Buying a car in Switzerland: step by step

Buying a car in Switzerland comes down to three steps: find the car, insure it and register it with the road traffic office (Strassenverkehrsamt) of the canton where you live. The paperwork is short if the car is already registered in Switzerland and its inspection is valid. It takes longer for an older car that needs an inspection, and longest for a car you import.

Where to buy a car in Switzerland

• Brand dealers: new cars, demonstration cars and used cars, often with a warranty. For a new car, the dealer often gets the test report (form 13.20 A) you need for registration.
• Used car dealers and online marketplaces: platforms such as AutoScout24 list cars from dealers and private sellers across Switzerland. Filter by canton to keep viewings short.
• Private sellers: often cheaper, but the seller can exclude any warranty. The TCS points out that private sellers must still disclose accident damage, and recommends a written contract. For the price, a private sale should land close to the Eurotax average value.

What to check before you buy a used car

The inspection (MFK)

Swiss cars go through an official periodic inspection, the MFK. Passenger cars are first inspected 5 years after first registration (6 years at the latest), then 3 years later, then every 2 years (VTS Art. 33). ch.ch advises that a used car should have been inspected shortly before you buy it.

Ads often say “ab MFK”, meaning freshly inspected. According to the TCS, this only confirms that the car meets the safety requirements and will not need another inspection for 2 to 3 years. The inspection only covers safety-relevant parts, so it is not a quality seal. In the canton of Zürich, a car that is 15 years or older can only be registered after an inspection, unless the last one was less than two years ago.

The rest of the checklist

• Service history: ask for the service booklet and invoices.
• Code 178: look at the registration document (Fahrzeugausweis). The entry “Halterwechsel verboten” (change of keeper prohibited) is typical for leased cars. The car cannot be registered to you until whoever requested the entry releases it.
• Accident damage: ask directly and write the answer into the contract.
• Test drive and independent check: take a proper test drive. If you are unsure, the TCS offers an independent used car test (Occasionstest).
• Warranty: for older cars, the TCS recommends at least a warranty that covers parts and labour.

Registering the car: step by step

1. Arrange liability insurance. It is required before registration. Your insurer sends the insurance certificate (Versicherungsnachweis) to the road traffic office electronically. In Zürich the certificate is valid for 30 days, so register within that time. See our car insurance guide for cover and premiums.
2. Collect the documents. For a used car: the previous keeper’s registration document, an ID document (ID card, passport or residence permit card) and, if this is your first registration, a confirmation of residence from your municipality. Add the inspection report if a follow-up inspection was done (form 13.20 B). For a new car: form 13.20 A instead of the old registration document.
3. Go to the counter or send it by post. In the canton of Zürich, you get the registration document and plates directly at the counter. By post, they arrive within 10 working days.
4. Pay the fees. The registration document and plates usually cost CHF 50 to 100, depending on the canton. Special numbers cost extra.
5. Buy the vignette. The e-vignette is linked to the number plate, so buy it once you have your plates.

Changing cars and keeping your plates? In Zürich, a provisional permit form lets you drive the new car in Switzerland with your existing plates until the new document arrives, for up to 30 days from the start of the insurance certificate.

Costs beyond the purchase price

Cost	What to expect (as of 2026)
Vehicle tax	Set by your canton and different in each one. Electric cars pay it too.
Liability insurance	Mandatory. Partial or full casco is optional.
Motorway vignette	CHF 40, valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year
Periodic inspection	Around CHF 60, depending on the canton
Registration	CHF 50 to 100 for document and plates, once
Parking	A space at home or a rented garage. The TCS counts garage costs as a fixed cost.

For the full picture: the TCS calculates that its 2026 sample car, with a new price of CHF 45,000 and 15,000 km a year, costs CHF 11,112 a year, about 74 centimes per kilometre, including depreciation, fuel, tyres and servicing.

Good to know about the vignette: if you keep your plates and change cars, your e-vignette moves with the plate automatically. A new car with new plates needs a new vignette.

Bringing your own car to Switzerland

1. Declare it at the border. A foreign car must be declared at the first border crossing connected with your move, at a customs office that handles commercial goods.
2. Removal goods or not. If you used the car yourself for at least six months before moving and keep using it, it can usually come in free of charges as household removal goods, with form 18.44. If not, you pay 4% automobile tax and 8.1% import VAT on its value. Customs duty no longer applies: Switzerland abolished tariffs on industrial goods, including cars, on 1 January 2024. With less than six months of use, a customs permit (form 15.30) can, under certain conditions, let you drive it uncleared for up to two years.
3. Get form 13.20 A. Customs issues the test report for the road traffic office, for CHF 20. Recently registered cars (under six months abroad, or under twelve months with less than 5,000 km) can also fall under the CO2 rules for new cars.
4. Register it in your canton. In Zürich, you send the documents first, including the certificate of conformity (COC). The office then sends you an inspection date. When demand is high, waiting times can be longer. You hand in the foreign plates right after the inspection.
5. Mind the deadline. Swiss registration is due at the latest one year after you move.

How long until you can drive your car?

Situation	Typical time (Zürich)
Used car with valid inspection, registered at the counter	Same day, once the insurance certificate has arrived
Same, documents sent by post	Up to 10 working days
Older car that needs an inspection first	Until your inspection appointment
New car ordered from a dealer	The delivery time the dealer gives you
Imported car	Customs, document check and inspection appointment: plan for the longest wait

Bridging the gap with a rental

Between buying and driving there are often a few weeks: the car is being delivered, waiting for an inspection or stuck in import paperwork. A monthly rental covers that time. At Kario you rent from one week, with insurance, motorway vignette, servicing and unlimited kilometres included, from CHF 690 a month for a small car. You need a valid driving licence and a passport or ID, and no Swiss credit history.

Your own car is weeks away? Request a car and a local rental partner sends you an offer within 2 working hours. If you are still deciding whether to buy, lease or subscribe, read our comparison of car subscription, leasing and rental.