerland) used my new digital UK passport to apply for a provisional licence in the UK. I took my test and passed so now I have two licences again and in different names and two passports in different names.
Naughty but you never know, they might be useful.

Not a good idea ! When the license is exchanged the UK authorities are informed. If you were involved in an incident in the UK, where you were required to produce your license to the police, and they checked it, you could be in some difficulty.

One thing I need to add is, on the back of your new Swiss license is your old UK driving license number, so to get your UK license back at a date in the future looks pretty simple. It'll cost you a few quid mind.

Looking at what Cashboy just said, they must have a linked system now, so better not take a chance.
Insurance companies know every loophole not to payout.

I believe that it is actually cancelled when you exchange it, isn't it?
I have a US license and it won't be cancelled but the USA is different than EU member countries. I got to keep my license but can't use it in Switzerland anymore.

Brian.

Correct, if you were stopped by the police and you gave your name and date of birth; it would show that you did not have a UK licence. Then there could be issues with the insurance being invalid as you may have ticked the box saying that you are a UK licence holder. insurance companies will use any excuse to avoid paying a claim.
I keep my Swiss passport and Swiss driving licence in my UK car that is registered in a UK limited company.
I haven't been charged with anything yet but understand that if the company secretary of the company sends a copy of my Swiss driving licence to the police stating that I was driving the car it is very unlikely that I would get even a fine but definately no points.
In Switzerland I use my UK passport and UK driving licence but again fortunately have not been stopped.

I know it's high but it was the cheapest I could get and I phoned loads of companies and put my details into the comparison websites - fully comp, parked in a secure complex, female driver! One company admitted that they were very wary of having "foreign" drivers due to the increase in accidents by Eastern European drivers - their words not mine!

I think you're correct about the UK, but here it's an on the spot fine, pay up or they impound what you're carrying or even your car, but to boot they're likely to search your car to find documentation as to what you're doing a driving a Swiss car that isn't a rental on a foreign license.
They usually ask for your license and insurance, so they need to match.

It is a UK registered car; I even have the VW European breakdown cover in case I break it in Switzerland and insurance is in UK name and UK address.
My only problem is remembering who I am.
My Swiss home is close to Italian border so if I enter and leave Switzerland on the motorway the customs assume I am on my way back to the UK and they are only concerned that I have a vinette and wave me on. If I go through the customs on ordinary road, I often get stopped to show documentation.

Giving up my UK license was really hard to do mentally. But now that I've had my Swiss license for a year I actually think I prefer it. Paying by the book is always the best for me. Anyway, if I ever move back to the Uk I assume they will just change it back.

Should be easy to change it back.
Complete DVLA application form submit Swiss licence with your UK digital passport number and probably photo and some more dosh.
You could try getting a duplicate Swiss licence before surrendering your Swiss licence because I would imagine that DVLA might not be as efficient as the Swiss in sending it to Swiss Licence issuing office.

very interesting reading, thank you.

Here's what I am considering at this time: I have a UK reg'd car which may go back to the UK for use there, so we could continue our UK cover (which includes fully informed insurer as regards licences, permits etc confirmed by them in writing).

Now then, as I am learning about how Swiss insurance and plaques work, in use or not, no plaque, two car plaque transfer, plaque temp post office surrender and so on, it occurs to me it may be more effective to have this UK registered car imported to Switzerland and then used in the UK etc as a Swiss car; mainly because the insurance is (a) cheaper (b) clearer (c) allows euro auto club cover (d) no question about green card (no 30/45 day/ multi trip limits like UK ins)

After all, the Swiss do tend to have thought things through, I find.

My first snow driving was today, came across a car with Summer tyres, he was completely stranded (so I lent him my chaines and discovered I need more practice); I am fascinated to experience so directly the difference between Summer and Winter tyres: mine are from Co-Op 75chf each and worked very well, to my pleasant surprise. So today we used: snow tyres, yellow jackets x2, chains, towing bar, torch(es), gloves and it is only the first day! I need to add a spade to the boot.

Anthony

Anthony, I will be in a similar situation soon. How did you get on with insurance? Did you insure your UK reg car in CH, if so was it cheaper? If you used a UK insurer did you pay a fortune because you are no longer resident in the UK?
Many Thanks