I'd like some clarity please. I read the official site and couldn't see any fees on importing.

So I have a car, 1 year old and owned for 1 year, and I want to use it in Switzerland. I checked out insurance in UK as thought it would be good to keep it UK registered to see if I wanted to stay in Switzerland long term. UK insurance driving only in Europe/Swiss seemed too expensive so the option to me looks like to import it and buy Swiss insurance as it's cheaper.

Assuming my logic above is correct..

To import the vehicle, what is the cost exactly? I will be driving through Basel coming from UK, France, Switzerland. Is there easily a customs office there?

1. Visit Neutral Customs Office to get export / import documents and pay 150 CHF
2. Then I have 1 year to register my car, any ideas of these costs?

Thanks!
Steve

if it is a RHD car, costs might be mainly in loss of value as it will be almost impossible to sell.

I'm not going to sell it, i'm going to import it to Switzerland, then a few years later, import it back to UK.

What are the costs to import it? - Other than the known 150 CHF.

I do not know what "offical site" you have read.

Here is the very offical one:
https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/home...-effects-.html

https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/home...val-goods.html

1. List all your stuff you wish and may potentialy import as part of your move on Form 18.44, including your car.
2. Drive to a Swiss Customs office at the border during regular commercial opening hours. Present your Form 18.44
3. Get your Form 13.20b and some others.

No need for an third party customs provider. No need to pay CHF 150.

Now you can drive the car on british plates, given the car is insured and road worthy up to one year.

To get Swiss plates you will need to go through MFK (the Swisss equivalent of MOT) where they check that your car is indeed road worthy and meets all regulations. This cost around CHF 80 to 120. Haveing a CoC for the car helps to speed up the porcess (may cos some money to get). Additional cost may incure to addapt head lights (from zero when you simply have to turn a screw up to thousand in case you have to change a whole xenon unit). Given you organized insurance and passed the MFK you will get plates (Cost CHF 40 to 60) and a new car document (around CHF 40).

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"Okay, I just hope we don't wake up on Mars or something surrounded by millions of little squashy guys."

Thanks, quick question again please.

I don't know how long i'll stay in Switzerland could be 1 year, 3 years. UK insurance generally i guess allows you 3 months to travel abroad, you think it's ab ig deal if i buy 1 year uk insurance now and just use it in Switzerland? I mean, how will any insurance company ever know? I'm just try to decide if I should export / import the vehicle fully or just hold on for a year.

Check the T&C from your insurance. There may be a clause that you are not covered if your residence is outside of the UK.

So basically even though I have 1 year to import a car under swiss rules, I basically have no choice but to import it..unless I want to pay 2 or 3k for full year long european car insurance.

I wouldn't risk trying to cheat the system on something like insurance. "They'll never notice" - well they probably won't unless you need them to pay out. And then you'll have plenty of time to regret having tried to save money.

Maybe I have been here too long and just stick to the (many) rules out of habit.

There probably also is a Swiss requirement to have Swiss insurance. You are not a tourist, you are then a resident

So you are saying if I have a UK registered car (not imported) I can buy swiss insurance?

No, you need to import it

Okay so basically despite the fact that you have 1 year to import the vehicle this is not an option, I must import it.

Perfect thanks i'll import it then.

You're learning fast

You checked stuartcollins.com? I used them for insurance for my uk registered car when I lived in Zurich. The price was pretty good. Importing your car for 1 year would be a pain and Swiss insurance was pretty steep if I remember. You might not like Switzerland and then would have import it back to the UK.

Yea it would be a right pain! I put another quote on however I think I already got a qote and it was stupidly high. I tried again selecting 3rd party fire and theft to see what happens