Using an uncleared vehicle temporarily in Switzerland

Whether you may use an uncleared vehicle in Switzerland depends, among other things, on whether you are resident in Switzerland or abroad.

People resident in Switzerland

In principle, you may not use an uncleared vehicle in Switzerland. You must spontaneously declare any vehicle(s) on which duty has not been paid for permanent importation into Switzerland to Swiss Customs at the border. This also applies to vehicles which relatives or acquaintances from abroad wish to cede to you. Special regulations only apply in a few cases.

Special regulations for road vehicles

You are employed by a company which is domiciled abroad and a vehicle is made available to you by the company.

Before entering Switzerland for the first time, you must apply for a customs permit form 15.30 for the vehicle. The vehicle on which duty has not been paid may be used in Switzerland only for journeys on behalf of your employer and for your journey to and from work. Other private journeys, e.g. for holidays or leisure, are not permitted.

Further information can be found in the following fact sheet:

Fact sheet 15.48 Personal use of foreign company vehicles (PDF, 207 kB, 01.01.2022)

You would like to rent a vehicle abroad from an official rental company and use it in Switzerland for private purposes, e.g. holidays.

You have to ask Swiss Customs for a temporary certificate form 15.25 for the vehicle when entering Switzerland. You can get this at all manned border crossings during opening hours in tourist traffic. With the temporary certificate form 15.25, you have eight days (from the beginning of the rental contract) to re-export the vehicle or return it to the rental company based in Switzerland. If you arrive in Switzerland more than five days after the start of the rental contract, the customs office will issue you with a temporary certificate form 15.25 for three days. You must be able to present the rental agreement concluded with the rental company at all times.

12 cross-border journeys per year

For this, you have to apply for a so-called customs declaration for temporary admission (ZAVV) at a customs office responsible for commercial goods. You have to pay a deposit for the import duties. With a ZAVV for 12 cross-border journeys, you may enter Switzerland with the vehicle for a maximum of three days, 12 times a year. You must have each border crossing confirmed at the customs office.

Special regulations for watercraft

You would like to rent a vehicle abroad from an official rental company and use it in Switzerland for private purposes, e.g. holidays.

You have to ask Swiss Customs for a temporary certificate form 15.25 for the vehicle when entering Switzerland. You can get this at all manned border crossings during opening hours in tourist traffic. With the temporary certificate form 15.25, you have eight days (from the beginning of the rental contract) to re-export the vehicle or return it to the rental company based in Switzerland. If you arrive in Switzerland more than five days after the start of the rental contract, the customs office will issue you with a temporary certificate form 15.25 for three days. You must be able to present the rental agreement concluded with the rental company at all times.

12 cross-border journeys per year

For this, you have to apply for a so-called customs declaration for temporary admission (ZAVV) at a customs office responsible for commercial goods. You have to pay a deposit for the import duties. With a ZAVV for 12 cross-border journeys, you may enter Switzerland with the vehicle for a maximum of three days, 12 times a year. You must have each border crossing confirmed at the customs office.

Navigating boundary waters

Without a Swiss customs document, you are permitted to transit boundary waters with uncleared and untaxed watercraft only if you do not moor your vessel to the Swiss shore or anchor it to a buoy. Local customs offices can provide detailed information on local regulations.

The following applies if you are transiting the Rhine downstream of Rheinfelden:

The Convention for the Navigation of the Rhine (SR 0.747.224.101) (only available in French and German) is not applicable to private watercraft.
Only the mandatory mooring of the vessel before passage through locks and transit through Basel (without mooring) are tolerated.

Individuals resident abroad

You may use an uncleared vehicle only for a limited period of time and only for private purposes in Switzerland.

Road vehicles

You use your vehicle for a maximum of 6 months in total in a given year in Switzerland, e.g. as part of a holiday stay:

You may enter and leave Switzerland with your vehicle informally (i.e. without customs formalities). The vehicle must be properly registered for road traffic abroad. Do not forget to pay the necessary road taxes (motorway tax sticker, heavy vehicle charge).

You use your vehicle in Switzerland more than 6 months in total in a given year in Switzerland, e.g. because you are working or studying here.

Informal entry is not permitted. At the border, you must ask Swiss Customs for a customs permit form 15.30 for the vehicle. You must clarify with the cantonal vehicle licensing office whether you also need Swiss number plates for the vehicle.

Watercraft

You use your watercraft for a maximum of 1 month in Switzerland:

You may enter and leave with your watercraft informally (i.e. without customs formalities). Do not forget to apply to the cantonal water transportation office for traffic authorisation for the watercraft.

You use your watercraft for more than 1 month in Switzerland:

Informal entry is not permitted. At the border, you must ask Swiss Customs for a customs permit form 15.32 for the watercraft. The customs permit form 15.32 is limited to 1 year and must be presented to the cantonal water transportation office for traffic authorisation.

General information on the temporary use of goods can be found under Temporary importation.

Information on repairing, converting and enhancing an uncleared vehicle can be found under Processing traffic.

Offences

If you use an uncleared vehicle in Switzerland without authorisation or do not comply with formalities, you must pay the import duties for the vehicle (customs duty, automobile tax, value added tax) retroactively. In addition, you must be prepared for criminal customs proceedings to be initiated.