Hi All,

I'm a US Citizen, semi-retired visiting on a standard 90 day tourist visa. I've decided I want to spend 4-6 months of the year based in Switzerland (also visiting nearby countries) without buying or renting a long term place here for now. I was planning on doing a serviced apartment, renting by the month while I'm here.

I want to buy a car (paying cash, don't want to rent), which requires an address. Is there a way I can buy and register to my monthly apartment, store the car in a garage while away, then continue using it when I return ~3 months later? Can I mark it as stored while away and then update my location when I return?

Thanks!

It can be done. A Mexican friend bought a garage to store his BMW. He's been ill so the plates have been taken off and the insurance cancelled. But he owns the garage and the car is still there. This I know: I have a key.

I have one of my bikes garaged in Trieste, but it is registered and insured here.

Tom

I would be curious if others have more encouraging news, but from what I have seen, insuring a car at a second home is not feasible.
Swiss insurance companies will not insure cars for second-home owners or renters (or others without a B/C "permanent" residence permit).
EU insurance companies will void the insurance if a car is garaged in the long term outside the country where the insurance is issued. (Tom may be pulling this off in reverse, though, and perhaps US insurers would not mind.)

What if the car is the property of your company? A GmBH (LLP) is easy to found and takes around 20-25k, part of which can be the car's value. Of course the company will need an address, that can be rented (for a fee of course).

Swiss insurers are happy to take the premium from my brother whose car has not been driven since February 2020 due to Covid as he has not visited his second home. He did have a B permit when he bought the home & car

I was also wondering if I could register it to a virtual office address, or a mailing service, e.g. myswissmailaddress.com

That would be a lot cheaper than dealing with a serviced apartment I think (about 500chf a year), and updating my address periodically.

I was able to get insurance quotes pretty easily (about ~650chf a year for a new GR Yaris), not sure if there are any complications when it comes time to purchase insurance as a non-resident.

Were you not asked what resident permit you had for the quote?

do you already own the car?

currently a 9 month wait to buy a new GR Yaris. and far longer in all other countries. also who quoted you 650 chf? cheapest i found was 1100!