Swiss import cost calculator

What does importing cost until the car has Swiss plates?

Q: What does it cost to import a car from Germany into Switzerland?

On top of the purchase price come vehicle tax on the car's value including transport, import VAT on value, transport and vehicle tax, the transport itself, the customs test report, the MFK inspection and registration. There has been no customs duty since 1 January 2024. The current rates are shown with source and date in the calculator; the result is a range.

Q: Do I have to pay the foreign VAT?

With a dealer who can show VAT, a sale for export is VAT-free once the export is proven. Some dealers then sell net against a deposit, others charge gross and refund after proof, some not at all. If the tax stays with you, Switzerland charges its taxes on that amount as well. In a private sale or under the margin scheme there is nothing to refund.

Q: Is customs duty charged when importing into Switzerland?

No. Since 1 January 2024 Switzerland has charged no customs duty on cars. You still have to declare the import — yourself at a staffed customs post or through a customs agent. Customs then issues test report form 13.20 A, which the road-traffic office asks for.

Q: When does the CO₂ sanction apply to me?

If the car was first registered abroad less than 6 months before customs clearance — or less than 12 months before with under 5000 km. It then counts as new for Switzerland; if its CO₂ emissions exceed the target, the Federal Office of Energy levies a sanction afterwards. Registration needs an ASTRA CO₂ certificate first. The calculator tells you whether the rule applies; it does not work out the amount.

Q: How accurate is the estimate?

As accurate as its inputs. Tax rates are official and stored with their source; transport, customs agent, MFK and registration are typical ranges — marked as Carvexia's own estimate where no source states them. Customs uses its own daily rate and the documents in front of it. A rate whose source is older than six months drops out of the calculation instead of carrying an old figure forward.

Q: Can I calculate a car from another portal?

Yes. Enter price, country, seller and — if known — first registration and mileage by hand. Carvexia does not read other sites; the details stay yours.

For any car you have found in the EU — on Carvexia or on another portal. Enter price, country and seller; the calculator shows line by line what comes on top until registration, with the source and date of every rate. The result is a range and an estimate, not a quote.

What to watch

Without a first registration date the CO₂ rule cannot be applied. A car first registered abroad less than six months ago (or less than twelve months ago with under 5,000 km) falls under the CO₂ rules.
The exchange rate is from 7 Oct 2026 — today's may differ.
Refunds only follow proof of export: the electronic export declaration with exit endorsement. Put in the contract who declares the export and by when the refund is paid.
Without a COC (certificate of conformity) a data sheet or expert report is needed: typical range CHF 100–300, not in the sum.

The papers you need

COC or eCOC (certificate of conformity)
Registration document, or registration certificate parts I and II
Purchase contract
Invoice — from a dealer with VAT shown, or as a VAT-free export supply
Export declaration with exit endorsement — the proof for refunding the foreign VAT
Test report form 13.20 A — issued by the customs office
CO₂ certificate from ASTRA (if the car is covered)
Proof of Swiss third-party insurance
ID and proof of residence for the road-traffic office

Not in the sum

Cantonal motor vehicle tax (annual)
Insurance premium
Motorway vignette
Repairs or adjustments the MFK requires
Data sheet or expert report if the COC is missing
Any CO₂ sanction
Differences from the customs daily rate
Fees for paying abroad
A deposit the dealer holds until proof of export

The process, step by step

01Buy
Settle before signing: is VAT shown on the invoice, does the dealer sell net for export or refund after proof? Are the COC and registration papers there? The contract should state the price, the VAT case, the refund deadline and who declares the export.
02Export and VAT
In the country of sale the export is declared electronically. The exit endorsement at the border is the proof against which a dealer refunds the tax or releases a deposit. Without it, the tax stays with the buyer.
03Transport
Drive it yourself on export or transfer plates with insurance, or use a car transporter. For the Swiss taxes, costs up to the destination in Switzerland count towards the basis.
04Swiss customs declaration
Declare the import yourself at a staffed customs post, or a customs agent files it electronically with the BAZG. Vehicle tax and import VAT fall due; there has been no customs duty on cars since 2024. Customs issues test report form 13.20 A — without it the road-traffic office will not accept the car.
05MFK inspection
The cantonal road-traffic office inspects the car, however recent the foreign test. With a COC this is one appointment; without one, a data sheet or expert report is needed. If the car falls under the CO₂ rules, the ASTRA CO₂ certificate comes first.
06Registration
The insurer sends proof of insurance to the office electronically. After that you get the registration document and plates.

Guide: importing a car into Switzerland

Rates, sources and dates

Every value lives in one single place, with its source, start date and the day the source was last read. If a value has expired or its source is older than six months, the calculator leaves the line out and says why. Typical ranges are not official figures, which is why they are always ranges. Where no source states the range itself, it is Carvexia's own estimate, and the page named is the reference point.

