Frequently asked questions

1. VAT must be reclaimable The listing should show the note "VAT reclaimable". Why? If the offer doesn't include VAT, none can be refunded after the import. For people who live in Germany and buy a car there, VAT is irrelevant. But when you import the vehicle into Switzerland, this note makes a difference of 19 % of the purchase price — not exactly small on a car purchase. 2. Dealer rather than private seller To ensure a smooth import into Switzerland, we recommend buying from a dealer. With private sellers the likelihood of missing documents (COC and certificate of origin) is high and complicates the whole process. Private offers also don't include VAT, making the purchase more expensive. 3. Use the search filters on mobile.de To simplify your search, we recommend using the filters on mobile.de. For better results, select "VAT reclaimable" as well as "dealer offers only". Those were the most important tips :) Once you've found your new dream car, the big question is: "What does the car cost in the end in Swiss francs, including VAT and import services?" A car import only pays off if you actually save money. But what is part of the import costs? Which taxes apply at Swiss customs? How expensive is transport by truck? What does the CO₂ levy cost on new vehicles? What about the inspection and registration costs? Working all this out in detail costs you time and nerves. Save yourself both with our car-import calculator.

Calculate your car import online and receive an automated written quote at the end. Sign the order confirmation and submit the documents via the order form. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you commission us with the complete import handling, we usually need 3 to 4 weeks: 2 weeks for the import into Switzerland and around 1 to 2 weeks for homologation (vehicle inspection and registration).

The COC (Certificate of Conformity) is a manufacturer document. It is only issued for vehicles produced for the EU market. You need this document at Swiss customs as well as at the vehicle inspection (MFK). If you're missing the COC document, contact us.

If you want to pay for your new car in EUR but only have a CHF bank account, it's worth checking cheaper currency-exchange options. In combination with a car import, Import-Butler.ch offers you currency exchange at favourable rates. You can calculate online how much you save with the currency-exchange calculator.

If you import a car into Switzerland, under the Swiss Code of Obligations (Article 210 paragraph 1) you are entitled to a two-year warranty from the first registration. Some brands also offer a Europe-wide 5-year warranty on purchases abroad. When you buy a new car in Switzerland, you're often offered a 5-year warranty with free servicing — the added value is naturally reflected in the vehicle price. As we know, nothing is free.

If you'd like to import a car from abroad into Switzerland, Import-Butler.ch supports you with the complete handling. First, simply look for your desired car abroad. You contact the seller and negotiate the purchase contract directly with the dealership. If you'd like an independent valuation, we can support you with that. As soon as you've signed the purchase contract and paid for the vehicle, you can commission us with the import handling. Just create your car-import quote online and sign the order in writing on the last page. You can submit the signed documents directly online. That's it. We'll gladly contact you personally right away. Next, we get in touch with your seller and organise the required documents. Once your import file is complete, we plan the collection by a Swiss transport company, the customs declaration, the CO₂-levy handling, the vehicle inspection and finally the registration. The complete handling, from collection to registration, usually takes 3 to 4 weeks.

Import-Butler has been around since 2012; Import-Butler AG only since 2025 – both are true. The car-import service under the Import-Butler name has been provided by the same team since 2012, back then within our sister company CO2 Börse AG. The offering for private customers followed in 2015. In 2025, Import-Butler was spun off into a company of its own – same team, same know-how, same address in Winterthur. The website import-butler.ch is likewise considerably older than today's company. So when we write “since 2012”, we mean the experience from thousands of completed imports – not the founding year of the AG.

If you move your residence to Switzerland, you can import your vehicle as relocation goods (Übersiedlungsgut) free of duties and taxes, provided certain conditions are met. You must have used the vehicle personally for at least six months before the move, and you must continue to use it after the import. At the border you present form 18.44 «Zollveranlagung von Übersiedlungsgut» together with the supporting documents to the customs office of entry. The assessment takes place during the customs offices' opening hours for commercial goods; we are happy to handle the formalities for you. Duty-free import does not replace registration: the Stammnummer, proof of insurance, the MFK inspection and registration in your canton of residence are still required.

The EORI number is a customs number that can be created for any German company subject to VAT. On export, the EORI number is reported to the customs office and serves to refund the foreign VAT. Without this number, the foreign company cannot prove the correct export.

