Why are you not allowed to drive a foreign car?

What happened to Gabriella Bazzucchi, 56, a Blick reader and kindergarten teacher from Horgen ZH in Italy, is not an isolated case: Bazzucchi was in Umbria in Switzerland in August 2021 with her used car and let her local sister-in-law. drive there Result: fine of about 500 euros, car confiscated for now. This happens more often than you think, especially during the holiday season. Also in Switzerland, because every country has such customs laws.

In principle, a car registered there is allowed to be used abroad. But not driving a car registered abroad in its own country. If you live in Switzerland, you can use an Italian rental car in Rome. Or the Alfa of its Italian counterpart in Rome – but not the same car in Bern. When friends from Germany come to visit, they are allowed to use our car in Switzerland. But we are here in Switzerland as hosts, not their German car.

Tax Evasion Law

These reciprocal laws are intended to prevent you from registering a car abroad as motor vehicle tax and insurance may be cheaper there – because this is tax evasion. You can also avoid the import tax that every car importer has to pay by purchasing and registering abroad. Therefore, if you are driving a foreign car in Germany, it is currently considered illegal.

It’s not your passport that matters, it’s your actual residence (if in Switzerland, you’ll have your Swiss driver’s license no later than a year – by the way, it’s going to be expensive if you don’t rewrite it)). Driving in cars registered abroad is generally tolerated if the owner is in the car. Beware, this is only tolerated and not always depending on the situation – it can also turn up like Gabriella Bazzucchi sitting next to her sister-in-law in this country.

If you’re caught driving a foreign car while crossing the Swiss border or during a police check in Switzerland, it can quickly become expensive – depending on the situation, really expensive! High fines, criminal prosecutions and customs, car tax and VAT payments are threatened. VAT alone is over 2,300 francs for a 30,000 franc vehicle. And in extreme cases, the fine can be up to five times the amount of tax missed! In the event of a collision, the insurance issue can also threaten.

Exception rental and company car

Of course there are exceptions and many special cases. For example, rental cars where border crossings are possible most of the time – but not always, so it’s important to first ask the rental company whether, for example, you want to go home to Switzerland with a German accident replacement rental car or in Spain. Just vacation in a Spanish rental car to Portugal. If you are using a company vehicle registered abroad for your business, you can do this with a permit and you can only use the vehicle here in Germany for business purposes. Only those temporarily living in Switzerland are exempt. You should learn the details about the cars you bring with you at customs and as household goods here.

By the way, you can get a tax-free license for private vehicles. You can then legally drive to Switzerland in your French girlfriend’s car up to twelve times a year and stay there for a maximum of three days.