Hi
I am just about to appply for "B" permit to reside in Switzerland. Lived in the UK for 60 years so a bit of a wrench particularly for the good Lady.
Looking at car situation should I bring UK car have friends in the trade can get left hookers very cheap. Anyone brought a UK car in and registered?

there is another thread on this forum listing these deets. . .

if you import a car into switzerland within 6 months of purchasing it you will be liable for import duties... ( at least it was this way a few years ago, i'm sure it's still the same. )

When we moved a 2 1/2 years ago, we brought our car across. Luckily we had it for more than 6 months otherwise we would have had to import duties (as panamahat stated).
The reason why we drove our Rover back to the UK instead of registering it here, was that if there is only one of you in the car, multi-storey car park can be somewhat of a challenge (grabbing a ticket or inserting the ticket). But we actually looked into the whole thing ... before we could get the car MOT'd here in CH (Vorführen) we had to have Swiss Insurance and that's where we hit a bit of a problem, thus it was cheaper and easier to drive it to the UK, take a holiday whilst there and getting "rid" of our Rover.

So it depends on what you want. It surely is possible to have a right-hand-driven car registered here in CH (some neighbours of ours have their UK-Mini registered here).

Hi
Anyone brought a UK car to Swiss and registered it, Interested to know costs and how to do it any likely pitfalls
Thanks

Discussed before. search button. Third from right on menu strip.
dave

Hi Me again
Just followed thread re UK car import. New cars definitely cheaper in Swiss but Second hand dearer eg I can buy 2003/4 Diesel Grand Cherokee LH in UK at auction for £9,000 . Are ther any costs in getting the car tested in Swiss?

Speaking as one with a UK car here, I would say flog it in the UK and get something else over here. It is just not worth the stress to bring it here as there are many pitfalls. We are having the hassle of driving ours back this year to sell it in the UK. Basically it costs quite a bit to import, you have to change the healights on our BMW as they do not conform to the Swiss standard, it would cost us a fortune to do it. You cannot insure the car here until you import it so we are using the AA for insurance, as they are the only ones who will insure us in CH, it is is costing a fortune.

That is not to mention the lovely things like the ticket problem when you go to the car parks and of course you are always looked at as a foreigner no matter what as you are driving around in your UK plates in a right hand drive car.

yes getting the car ztested Anywhere will involve costs.

As stated in the "other" thread..

you buy a car in uk and import it to switzerland ( within 6 months of purchase ) you will be charged import taxes

( these issues have been discuessed in other threads )

mods,

can you move this thread to transportation / driving ?

( i reckon it's more that than an intro. )

Thanks for all you in put just finding my way arrounfdhave already posted in Transport but did as requested and posted introduction....hope I have not started on wrong foot

But we always enjoyed, when the police had one of their "stop-and-search operations" ... their eyes said everything , when they would see us driving up! Often they were frightened of asking etc, so that certainly was always quite a laugh.

Thanks
I am aware of import duty etc just wanted to know if nay cost for actual test but I think I will purchase in Swiss, just such a big difference on prices

since the car is on sale here and pretty much identical to the EU homologated jeep, you'll need to adjust the lights, make the speedo main reading kph and then get a test done for emissions and roadworthiness, insure it, get registration for it and then drive around on the wrong side of it.

but that much easier

I have also hear, not personally experienced as i am such a careful driver, that one of the advantages are if you get a camera speeding fine they dont really bother with you as it is too much hassle to trace it to UK then back to CH. Could be a rumour though. Anybody had personal experience on that.

absolutely not Sir. Welcome and enjoy. . . .

Is there a big difference in price? How can new cars be cheaper than the UK and 2nd hand more expensive?

P

OK BMW New X5 in Uk £50,800 Swiss 93,000 Sfr at todays rate £38,500 Difference I think is 7.5% vat instead of 17.5% 5% discount from swiss dealer none in UK on new BMW plus 6% exchange gain
Freelander 2 Uk £33,000 Swiss 65,000 Sfr £27,000
Second Hand Grand Cherokee 2003 in UK auction £8,000 Swiss Price 31,000 Sfr £12,800
Perhaps I am being unfair comparing UK auction prices with Swiss Dealer prices.
So anyone know of a publiation similar to Top Marques or internet site for private second hand sales
Thanks for all your help

www.autoscout24.ch is one.
The second-hand market is less popular here; nobody typically wants a second-hand car based on snob value, no HP (most lease a car rather than take a loan).

Here's a 2003 Grand Cherokee, 23'900

Hi
Thanks for your help I found the web site and a few others with SH BMW x5 price very similar to Uk Have had company cars for last 40 years so gooing to be difficult to buy SH or cough up the money for new. Last two cars were X5's great cars but do not like the cold in the Valais they call them BMtroubleyous! Just don't know that I can shell out all that money Quite fancy the new Freelander 2
Anyway we are in Swiss in 10 days so will have a serious search definitley seems to the case to Buy in Swiss