As a company, you apply for the EORI number directly with German customs – online via the customs portal at www.zoll-portal.de. You register there once (login via ELSTER) and select the «EORI-Nr. Verwaltung» service. The number is issued by the Generalzolldirektion, Dresden office. The application is free of charge – paid third-party providers are not needed. You receive the confirmation in your customs portal mailbox and by email to the address you provided. The paper form 0870 is only accepted as a transitional option until 30 September 2026; after that the customs portal is mandatory. Allow enough lead time and apply early – ideally before you buy the vehicle. As a private individual you do not need an EORI number: if you buy from a dealer, they declare the export under their own number.

If you buy a car abroad from a dealership or company, the offer usually includes VAT (e.g. 19% in Germany). In the first step you pay the gross amount including VAT. Next, you need an export declaration for the foreign customs authority. Only with a correct electronic export declaration do you receive the customs export certificate, allowing you to reclaim the tax already paid from your seller. Often the German VAT is treated contractually like a deposit. If you provide your seller with the export certificate within the agreed period, they transfer the amount back to your account. Note: if you buy a car from a private individual, the offer does not include VAT, so you cannot claim a refund after export.

The F-gas registration is mandatory nationwide for companies that want to export a vehicle containing refrigerant – except for used cars that have been permanently registered for more than 6 months or have covered more than 6,000 km. One of the two conditions is enough. Where the registration is required, it must be done once. After registration you receive an F-gas identification number which, like the EORI number, must be used for all future export declarations. Complete the registration as soon as possible. The completed authorisation must be sent to us together with the F-gas identification number. Important: the German export can only be applied for after we have received the F-gas identification number and your authorisation.

First check whether you need an F-gas ID at all: used cars that have been registered for more than 6 months or have covered more than 6,000 km can be exported without an F-gas registration. You obtain the F-gas identification number through the European Commission's F-gas Portal. Registration is mandatory for companies exporting vehicles from the EU whose air conditioning contains fluorinated greenhouse gases and that do not qualify for the used-car exemption – for vehicle exports this obligation has applied since 15 January 2025. How to proceed: 1. Create an EU Login account and use it to sign in to the European Commission's F-gas Portal. 2. Enter your company details and upload the required documents. 3. Wait for approval – once everything has been submitted, issuing the registration number can take up to ten days. Registration is a one-off step and covers all further exports. The number is then stated in every export declaration under document code Y123. Send us the F-gas ID together with the signed customs power of attorney – only then can we apply for the German export.

Not always. Used cars can be declared for German export without an F-gas registration if one of the following two conditions is met: 1. The vehicle has been permanently registered for more than 6 months – regardless of mileage. 2. The vehicle has covered more than 6,000 km – regardless of how long it has been registered. One of the two conditions is enough; they do not both have to apply. It makes no difference whether you drive the vehicle across the border yourself or have it moved by a freight forwarder. We have seen this at the border customs offices Weil am Rhein, Bietingen and Neuhausen/Blumberg, and at the inland export customs office in Bonn. This is our own experience from recent clearances and not legal advice – practice can differ between customs offices and individual officers. For new and near-new vehicles below both thresholds the F-gas registration remains necessary. As a private individual you need no F-gas ID of your own: if you buy from a dealer, the dealer declares the export under their own registration.

With an export declaration, the car is registered for export with the foreign customs authority. Without these documents, the VAT cannot be refunded. The declaration must be created and filed before export.

You can calculate the customs costs for an import into Switzerland in seconds with our import calculator. The calculation runs in this order: Purchase amount gross (incl. foreign VAT) − foreign VAT = purchase amount net × customs exchange rate = customs value of the vehicle in CHF Customs value + transport costs + diesel surcharge + customs documents, import and export + customs fee of CHF 20.00 = total, truncated to whole francs Truncated total + automobile tax = taxable basis, of which 8.1 % import VAT The 8.1 % is therefore not levied on the vehicle value alone: everything performed abroad to bring the vehicle to the border is taxed along with it – and so is the automobile tax itself. Two points are easily missed. The customs fee of CHF 20.00 belongs to the taxable basis even though it appears on no invoice line. And the total is truncated to whole francs – not rounded – before the automobile tax is added. Leave both out and you come up around CHF 1.60 short. All customs and tax amounts are estimates (on account) and are settled after the final assessment by the BAZG (Swiss customs).

