Switzerland is surrounded by the EU but is not part of it, and that is where most of the worry comes from. People hear "non-EU" and expect a heavy duty bill. Sometimes there is one, often it depends on the car, and the transport side is simple. We handle all of it, from the collection in Switzerland to UK plates.
- Usual method
- Road transport
- Price
- Priced per job
- Transit time
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks door to door
- Import tax
- 20% VAT, duty depends on the car
How the car gets here
Switzerland is landlocked, so most cars come over by road in insured transporters. The drive itself is around 1 to 3 days, depending on distance and conditions, and the Channel crossing adds 6 to 24 hours depending on the route.
If sea freight suits the car better, it can travel through a transit port such as Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Genoa or Marseille, by RoRo or in a container. Enclosed transport is available for anything you would rather keep out of the weather. Door to door, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks once customs and booking are allowed for.
Import tax from Switzerland
Import VAT is 20%, worked out on the price you paid plus the cost of transport. If the purchase invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
Duty is where Switzerland gets interesting. My Car Import's standard rate for a car from outside the EU is 10% duty on top of the VAT. But duty follows where a car was made, not the country you bought it in, and the UK has a trade agreement with Switzerland and another with the EU. A car that can be shown to originate under one of them, with the right proof of origin, may come in without duty.
Whether a particular used car qualifies is a paperwork question with a real answer, not a rule of thumb. We work it out for your car and confirm it on your quote. Until we have, budget for the 10%.
| Feature | VAT | Duty |
|---|---|---|
| Standard non-EU car | 20% | 10% |
| Origin proven under a UK trade agreement | 20% | Can be nil, confirmed on your quote |
| Over 30 years old | 5% | None |
| Transfer of Residence | None | None |
Our worked tax examples show what these rates mean in pounds.
Moving to the UK
If you have lived in Switzerland for at least 12 months and owned and used the car for at least 6, Transfer of Residence means no import tax or duty. You apply to HMRC before the car ships. A car that was UK-registered before may also come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C; see bringing a UK car back home.
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car through UK customs ourselves as HMRC CDS authorised agents. HMRC needs to be told within 14 days that the car has arrived, through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals, or NOVA, and the DVLA will not register the car without it. We submit it as part of clearance.
Making it UK road legal
Swiss cars are left-hand drive and set up for driving on the right, so a few changes come with the territory:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph
- A rear fog light where needed
We do this work on our own site. Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions explains how, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers living with one.
Testing and registration
The test depends on the car's age. Under 10 years old, a Swiss car takes an IVA test, and what it needs to pass depends on the make and model. We keep a record of past imports, which helps us estimate the work before the car arrives.
- Under 10 years old: an IVA test
- Over 10 years old: an MOT, with changes generally coming down to the rear fog light
- Over 40 years old: no MOT needed, and the car can be delivered before registration
Government test centres can take weeks, if not months, to book. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain and test on site every week. Once the car passes, our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. Our IVA test guide goes through what the test checks.
Keep the build paperwork. Anything showing where and when the car was made helps with both the duty question and the test. Send it with your quote request.
Your Switzerland paperwork
0 of 6 done
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Switzerland, because European routes are priced per job. Where the car is, whether it goes open or enclosed and what it needs to pass its test all make a difference. Our guide to what affects the cost of shipping a car explains the moving parts, and your quote puts numbers on them.
Questions people ask
Do I pay import duty on a car from Switzerland?
It depends on the car. Switzerland is not in the EU, and our standard rate for a non-EU car is 20% VAT plus 10% duty. A car whose origin can be proved under a UK trade agreement may pay no duty, and we confirm which applies on your quote.
How long does it take to bring a car from Switzerland?
The road journey is around 1 to 3 days and the Channel crossing 6 to 24 hours. Door to door, allowing for collection and customs, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks.
Does a Swiss car need an IVA test?
Under 10 years old, yes. Over 10 years old it needs an MOT instead, and over 40 years old it needs no MOT. We test on our own site every week.
Can I bring my car from Switzerland tax free?
If you are moving to the UK after at least 12 months living abroad and have owned and used the car for at least 6 months, Transfer of Residence means no import tax or duty. Apply to HMRC before the car ships.
What changes does a Swiss car need?
Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left, a speedometer reading in mph, and a rear fog light where needed.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will confirm the duty position along with the price.
