Hi all

How do you import a motorbike that you have had for 2 years but has been registered abroad (e.g. in the UK), but you have not declared it as "Umzugsgut".

It's a used motorbike and not even a newly bought used motorbike, so the regular taxes for cars/bikes bought used in EU does not apply either.

Can't find anything online for that

Miss Lizzy,

You can import personal effects into Switzerland (furniture) etc for up to 3 years of the date of your residency in Switzerland.

I think unless it is a mega expensive motorbike (don't forget it will have depreciated a lot since you bought it) I think if you don't bother putting it on your tax return until next tax return and on a reasonable salary should be able to loose it in your expenditure and the tax offices would not pick it up.

Seriously? 3 years? I thought it was about 12 or 18 months.
That would be great!
It's not expensive at all... so I shouldn't have to pay any import taxes..?

You will probably have the costs of the headlight to change/adjust as possibly the beam might go in the wrong direction.
You might want to check first by getting in contact with a dealership and see if there are two part numbers for a left or right beamed lens.

I think the transport costs could be quite high unless you find someone on here who could bring it in with their stuff.

I imported 2 bikes and getting them in was no problem with no duty to pay etc. That was back in December, however I still haven't been able to get them registered. I am waiting for compliance paperwork from the manufacturers that need to be given to the authorities before they will even do the safety and emissions testing prio to registration. I am told this may happen in May! Also no idea what the dealers are going to charge me for this work.

In this case I'll be importing my bike from Germany, so it wouldn't need all the paperwork and changes to headlight. But still... unsure if it's possible to turn up after 2 years and declare as "Umzugsgut"

ps: make sure you also get a declaration that the bike has not been stolen. You'll need it for registration and takes ages. I suggest you ask a dealer to do EVERYTHING for you. Some do. In Germany I paid a total of around 600 Euros for changing headlights, all the paperwork done and registered.

@ cashboy, why would the transportation cost be high? I was intending of riding it into Switzerland

@ cashboy, why would the transportation cost be high? I was intending of riding it into Switzerland

is this going to be a steve mcqueen type of deal where you escape from germany with hordes of germans running behind you ?

motivation is the key

good luck with the import whichever way you're gonna do it :-)

but I would like to know how you actually end up importing it... As I would like to buy one from the UK and import it too... I know a friend of mine just drove his from the UK then after a year he went to a bike dealership and asked them about the process... they took care of everything as far as I remmeber and now it's on swiss plates.

TLD

I'll let you know.... so far, the bike was on UK plates, now I had all the changes done in Germany and it's on German numberplates now (as it was there over the winter).

I just brought it into Switzerland yesterday. They didn't stop me at the border, so I just drove through.

Maybe mid-year I'll go and ask a dealer if they can do the paperwork for me. Shouldn't be too difficult...... *fingers crossed*

Yea that isn't going to work. You need to import properly, ring up the customs and explain the situation - they are not going to shoot you. There is a customs office in Zürich that will do the import for you as well. Its no real hassel.

Well, I wasn't planning on "importing" it yet as I don't know whether I will keep this bike until next year anyway. I just had a big hassle and a big bill for all the changes and paperwork in Germany. I don't want to go through the same again now. My plan was to ride it til the end of the season and then decide what to do with it. I guess that shouldn't be a problem if I call them up then...

Hi all, just imported a bmw F800ST which I bought one year old but tax free on uk plates from BMW motorrad in Park Lane (was a management bike). BMW changed headlight, changed computer to km calibration and provided all documents except EUR1 (costs more than the tax it saves). Best to come in to Basel via the german side as the french are worse than useless, and not interested in personal imports. The germans /swiss all very efficient and organised. I paid 7.6% tax because it was not part of any tax free allowance. I got a same day control technique appointment via telephone within a few days of arriving and number plate. Not sure I saved much money, as chf had fallen by the time I brought it over. Depends how you value your time.

Dont know about your Kanton I brought a R650 with me and paid the kilo-price it came to 40 Stütz.

yes I paid the kilo price too, but als declared it as an import and not part of the first year allowance, as I don't qualify. You probably brought yours as part of your personal allowance.

And it's insured how?

I was insured on uk insurance on uk plates, and as soon as I had the swiss paperwork at customs, Zurich Insurance wrote to the local strassenverkehrsamt to say they were covering it on a swiss plate.

erm.... the question was directed at Miss-Lizzy - hence the quote .