No need for international ... I used my Malaysian license for close to a year before getting a Swiss one ... Need to do the driving test but not the written one ... Easy if you have been driving for a a while , just take a couple of lessons for good measure and to be reminded of the 'specific to Switzerland ' rules -

Thanks Marcashvin! Yeah, will be taking some lessons from the local fahrschule.

One more question, when you're back in Malaysia, u can use your Swiss driver's license right? Understand that they take your Malaysian license when they give you the Swiss. I'm guessing that I no longer have to renew my Malaysian license? Will be going back every year.

Thanks in advance!

They will return your Malaysian License without doing anything to it ( as opposed to the guys from the EU etc. ) . Your Malaysian License remains valid and you would need to renew it as per normal if you want to keep it 'alive' . You can always use the Swiss license to drive at home if you return for a holiday but you would still need the Malaysian one if you are planning to go back for good at any stage ( I use my Swiss one when I have 'fractured' a law and need a break )

My advice : Keep the Malaysian one valid unless you have moved to Switzerland permanently

Well I gave up my UK license yesterday to get a Swiss one. It feels very strange. I can also see it being a problem when I pop back to the UK.

Far from it. My experience on being caught at 80 on the motorway - one look at the Swiss license and it was just a verbal warning .

Ah. Feeling better already. Cheers.

Ok, so I've read the whole thread and my question is still not fully answered....

I currently have a UK licence, paper style, issued in 1998. This licence does not carry automatic D1 (that ended in 1997), but does state in the small print that I am entitled to drive minibuses up to 17 seats (including driver) as long as it is not for hire or reward. I would quite like to keep this entitlement, and I am quite prepared to go through the medical checks and police record search (although I haven't quite worked out how this works yet) to keep it when I change licence.

My question is though, will the SAN (VD) accept the small print on the licence as proof that I already have this category, or as it's not stated on the front of the licence with the other categories am I just going to waste my time? Anyone had the same problem? Cheers for any help!

I ASKED FOR C1 and D1 as I wasnt sure whichcategories I would need for the school minibus. Ultimately if I pass a standard medical 100 chf then I can have those categories added. So worst case scenario you should be fine.

I checked with Hubby last night, he has an old-style UK paper driving licence too, which he converted to a swiss one. (He didn't have to give up his UK licence either, is this a recent thing)?
Anyway, He says that you'll still be covered for driving a mini-bus when you convert it to a swiss one..... but for 14 people, not 17.

Hi all

Has anyone converted their UK licence to a Swiss one, and retained the C/D-type categories that are considered 'professional' here?

Hubby and I would like to keep these categories, (a) for driving large trucks and minibuses in Switzerland, and (b) to make sure the DVLA doesn't deny we ever had them if/when we return to the UK!

I'm trying to find out the definitive process, and would be grateful for a steer from someone who's done it. So far, I know:

- we need a medical. Does this have to be done by an approved doctor from a special list, or will any old doctor do?

- we need an eye-test. I think this has to be a more detailed test done by an opthalmologist rather than the basic quickie done by an optician.

- we need a copy of our criminal record. I have no idea where to get this from.

And obviously we'll need photos, permits, etc to shower at the officials. Have I missed out any forms, and please can someone gently walk me though what needs doing and the possible timescales?

I've read the thread, but can't find any info about people having done this - I can't believe everyone else just renounces these categories for ever!

Many thanks for your help.

kodokan

Yes I have done it, local optition, needs to be a qualified doctor, not local GP, information can be obtained from the Strassenverkehramt. Criminal record check is straight forward in CH, but I didn`t need it. Check this link.
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/...mys/chcri.html

Just go to your local Strassenvekehrsamt, the cost to the Doctor is fixed, I cannot remember exactly but it may be between 100 & 200 SFR.

I got the C1 D1 categories last week in Bern. I needed an eye test and a 100chf medical from my GP although he said it should be an independant Dr. He did an eye test even though I had just had one at the opticians. Wierd. My license was then immediately sent out. Lost my UK one though as it was sent back to DVLA. I need to have the DR medical every 5 years to keep the categories however.

Hope this helps

Thank you, the Criminal Records link is really useful, just what I needed.

What's a 'Strassenvekehrsamt' - I'm in the French bit; is it the thing called 'SAN' here, the DVLA sort of place? And they'll give me a list of approved doctors..?

Thanks

kodokan

Ok I have been postponing it for a long time but it is gonna get me one day... and I need a new licence soon. Here is my question:

I posses SA driver's licence with expiry date 2009. In any event it has to be extended or exchanged. I have been here in Switzerland for over 10 months whilst occasionally renting Mobility car as a weekend driver, but the time for conversion is up...!!! I know that within the first 12 months from entering the country one has to convert the existing licence to the Swiss driver's licence in order to be able to drive. Since I am EU passport holder I have an option to convert it back to the Polish driving licence and then I would try to convert it into the Swiss one. The reason of such minor manipulation on my side is two-fold: 1) Many people that I know had to go thru the tough process and lots of humiliation taking lessons to pass the practical test. We're talking about non-EU incumbents here. If they failed either their original licence would be retained by authorities or they had to do entire test rigmarole over again (theoretical as well as practical). By the way, It cost them lots of money as well.
2) It is way cheaper to convert it in Poland and get lifetime licence instead of SA which has got an expire date on it and needs to be renewed.

Incidentally, someone has told me that such exercise might not be successful because the local traffic authorities look at the date when candidate has entered the country and the conversion date on non-Swiss licence (in my case Polish).

Currently I need my SA licence because I want to drive a car in SA while on holidays for one month and it is also convenient to use it as an ID document.

Any experience with similar efforts to convert?

I had an old SA driver's license. I missed the cut-off date for the new format, but was entitled to convert the old license to a UK license through the DVLA.

I went back to SA on holiday and with a little social engineering and blatant forgery I managed to get a new credit card style license.

I considered exchanging that for a UK license.

In the end I decided to take a few lessons and to do the Kontrol fahrt. I learned a lot from the lessons, negotiating trams, funny rules, driving on the wrong side of the road etc.

You need to renew and keep your SA license. Do so. If you can exchange it for a Polish license and still have the possibility to change it back (or keep it) then do so and use that to get a Swiss license.

Either way, you need to do it quickly. After 1 year your foreign license is no longer valid and you might therefore consider simply taking your current SA license and getting a Swiss license after a few lessons.

They give you back your SA license, which you could then get renewed.

I think this is possibly the shortest red tape path.

1) take a few lessons
2) use current SA license to get Swiss license
3) get SA license renewed.

The Swiss bureaucratic process is very fast. You do not want to rely on African bureaucracy as we both know, can and will take months.

One more question... I heard so, but not quite sure if it is true and need to confirm it, that one can convert the DL within 2 years from date of entering the country. Within the first year one can drive using an old DL, but after it is past, then it is no longer allowed. However there is conversion time extended to two years.

P.S. I would really wanna do it only next year!!!

It's 1 year (see the following pdf in German): http://www.stva.zh.ch/internet/ds/st...=1224662943528

So it is about the time to book a few lessons and start shivering before the exam!

I know a guy. He can pick up for lessons in Oerlikon (you're at ABB?) - He will arrange your kontrol fahrt in Regensdorf and gives the knowing nod to all his mates there.

Yeap, I live at Neuenhof but work in Turgi both in canton Aargau. Orliekon is in Canton Zürich! How many lessons more less are we talking about here to be confident during the practical test? Does he all the time speak English or will I have to struggle in broken German.... zu machen meiner Fahrtprüfung or Autoprüfung?