Importing Your Car to Switzerland Duty-Free: Form 18.44 & MFK Step-by-Step

• Form 18.44 = Zolldeklaration Übersiedlungsgut. Declares your car as personal effects of a move. Duty and VAT waived.
• Eligibility: you owned and used the car abroad for at least 6 months before the move and are relocating your main residence to Switzerland.
• Form 13.20 A = customs-issued technical/tax document. Required for cantonal registration.
• MFK = mandatory technical inspection at your cantonal road-traffic office.
• You have 1 year from Anmeldung to complete registration and get Swiss plates.
• You must keep the car for personal use for 1 year after import or duty-free status is retroactively lost.

Übersiedlungsgut (relocation goods) is a Swiss customs regime that lets you bring in cars, motorcycles, boats and household items without VAT or duty. The conditions are strict but achievable:

• You are transferring your primary residence to Switzerland (registered with an Anmeldung and a B/C/G/L permit or citizenship).
• The car has been owned and used by you personally for at least 6 months before the move.
• You keep it for personal use only for at least 1 year after entry.
• The car is imported within a reasonable window of the move (in practice: within 12 months of your Swiss registration).

If you buy a new car abroad three weeks before moving, it does not qualify. If you inherited it, or leased it (leased cars are usually excluded — check the lessor's authorisation), it may not qualify. When in doubt, ask a customs broker; a 30-minute consultation saves thousands.

1. Original foreign vehicle registration (both parts if applicable, e.g. Zulassungsbescheinigung I & II for Germany).
2. Proof of purchase / ownership — invoice, sales contract, or previous registration in your name.
3. Passport or ID + Swiss permit (or Anmeldebestätigung if just registered).
4. Old address deregistration certificate and Swiss Anmeldung — proof the move is real.
5. Insurance green card valid for Switzerland (short-term transit coverage until you switch to Swiss insurance).
6. Form 18.44 printed and pre-filled — download from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG / EZV).
7. Form 13.20 A blank — will be stamped by customs.
8. Technical data / EU Certificate of Conformity (CoC) — mandatory for EU cars; hugely helps the MFK.

Bring two paper copies of every document. Swiss customs is polite, precise and paper-driven. If the officer wants a photocopy, the office is closed and there's no printer in sight, you'll be sent back.

Drive to a manned Swiss customs post during opening hours (not all border crossings clear commercial or Übersiedlungsgut paperwork — check in advance; major ones like Basel, Kreuzlingen, Chiasso, Geneva always do).

1. Declare orally at the red channel or the office.
2. Hand over Form 18.44, proof of move, ownership, ID, insurance.
3. Customs stamps the 18.44 and issues Form 13.20 A with the vehicle's technical data — this is the document the cantonal registration office will demand later.
4. Small handling fee (~CHF 20) paid on the spot.
5. You now have 30 days of foreign-plate driving to reach the MFK inspection and finalise registration.

You cannot get Swiss plates without an MFK certificate. Book the appointment as soon as you have your Anmeldung — waiting times can be 4–8 weeks in Zurich, Zug and Geneva.

What they check:

• Brakes, steering, suspension, tyres, chassis rust.
• Lights: headlights must be adjusted for right-hand traffic (RHD imports need reflectors/mirrors and often a headlight change).
• Emissions and OBD readiness — must meet Euro 5 minimum for practical MFK acceptance; Euro 6 preferred.
• Speedometer in km/h.
• Warning triangle and safety vest onboard.
• VIN match between chassis and papers.

Typical adjustments before the test:

• Winter tyres or all-seasons appropriate for the season (M+S / snowflake).
• Replace worn brake pads and rust-check the underside.
• UK / Japan / US imports: headlight assembly change, front fog lamps, rear fog light — non-trivial cost.
• Cars > 10 years old: expect a stricter test; older diesels sometimes struggle with emissions.

If the car fails, you fix and re-present within a set window (typically 30 days). Fees around CHF 80–200 for the first inspection; retests are cheaper.

Once you have the MFK green stamp, book a follow-up (or the same appointment in some cantons) at the Strassenverkehrsamt to register the vehicle.

1. Bring Form 13.20 A (customs), the stamped MFK report, your foreign registration, ID/permit, and proof of Swiss motor insurance (Versicherungsnachweis — you request it from your Swiss insurer digitally).
2. Choose plate style: standard, personalised (extra CHF 500–3,000 depending on rarity), or transferable from a family member.
3. Pay the annual motor vehicle tax — set by canton, based on cylinder capacity, weight or CO₂. Zurich ~CHF 300–700 for a family car; Uri or Obwalden significantly less.
4. Get plates issued the same day (usually) and a Swiss Fahrzeugausweis (registration card).

You're now a Swiss driver. Update your foreign licence to a Swiss one within 12 months if you plan to stay: see the Swiss driving licence exchange guide.

Swiss law requires third-party liability (Haftpflicht) for every registered vehicle. The insurer sends the electronic Versicherungsnachweis directly to the Strassenverkehrsamt; without it, no plates.

Premiums vary wildly by canton, driver age and no-claim record. Use two brokers, not one — comparateurs like Comparis are a starting point, not the final answer. And don't confuse motor insurance with health insurance; they're separate systems.

• UK / RHD imports: allowed, but headlight and mirror adjustments are almost always required. Budget CHF 500–1,500 for MFK-readiness.
• US / Canadian cars: harder — many models fail EU/CH emissions or safety standards without an individual approval (Einzelabnahme). Speak to a specialist before shipping.
• Classic / veteran cars (>30 years): eligible for reduced tax under the veteran regime once accepted; MFK is technical but usually smooth.
• Electric vehicles: benefit from lower cantonal motor tax in many cantons and no CO₂ import levy. Type-2 charging plug is standard.
• Leased cars: usually cannot be imported under 18.44 — the lessor holds title. You need written authorisation and sometimes contract restructuring.
• Non-EU origin, no CoC: expect Einzelabnahme, extra emissions test and a bigger MFK bill.

• Waiting too long to book MFK — you can be driving illegally after 30 days on foreign plates.
• Selling the car within 12 months — customs claws back full VAT (~7.7%) plus duties and CO₂ tax retroactively.
• Turning up at customs on a Sunday — most border offices with commercial competence are closed. Plan a weekday crossing.
• Forgetting the insurance step — no Versicherungsnachweis, no plates. Sort it before your MFK appointment.
• Undeclared modifications (lowered suspension, non-Swiss ECU tune, LED bulbs in reflectors not designed for them) — instant MFK fail.
• Not swapping the driving licence in 12 months — you'll then need a full Swiss test, not an exchange.

1. Own the car ≥ 6 months and plan the move — you're eligible.
2. Gather papers: foreign registration, ownership proof, CoC, insurance green card.
3. Cross at a competent border post; get 18.44 stamped and 13.20 A issued.
4. Anmeldung in your Swiss commune — done in parallel or first.
5. Book MFK inspection at your cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt.
6. Line up Swiss motor insurance (Haftpflicht + optional Kasko).
7. Pass MFK, present 13.20 A + Versicherungsnachweis, collect plates.
8. Keep the car for personal use for at least 12 months — sell later.
9. Swap your foreign driving licence within 12 months of Anmeldung.