The automobile tax is 4 % of the customs value for passenger cars, motorcycles and motorhomes. Light commercial vehicles (< 3.5 t) are charged a flat CHF 7.00 instead of a percentage; caravans are exempt. The customs value is the net purchase price (excluding foreign VAT), converted at the customs exchange rate. The automobile tax then forms part of the taxable basis for import VAT itself.

Passenger car from Germany, with transport, at a customs exchange rate of 0.946590. Vehicle Purchase amount gross (incl. 19 % German VAT): EUR 92'990.17 − German VAT: EUR 14'847.17 = purchase price (net): EUR 78'143.00 Exchange rate EUR → CHF: 0.946590 = customs value of the vehicle: CHF 73'969.38 Services abroad (excl. VAT) Transport costs: CHF 1'449.00 Diesel surcharge: CHF 150.00 Customs documents (import): CHF 199.00 Customs documents (export): CHF 199.00 Subtotal: CHF 1'997.00 Taxable basis for import VAT Customs value + services abroad: CHF 75'966.38 + customs fee: CHF 20.00 = CHF 75'986.38, truncated to whole francs: CHF 75'986.00 + automobile tax: CHF 2'958.78 = taxable basis: CHF 78'944.78 Estimated customs and tax costs Automobile tax (4 %): CHF 2'958.78 Import VAT (8.1 %): CHF 6'394.53 Subtotal: CHF 9'353.31 The German VAT of EUR 14'847.17 – around CHF 14'054.18 – is reclaimed from the seller after export. It is not included in the import costs above. Sample values, non-binding. What counts is the customs exchange rate on the day of calculation and the final assessment by the BAZG (Swiss customs).

Two charges apply when you import a car into Switzerland: the automobile tax, and import VAT of 8.1 %. Both are levied on import by the BAZG (Swiss customs); how they are calculated is explained under "Calculating customs costs". You can settle the taxes conveniently via our customs account by payment slip, or in cash at the border (mind the daily limit).

Two working days are needed to create it. Of course, Import-Butler also offers an express service on request.

The following documents are needed to create the import declaration: Purchase contract EC Certificate of Conformity (COC) if applicable, certificate of origin

The foreign VAT is deducted from the purchase amount and converted into Swiss francs at the Swiss customs exchange rate. The Swiss net amount is needed for the further import calculation.

The Stammnummer is the nine-digit number that uniquely identifies a vehicle in Switzerland. It has the format 123.456.789. It is issued by Swiss customs (FOCBS) when the vehicle is imported. It appears for the first time on form 13.20 A and later also in the vehicle registration document (Fahrzeugausweis). As long as a vehicle has not been cleared through customs, no Stammnummer exists. It is required for the insurance certificate, for registration with the cantonal road traffic office and for the vehicle inspection (MFK). The number stays with the vehicle – even if the owner or the canton changes.

New vehicles that were registered abroad for no longer than 6 months, or those between 6 and 12 months old with less than 5,000 km, are decisive for the CO₂ levy on import. What matters is the date of first registration compared with the date of the Swiss customs stamp on form 13.20 A.

You can calculate the cost of the CO₂ levy directly online with our import calculator.

Every Thursday morning we plan the collection of the following week's vehicles. We cannot announce the exact loading date due to the traffic situation abroad. We make direct contact with your seller and plan the collection independently. As soon as your vehicle has been loaded, you receive a notification by email immediately. Please note that the vehicle must be paid for before collection by our transport company.

If you buy your car abroad and drive it to Switzerland under its own power, a customs licence plate is required. The plate with the red sticker includes third-party liability insurance valid for a certain period. The following durations are often purchased for the transfer: 5 days 15 days 30 days However, the plate does not cover damage to your own newly purchased car. For this reason, Import-Butler recommends taking out additional car-import insurance.

Transports by Import-Butler are insured against all risks. You don't need to take out any additional transport insurance.

Naturally, we cannot collect your car from the seller without your authorisation. As soon as we have received your order confirmation, an Import-Butler employee sends you the authorisation to sign.

To offer you transport to Switzerland as cheaply as possible, vehicles are collected all over Germany and imported together. The collective transporter is an open transport. Of course, Import-Butler can also offer you enclosed transport — just ask us.

The cost of truck transport depends on the distance and can be calculated quickly online and without obligation with the transport calculator for all of Germany. For transport from Austria, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Czechia, Poland, Sweden or Norway, we're happy to help personally. Just give us a call.

