Driving a UK-registered car in Switzerland: the 12-month plate rule, what registering it costs, and when selling makes sense

How long can I keep it on UK plates?

Swiss plates are due at the latest one year after import. The road-traffic rules also require Swiss registration once the car or its keeper has been in Switzerland for more than a year without a break of more than 3 consecutive months, so shorter trips abroad don't stop the clock. Visitors and second-home owners who live abroad may use the car for up to 6 months in total within 12 months, for private use only.

Can a right-hand-drive car be registered?

Yes. Right-hand-drive cars can be registered in Switzerland. For the MFK the headlights must be set for right-hand traffic, the speedometer must show km/h, the indicators must be amber and the mirrors must carry an approval mark; a UK MOT doesn't replace the Swiss test. Since Brexit a COC is no longer consistently available for UK cars, so a data sheet is usually needed instead. Once it is on Swiss plates, a right-hand-drive car is hard to resell in Switzerland.

What registering it involves

1. Obtain a data sheet in place of the COC that many UK cars no longer have.
2. Have the headlights converted or set for right-hand traffic, and make sure the speedometer shows km/h.
3. Pass the emissions test and the MFK.
4. Arrange Swiss motor insurance, then register the car with the cantonal road traffic office (Strassenverkehrsamt) and collect Swiss plates.

What it costs

• Worked example: a 2018 VW Golf 1.5 TSI.
• Data sheet in place of the COC: CHF 100–300.
• Emissions test about CHF 100 and MFK about CHF 60.
• Plates and registration: CHF 100–200.
• Headlights and km/h display: from nothing up to about CHF 300 for adjustable halogen headlights, or about CHF 500–2,500 for LED or matrix units.
• Total: about CHF 360–3,160, plus Swiss insurance.
• No CO2 penalty: it doesn't apply to a car registered abroad more than 12 months before import.

The alternative: sell it back to the UK

The usual alternative is to drive the car back to the UK and sell it there. Zurich or Geneva to Calais is about 800–850 km: allow roughly £400–700 for fuel, French tolls, the Channel crossing and a flight back, plus two days, and the car still has to be sold when you arrive. It is only an option while the MOT and UK insurance are valid. Selling to us skips all of that: we buy the car as it stands, collect it free from your address, handle the export paperwork and pay in pounds sterling (£) on collection day.

Common questions

Rules, rates and thresholds change. This guide is a general summary as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice — check the current position with the registration authority before relying on it.

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