How to register an E-Bike (45km/h)

DJD · #1 24.07.2016, 01:56

Evening all,

Does anybody know how to go about registering an E-Bike. I have just imported an e-bike from Germany which can go up to 45km/h.

I have seen on the local Vaud (Waadt) Canton website that I need a "permis de circulation" and insurance in order to register it - for those little yellow plates.

Does anyone know how I get hold of the permis de circulation and have any recommendations on the necessary insurance?

Thanks in advance,

DJD

st2lemans · #2 24.07.2016, 09:23

Go to the DMV.

That's how it works for mopeds, ebikes work the same, insurance is inluded in the registration.

Tom

DJD · #3 24.07.2016, 12:45

Thanks Tom, I did not know the insurance was included in the registration process. The information on the web site of our local "dmv" just said you needed insurance. I still do not know how I obtain a permis de circulation (carte grise) for my e-bike which the website lists as required too - but wasn't delivered with my bike (as I bought it in Germany).

For anyone interested here is a list of the dmv (office cantonale des voitures - ocv) with links to their websites for each and every canton:

http://www.vd.ch/themes/mobilite/aut...s-automobiles/

DJD · #4 03.06.2017, 15:29

Afternoon all,

I have been meaning to post an update on this one for a little while now, in case others try to do the same thing as me....

The most important things I have learnt:

1. Try to make sure you have a copy of the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for the vehicle (which I would define as anything that needs a reg plate, so not a push bike or slower bikes, but the 45km/h e-bikes upwards) with you when you arrive at the border with the vehicle you wish to import. It makes things a heck of a lot easier with customs. You need to get the CoC from the manufacturer (or the original selling dealer can do it for you) and it took me a couple of weeks to get hold of it.
2. The vehicle needs to be declared to customs as soon as you want to bring it into Switzerland. Do not simply enter with the vehicle and think "I will do it later". They tell you on the forms "immediately". They really do mean "do it on arrival" at the border - otherwise we will be super grumpy with you if you come later. In any case, the sooner you declare the vehicle to customs the better. So if you do cross into Switzerland without declaring the vehicle to customs (some of the crossing points have no one to declare it to) then get along to the local customs offices as soon as you can.

Even if you are bringing a vehicle in and you know that your stay is limited (eg. for a year or so) they like you to declare the temporary import. Obviously they are not bothered about holiday visitors - just people who are going to be resident with their vehicle.

In any case I was given some useful documents (in English) from our local Service d'automobiles which cover just about every alternative for importing a vehicle (which I will post as attachments to this text). They are for canton Vaud but I would imagine the principles can't be that different for the other cantons... but as it's Switzerland always best to check.

Cheers,

DJD

ps. If you are interested.... my own import of the new e-bike was a disaster.... you can skip the rest of the ps if you are not interested.... as the manufacturer made an error on the COC (not sure why or how) and declared on the CoC that it was an 18 km/h bike - which does not need a reg plate - when in fact it was a 45 km/h bike which does.... So getting it cleared through customs no problem.... but registering it and getting the little yellow plates..... that turned into an administrative nightmare.... I was sent all over the canton with the bike in the boot (trunk) of the car to try to get it registered..... and even once I arranged for a replacement and correct CoC it was all too complicated..... It needed this test and that test and they couldn't accept a bike with two CoCs issued etc. etc.

Honestly in the end i got the impression that they were just frustrated that I had bought the e-bike in Germany and not Switzerland (but as I told them when they asked why I hadn't just bought it in CH, the spec I wanted wasn't available in Switzerland otherwise I would have bought it here!!!).

Have to confess to a couple of sense of humour failures along the way.... Once you are outside of the "usual process" here it becomes very complicated.....It is important to take a great deal of patience and a sense of humour with you into these things otherwise you end up tearing your hair out - easier said than done though.

Finally, with the help of the selling dealer, I ended up registering the bike back in Germany, so registering it there as a new bike and then using the german registration documents here to register it in Switzerland as a second hand bike.

Anyhow it took months to get it road legal here with lots of time and expense and was frustrating as I couldn't use the thing in the meantime (but Tom was right in the end the insurance comes with the reg plate for a 45km/h e-bike - so that bit was easy even if the rest of it took months).

Anyhow when importing get the CoC up front and make sure it is correct and declare the vehicle at the border straightaway / as soon as possible!!

Meanwhile I love the bike and use it regularly for my commute to work and back in Geneva. So all's well that.....