Hello all,

I tried to look for the info myself by searching for a swiss driving licence picture online but most of the bloggers just blacken the info area on the licence so I cannot take a clearer look of the licence.

My question is, as I am holding a UK driving licence through the passing of driving test, and if I would like to apply for a Swiss driving licence, would there be any information printed on the Swiss licence indicating that I get this licence through transference or the passing of a driving test? It is quite important to me as I note that in some country (which I will have to move to in a few years time), we can use the Swiss licence to apply for the driving licence of their country, but they only accept those Swiss licence which: (as quoted) "must be obtained through passing of driving test held in the issuing country or place;"
Thanks in advance for helping me.

My Swiss driving license was issued on exchange of my American one, and on the back of the license, it does indicate that the license was an exchange of my U.S. license.

If you actually receive a Swiss license by taking a driving test, I don't know if that is specified or not. Hopefully someone else will know.

I don't think that I can be of much help here, because I transferred my UK license more than 15 years ago, but based on what I have, I doubt that your new CH license will in any way indicate how you obtained it.

The front of the credit card size version of the license has your name, DoB and Heimatort, date of issue and Kanton, signature and the group of vehicles you are licensed to drive along with a mug shot on the left. The back of the card has the licensed groups listed pictorally and at the bottom there is a machine code for automatic card reading. There aren't any open fields to enter any other data.

No one would ever know based on your new Swiss license on what basis you obtained it other than the records at the Kantonal Traffic Authority.

I did the license exchange 7 years ago and it was the same as Rabina says. No mention of where you obtained your original license.
Which places, for example, says that you must have passed your test in the issuing country? I would be interested to know.

Thanks everybody.

As FYI, the place that have such a requirement is as stated in this link:
http://www.td.gov.hk/public_services...nce_/index.htm

Please refer to criteria 3.1.1

I just wonder if this is quite a general practice for many places.

Well, the others who posted who exchanged their licenses many years ago don't have any indication of where it came from, but as I said, mine CLEARLY indicates it on the back, and I received it 2.5 years ago.

Here is what it says, in French:

"Echange PC USA no. 536221471"

But really, is the other country going to examine the back of it? And if they do, will they understand the French and the abbreviations?

I can confirm there is nothing on the front of my license to indicate that it is an exchange. It looks just like any Swiss person's driving license, though it does have my nationality on it.

I got my swiss licence last year, and on the back within the code (below the categories) its last few figures are ME.GB which is the postcode and country where I passed my test.

Mine has that, too, with "D" encoded for the fact that my first license was Dschörrman. But it's rather obscure.

I got my Swiss license a month ago in Vaud. On the back it has a date in 2005 but no explanation (it is in fact the date my current US driving license was issued). It also lists the number of my USA license and that it was from the USA.

So I guess that someone who knew how to interpret the various symbols on a Swiss license would work out that I had not taken a driving test.

I can definitely confirm that if you exchange your UK licence these days there will be a note printed on the back, under the categories, which will say in French, German or Italian that you exchanged your UK licence number.

The practice changed a while ago. Before that you didn't have to surrender your UK licence when you applied for a Swiss one. They changed that and now the Swiss retain your UK licence for forwarding back to DVLC. Since then they've notated that the Swiss liccence was exchanged for a foreign licence.

Thanks everyone for the helpful input!! In that sense, I think we can't really apply for more driving licence in other countries........or I hope they won't read the back of the Swiss driving licence carefully during the application process..as they r only printed in italian/french/greman... ironically this time i hope they don't have English printed on the document..

Well to be absolutely safe, when you leave Switzerland, you could always reconvert your Swiss licence back into a UK licence and then apply for a third country licence.

I converted my American driver's license into a Swiss one about 13 years ago. I got an old (blue paper) license back then. They printed the letters "OP" next to every category that I was entitled to. I can only assume that "OP" stands for "Ohne Prüfung" (=without taking a test).

Later I exchanged the paper license for the new credit-card sized plastic version and they dropped the "OP". It's completely unmarked now. I also never had to surrender my American license - but it's expired now since I failed to renew it on time. I'd have to re-take the written test in the US if I wanted to renew it.

Peter

Yes - old rules. Things have changed. I have no idea if you have to surrender a US driving licence now but you definitely have to surrender a UK licence and it isn't returned to you with your new Swiss licence.

I just exchange my US licence for Swiss licence a few weeks ago in canton VD. They do not take your US licence, but they do stamp the back of US licence stating that it is not valid in Switzerland.

I transferred my UK license earlier this year. I only handed the picture card part over, and they didn't ask for the paper part. I have heard of others who have done this, then reported the picture part missing and got a replacement from the DVLA! Not sure how legal it is though.

Totally illegal!

That's right. You don't hand over the paper part which means the Swiss don't see any endorsements. But the paper part is useless and invalid as a licence without a plastic card.

The DVLA won't issue a replacement for a lost or stolen licence if you are permanently resident abroad. Therefore to get one you would have to make misrepresentations that your licence was stolen and (b) that you are UK resident. On top of that you would be supplying a false UK address. I don't know why anybody would bother to do this. It take a couple of weeks to reconvert your Swiss licence back into a UK licence.

I transferred my Hongkong driving license on 10 September 2007. The person in charge asked me only one question. . . whether my driving license was obtained before 1997 or after! He did not tell me why but
I guess it was becuase of the taken-over by China.
So I assumed British driving license is ok in CH.

When I swapped my Swedish licence for a Swiss one, I just said that I'd need to keep my Swedish one as it's used as an ID card. No problem, they returned my Swedish licence and only put a small orange sticker on the back of it saying "not valid in Switzerland".