Item	Value	Kind	Source	Dates
Vehicle tax (Automobilsteuer)	4 %	Official rate	BAZG — vehicle tax (AStG, SR 641.51)	valid from 1 Jan 2024 read on 8 Oct 2026
Import VAT	8.1 %	Official rate	BAZG — import VAT; VAT Act art. 54 (basis of assessment)	valid from 1 Jan 2024 until 31 Dec 2027 read on 8 Oct 2026
Customs duty	0 %	Official rate	BAZG — importing a vehicle into Switzerland	valid from 1 Jan 2024 read on 8 Oct 2026
Test report form 13.20 A	CHF 20	Official rate	BAZG — importing a vehicle into Switzerland	read on 8 Oct 2026
Customs agent	CHF 50–200	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: comparis.ch — importing a car (cost overview)	read on 8 Oct 2026
MFK inspection and preparation	CHF 60–400	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: Zurich Insurance — importing a car into Switzerland	read on 8 Oct 2026
Registration and plates	CHF 100–250	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: comparis.ch — importing a car (cost overview)	read on 8 Oct 2026
Data sheet or expert report if the COC is missing	CHF 100–300	Typical range	comparis.ch — importing a car (cost overview)	read on 8 Oct 2026
Transport to the destination · Drive it yourself on export plates · up to 300 km	EUR 150–350	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: ADAC — transfer and export plates	read on 8 Oct 2026
Transport to the destination · Drive it yourself on export plates · 300–700 km	EUR 250–550	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: ADAC — transfer and export plates	read on 8 Oct 2026
Transport to the destination · Drive it yourself on export plates · over 700 km	EUR 350–800	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: ADAC — transfer and export plates	read on 8 Oct 2026
Transport to the destination · By car transporter · up to 300 km	CHF 300–700	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: comparis.ch — importing a car (cost overview)	read on 8 Oct 2026
Transport to the destination · By car transporter · 300–700 km	CHF 500–1000	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: comparis.ch — importing a car (cost overview)	read on 8 Oct 2026
Transport to the destination · By car transporter · over 700 km	CHF 800–1500	Typical range	Carvexia's own estimate; reference: comparis.ch — importing a car (cost overview)	read on 8 Oct 2026
CO₂ rule (first registration abroad)	< 6 / < 12 + < 5000 km	Official rate	Swiss Federal Office of Energy — CO₂ rules for passenger cars	valid from 1 Jan 2025 until 31 Dec 2026 read on 8 Oct 2026

Standard VAT rates of the countries of purchase

Germany19 %
Austria20 %
France20 %
Italy22 %
Netherlands21 %
Belgium21 %
Luxembourg17 %
Spain21 %
Portugal23 %
Ireland23 %
Sweden25 %
Denmark25 %
Finland25.5 %
Poland23 %
Czechia21 %
Slovakia23 %
Hungary27 %
Slovenia22 %
Croatia25 %
Romania21 %
Bulgaria20 %
Estonia24 %
Latvia21 %
Lithuania21 %
Greece24 %
Cyprus19 %
Malta18 %

Source: European Commission — VAT rates of the member states · read on 8 Oct 2026

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to import a car from Germany into Switzerland?

On top of the purchase price come vehicle tax on the car's value including transport, import VAT on value, transport and vehicle tax, the transport itself, the customs test report, the MFK inspection and registration. There has been no customs duty since 1 January 2024. The current rates are shown with source and date in the calculator; the result is a range.

Do I have to pay the foreign VAT?

With a dealer who can show VAT, a sale for export is VAT-free once the export is proven. Some dealers then sell net against a deposit, others charge gross and refund after proof, some not at all. If the tax stays with you, Switzerland charges its taxes on that amount as well. In a private sale or under the margin scheme there is nothing to refund.

Is customs duty charged when importing into Switzerland?

No. Since 1 January 2024 Switzerland has charged no customs duty on cars. You still have to declare the import — yourself at a staffed customs post or through a customs agent. Customs then issues test report form 13.20 A, which the road-traffic office asks for.

When does the CO₂ sanction apply to me?

If the car was first registered abroad less than 6 months before customs clearance — or less than 12 months before with under 5000 km. It then counts as new for Switzerland; if its CO₂ emissions exceed the target, the Federal Office of Energy levies a sanction afterwards. Registration needs an ASTRA CO₂ certificate first. The calculator tells you whether the rule applies; it does not work out the amount.

How accurate is the estimate?

As accurate as its inputs. Tax rates are official and stored with their source; transport, customs agent, MFK and registration are typical ranges — marked as Carvexia's own estimate where no source states them. Customs uses its own daily rate and the documents in front of it. A rate whose source is older than six months drops out of the calculation instead of carrying an old figure forward.

Can I calculate a car from another portal?

Yes. Enter price, country, seller and — if known — first registration and mileage by hand. Carvexia does not read other sites; the details stay yours.

What next?

If you would rather not organise the import alone, we clarify it with you. And if the right car is still missing, send dealers a wanted request.

Request import assistance Post a wanted request