Simple, because it is far while the Kreisburo is nearby.

The two offices serve different purposes. The Kreisbüro are local offices that handle administrative matters - such as residence permits - for the City of Zurich. I believe the Strassenverkerhsamt is the cantonal (not city) department of transportation.

Wow, that must be a first. A foreigner who thinks a place is far away in this small city.

Hello all,

I am glad to inform you all that I have passed my "control drive" on end of Sept2015 !!! As i came from Hong Kong, I needed to pass this test, otherwise I have to take the theoretical test as well.... Luckily, after taking sessions by an English speaking driving teacher, I am able to get used to the left sided driving and pass the test.

In case you need the control drive, could consider my teacher Mike:
http://www.fahrschule-mike.ch/en/home

Good luck to anyone who is going to take this test!

Cheers,
Mon

I have more (valid) licenses than most people and I will say this: The law is one thing, and police practice can be quite another. Even Swiss law makes an exception for professional drivers: the industrial lobby (tourist buses, motor tour guides...) not to forget diplomats and tourists themselves and their chauffeurs and the car rental industry.

I long thought that in the USA for example there was a rule about driving licenses matching license plates -- except for tractor trailers/articulated lorries of course. A state policeman on a forum such as this corrected me. And internationally it's the same. What matters is that you have a driving license valid for the place you are resident (in Civil-law countries, "domiciled") and that you obey Customs laws -- which are stricter for Switzerland than many or most other European countries.

In the EU there is no requirement to exchange a driving license from another EU country so long as it is valid -- and until age 70 when the UK rule (and no doubt that of other Member States) requires you to meet medical norms and get a local license.

For part-year Swiss residents and for split-domicile families there is an unavoidable conundrum: except if the named driver has a heart attack (I asked Hertz and they said no matter what the contract and the law say, there is an exception for someone else to take you to a hospital and return the car) the Swiss-domiciled person has to meet the Swiss rules, and so on. As I read those, you can drive your UK (for example) car to Switzerland and then have to garage it and drive a Swiss one until you leave. Or have a non-resident drive it for you.

The chances of getting caught are slim. Maybe slimmer than not having a Swiss motorway vignette...

(The EU driving license rules by the way can be traced to the same reason as comparable US rules: one single EU (or US) license because in the past (1970s and earlier in the USA) drivers who had their licenses cancelled for DUI would get one from another country (state) and continue to drive. Harder now anyway because of a central US registry and computerization.)

No, the laws are identical, in fact the Italians enforce them much more strictly than the Swiss do.

Tom

If i lived in CH for 2 years without having the licence conversion done, then i relocate to another country. Can i do the conversion within 12 months if i move back one day or i have to do the whole thing (theorz test, driving test, etc.)?

A quick update on this topic:

If you have a foreign car with plates other than swiss ones you just can take conversion exam with that in the case it is registered under your own name.

Could some one comment on what french words are necessary for me to know so that in the exam I don't need an official translator which so expensive?
Thanks a lot and please write down your experience during the exam.

I have no idea what you're trying to say in the first part of your post.

For the second, "un pot de vin" should cover most contingencies.

Yes may be I maid it so complicated. You can take the exam with a non swiss car as well as long as all the car documents are under your name and not your e.g father's name.

I didn't get the point of your second part. But it smells like sth special

I have a new question under this topic :

My exam is booked for February 2016. I actually would like to take it as soon as possible. Someone told me that I need to go to the control service everyday early at 7:30 in the morning and check may someone else has cancelled his/her exam and that I can take over his/her time slot.

Any experience on how it works and any other suggestions that I can bring my exam date earlier ?

I live in Geneva and I registered for exam paying 120 CHF and being told that I need to pay 150 CHF as well if I pass the conversion exam.

Thanks

Un pot de vin.

Allegedly.

Hey guys, I have a quick question:

I am about to go through the conversion, but I was wondering if I will be able to keep my old license?

Will I just hand it over or what exactly will happen to my old one?

Hi mmr,

They will ask you to hand over your old license. Then it will be lost forever. If you're afraid of being nostalgic, just make a copy of it. But that's the only thing that will remain from your old license.

It depends on the origin of the licence.

If it is a non EU licence they will give it back to you with a sticker on it saying not valid for use in Switzerland ( you may still use it to drive in other countries).

If it is an EU licence it will be forwarded to the licensing authorities of that country and you can reclaim it ( or a newer version of it) when/if you move back there.

It's an EU licence, so I wondered if the Swiss driving licence is valid in all EU countries (I have to check Slovakia).

But if I can reclaim it, even better! Thanks guys!

AFAIK, Swiss driver's licences are valid worldwide, subject to the same sort of limitations that the Swiss themselves impose -- for example, I don't suppose you could drive for years in Australia on a Swiss licence. But in general, most driver's licences are valid in most countries for a short period, such as a holiday.

In some cases, you may be required to carry an international driver's licence in conjunction with your Swiss licence; this is usually the case when the country in which you want to drive uses a different alphabet or requires the licence to be in a language other than the one used on your Swiss licence. Personally, I've never needed to produce an international licence, even when renting cars abroad.

Wow... over a thousand replies... I have done my best searching in the thread and in other threads, if this has been solved before, please point me out in the right direction.

Husband leaving in Switzerland for almost 3 years. His german is not great.

He doesn't have a driving license and wants to have it. We are spanish and still with B permit. The shortcut says: go to Spain, do the exam there, and then pass it and convert it afterwards in Switzerland.

The obvious question is: are we allowed to? Or just because we live here for 3 years and have a B permit is he obliged to get the driving license here?

Thanks for any supporting answers.

I think you have to be at least a university student there or something like that, I think it's a grey area, have heard of people being able to obtain it but don't know about the conversion part.

Time is as well a matter. Till he gets the level to pass that exam it is a time we can't afford right now. As simple as that.