Registration of vehicles in Switzerland

The information provided below shall not give rise to any responsibility on the part of the Organization. The provisions of the national legislation in force and the associated texts shall take precedence. 

 

1. Vehicles purchased in Switzerland

In general, the garage will take care of the registration formalities.

 

2. Imported vehicles

You will need to contact the competent agency (see the list below) to arrange for a roadworthiness test (contrôle technique). You will need to present the following documents:

  • the vehicle's foreign registration certificate
  • the importation document (15.52 or 18.44)

  • a completed customs form 13.20 (rapport d'expertise)

 

You should then go to the administrative office with the following documents:

  • Swiss third-party liability insurance
  • carte de légitimation or attestation de fonctions

  • Driving license (holders of a C, D or E-type carte de légitimation are entitled to keep their national driving licenses)

 

 

3. Relevant competent agencies

 

CANTON OF GENEVA
http://www.ge.ch/

CANTON OF VAUD
http://www.vd.ch/autorites/departements/dse/automobiles-et-navigation/

Service des automobiles et de la navigation

Rte de Veyrier 86
1227 Carouge

Opening hours
7'30 - 16'00
without interruption

Roadworthiness test (contrôle technique)
Tel. +41 22 388 31 10

Administrative Office
Tel. +41 22 388 30 30

Service des automobiles et de la navigation

Avenue du Grey 110
1014 Lausanne

Opening hours
7'15 - 16'15
without interruption

Roadworthiness test (contrôle technique)
Tel. +41 21 316 88 99

Administrative Office
Tel. +41 21 316 82 10

Regional centers in Aigle, Nyon and Yverdon.
 
 
 

 

End of contract - Vehicles registered on Swiss plates

The information provided below shall not give rise to any responsibility on the part of the Organization. The provisions of the national legislation in force and the associated texts shall take precedence.

 

If you are continuing to live in Switzerland (for more than 3 months) after the end of your contract with CERN:

  • If you have purchased or imported your car tax-free (form 15.52, of which you have the yellow copy), you must contact the Direction des Douanes de Genève, Tel. 058 469 72 72, at the end of your contract to settle any customs duty. You may then take the steps described below.

  • If your vehicle is on normal Swiss number plates, you have 3 months from the date of the termination of your contract to go to the relevant Service des Automobiles with your new Swiss residence permit and the vehicle registration document in order to have the necessary adjustments made to the latter.

  • If your car is on CD number plates, you have 3 months from the date of the termination of your contract to go to the relevant Service des Automobiles with your new Swiss residence permit, an insurance certificate and the vehicle registration document in order to obtain ordinary number plates.

 

If you are leaving Switzerland within 3 months from the date of termination of your contract:

Please follow the instructions described in the page "Exportation from Switzerland".