Hi, I am in the final stages of importing a car and I have a few questions..

I would be driving to Switzerland with German export number plates(Ausfuhrkennzeichen).
1) Is it ok to drive with those number plates till I get insurance and MFK done to get a swiss number plate? And for how long?

2) Where & How do I have to pay the import duty? - at Basel border in cash/card(can you pay by card here?). Do I need to get something stamped from the german customs?

3)Will I get 13.20 certificate there(Basel border)? Is there a specific timing(office hours) during which I need to cross the border to get this form?

4) The dealer would provide the following - Certificate of conformity, EUR1 certificate , warranty. Anything important missing?
Thanks for your help!

Scroll down to the box titled "Similar Threads" for possible answers to your questions.

I am also interested in similar info , Mod answers to specific question asked by OP are not in related threads.

Well I did look at similar threads but none answers my questions

Yes all your answers are there as vwild pointed your just have to look, and the process is clearly laid out. The problem with the same questions getting asked over and over is many don't bother to look, and that's when people get fed up with answering, especially as said on the x Files... the answer is out there

The bottom of this page list 5, but there are many more

4)If it is a new car double check with www.stva.zh.ch (or whatever it is in Basil) that you can register it. Since January I think you can only register new cars if they are EURO5. Insist on all the paperwork COC, Vehicle id documents when you get the sale contract and BEFORE paying any deposit ect, you will need these to MAKE an appointment with STVA, no papers no appointment, or wait maybe (depending on the station) 2 weeks for an appointment with no insurance. STVA insist on seeing the zoll papers before issueing plates and therefore registration. Find a friendly insurance person, normally you can't get insurance without a numberplate and vicaversa.

You are lucky I am feeling friendly tonight, do some research it is not that hard!!!

There seems to be a nice document on TCS (possibly I saw it in one of the posts while wandering through related stuff)


http://www.tcs.ch/main/de/home/auto_...enwagen_de.pdf

or on web page : http://www.tcs.ch/main/de/home/auto_...ikulation.html


I guess it would be easier to have the emissions test (HU/AU), too.

It would be cool if someone translated the pdf above, though.. Maybe, a TCS member can ask TCS to do that

Hi,

Just went through the exercise - quite interesting! Did it tax free though - you can do that if your stay is limited or if you for some reason want to postpone the payment. A few comments:

1) Is it ok to drive with those number plates till I get insurance and MFK done to get a swiss number plate? And for how long?
- You can only do this for a very limited period. Don't plan to have the car available the first 3-4 weeks. Drive it directly to a garage and let them take care of potentially everything. I drove to the Swiss custon myself, but I do speak some German.

2) Where & How do I have to pay the import duty? - at Basel border in cash/card(can you pay by card here?). Do I need to get something stamped from the german customs?
- First, I stopped at the German Basel custom to get the German export stamp. Then next day I toke it to the Basel custom in Dreispitz and did the paper work with a very nice close to English speaking guy. He looked at the car and helped with the 13.20 doc. Since I did mine tax free I did not pay anything at this point, but I would presume you would have to pay for the import in cash or by card immediately after.

3)Will I get 13.20 certificate there(Basel border)? Is there a specific timing(office hours) during which I need to cross the border to get this form?
- Again, I can recommend to go to the Dreispitz office. It's hell to start communicating with the people at the Swiss highway border. Tried it!

Hope this is helpfull.

Lone's husband ;o)

thanks everyone. here is what I did incase someone finds it helpful

- Dealer provided EUR1, COC, etc
- Drove in from the Basel border. It was 8:10 PM when we arrived. After some ping pong between german transit, swiss transit and german office at the border, we were sent to the swiss import office and it was already 8:40. So, we could not get the right forms(13.20). But a very nice lady at the swiss office helped us & gave us a letter that we should pay swiss zoll in the next 3 working days. - only then the german office at the border stamped the papers to return the german VAT
- Went to the swiss zoll office in zurich next week. Everyone was very helpful and nice - signed 13.20, paid the swiss zoll there.
- Got an appointment of MFK 2.5 weeks later. German number plates expired by then(as only valid for for 3 weeks from the day it was brought in to switzerland) - Called strassenverkehrsamt & asked for permission if it could be driven on the day of MFK without any extra paperwork.
- MFK passed Hah!

You can get the VAT back in Germany from the German seller (firm) after you've presented a special invoice (request this from the seller) to the German customs officers and received the special stamp. You need to prove however prove to the German customs officers that the car will indeed be exported from the EU! i.e. with a local Swiss B or C (L not sufficient) residency permits.

1) Yes, you can drive for either 3 or 6 months on German export plates. I'm doing the same with UK export plates at the moment.

2) You can pay import duty and VAT at any customs office (doesn't have to be at the border). They accept cards. You will get a proof of payment which you'll need to get a Swiss registration plate. If you want to claim back the German VAT, you need to sort that out between your German dealer and the German customs. If you bought a new car, should have however not paid any VAT in Germany.

3) Not sure about this.

4) You will also need to get the car exhaust, noise etc. tested before you can get a Swiss registration plate, but the conformity document will simply this procedure. A Swiss insurance policy is the last thing you need for the registration plate.

Forgot to mention that the customs fees need to be paid within 30 days of registering the car for entry.

Its worth noting that a lot of dealers near the border (and as far up as Freiburg) are willing to take care of everything as part of the deal. I would look on autoscout.de and restrict your search to dealers within 50 km of a border town e.g. Weil am Rhein - 79576

Cars in CH don't come with no plates.. I bought a motorcycle & the insurance & green card are made out to the vehicle VIN no.

And when importing (physically) the car over the border, you get this 'Stamm Nr' from the Zoll officials (together with the 13.20 form). I did this on the french-swiss highway border (follow the truck signs, there is a large office above the highway), it is not difficult. Open at office hours.
Then the insurance can be done with foreign plates + Stamm number. Very easy via Comparis.ch.

I have now an insurance, but no CH plates. Not at all, the MFZ guys are not easy... I even wander if I could not just forget about these plates. The car is imported (through the zoll) and insured in CH so why should I go on importing the car?
And just out of curiosity, what did the dealer charge for the COC document? It costs about 150 euro on some internet sites. It is needed for the MFZ although in my opinion it is a complete waste of money for a piece of paper! Some on this forum pass the MFZ however without COC.

A Certificate of Conformity sounds exactly like it's required.
http://www.eurococ.eu approx €90
If you've just saved thousands on your import, €90 to comply isn't going to hurt too much.

For sure there'll be a law that requires an imported car to be put on Swiss plates within X amount of time, otherwise we'd all be driving round in German registered cars.
In fact, trying to get an MFK on a German registered and plated car sounds like you're asking for trouble.
Next you'll be asking do you need to pay your billag.

I did not save thousands at all, I am just moved to Basel and brought my car as well as my household. Car is not new.
And the MFK is needed to get CH plates. So yes, MFK on a foreign plated car. And yes, it gives trouble! What what is the choice?
But thanks for the website. Can someone confirm it is OK?

Sell your car & buy a new one, it could well be cheaper. I gave up trying as the car had never been in CH.
I have just ordered a COC for a motorbike I want to register in France (no control technique or yearly cost)

In that case I apologise. You'll have to use the search here for the answers I'm afraid, unless someone chirps up.
You could also head to the local police station and ask them.