From placing the order to delivery at the Import-Butler collection point in Volketswil usually takes 2 weeks. The complete car import, however, takes between 3 and 4 weeks.

As soon as your vehicle has been delivered to the destination address, you receive a notification immediately and automatically. So you always know where your vehicle currently is.

Once you have calculated all the costs, simply send us the completed order confirmation online. If you still have questions, please call us. We're happy to help.

If the road traffic office finds faults with the vehicle, you can either arrange a repair through our partner or have the vehicle moved to a garage of your choice at your own expense.

If you buy a car abroad with a tow bar, this device must be inspected separately at the Swiss vehicle inspection. We're happy to take care of this inspection for you — just let us know.

An MFK appointment cannot be announced before the vehicle is delivered to the collection point. Import-Butler sometimes receives express appointments from the road traffic office that must be taken within an hour.

When you buy a car abroad, your new vehicle usually has foreign licence-plate holders in a different format from the Swiss ones. For this reason, you need a Swiss plate holder after registration. We're happy to fit the Swiss plate holders for you. Just let us know.

If the car is inspected via Import-Butler, the eligibility for registration applies to all of Switzerland.

You can calculate the cost of the vehicle inspection with our import calculator.

If you register your imported car for an inspection appointment yourself, it can take between 5 and 6 weeks depending on the canton. If the inspection is carried out by Import-Butler, the handling takes 5 to 10 working days.

A directive of the Swiss Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) on proof of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) has been in force since 1 February 2026. For vehicles without EU approval that are imported for own use – passenger cars (M1) and light commercial vehicles (N1) – proof of electromagnetic immunity is not to be demanded for registration. Own use means that the vehicle is registered in the name of the importer declared in the customs assessment; selling it on later remains possible. Proof of electromagnetic emissions is still required, but it is easier to provide: test reports from foreign test houses notified to the UNECE need no additional Swiss conformity certification, and no test report is to be demanded alongside a manufacturer's declaration of conformity – although one can be requested if something is unclear. You can present the directive at the road traffic office.

IVI stands for “Initial Vehicle Information”. Imported vehicles whose technical data comes directly from the manufacturer’s electronic EC certificate of conformity (eCOC) are recorded as IVI vehicles. No Swiss type approval is needed: the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) takes over the data electronically, and field 24 of the vehicle registration document shows “IVI” or “IVIX” instead of a type approval number.

The IVI procedure applies only to practically new vehicles. Four conditions must be met together: the vehicle has an eCOC that is registered in Switzerland; the brand is registered for IVI with the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA); mileage is under 2,000 km at the time of import; and first registration is less than one year before the import date. If any one of these is missing, registration follows the normal route with an MFK inspection.

After customs clearance, the vehicle is reported to ASTRA with an import notification – we take care of this step for you. ASTRA and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) record the vehicle based on the eCOC as part of CO₂ enforcement; you then receive an ASTRA confirmation. With it, the vehicle can be registered directly at the road traffic office counter – without a technical inspection, provided the vehicle has not been modified (e.g. tow hitch or non-original wheels).

The simplified IVI procedure is available for vehicles whose brand is registered with and tested by the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA). ASTRA maintains this list on an ongoing basis, and it is refreshed automatically every time our website is updated. Brands currently registered for IVI:

The usual contract term is 3 to 5 years. However, on request you can have an "annual right of cancellation" added as a clause. This allows you to cancel your car insurance every year.

Contact Import-Butler and ask for an appropriate car insurance. The whole team is at your side for any questions about car insurance.

An insurance certificate is transmitted electronically by the insurance company to the road traffic office in your canton of residence after conclusion, and is valid for 30 days. For the insurance certificate you need a reference number, which is only created after import by Swiss customs.

An interchangeable plate refers to the arrangement of two vehicles with the same licence plate. The plate can be used on both cars as desired. No more than two vehicles can be registered with the same plate.

If you have registered a car in Switzerland and already have a plate, you can also use your number for your new vehicle from abroad. Simply tell your insurer that the insurance certificate should be issued for an existing plate.

You can cancel car insurance under the following conditions: Premium increase: within 30 days of notification Vehicle change: if you buy a new car, you can switch insurance without notice. The annual premium already paid is refunded to you. Claim: if you are dissatisfied after a claim covered by the insurance, you can cancel within 14 days.

In Switzerland, taking out third-party liability insurance is mandatory. Without a corresponding certificate, no vehicle can be registered.