Importing a Car from Eleven Countries: What Differs

What stays the same for all eleven countries

Swiss import charges do not care where a vehicle comes from. Whether it is collected in Bavaria or in southern Sweden, this list does not change by a single centime:

Swiss registration is identical everywhere too: inspection report 13.20 A, the MFK roadworthiness test in your canton of residence, and the chassis registration number. The papers from the exporting country have to be complete for that — more on this below.

What differs

Three things depend on the country of origin. The distances are the actual road routes from the example city to the Thayngen customs office, measured on 4 September 2026:

The VAT rate is not the saving

A common mistake: "Sweden charges 25 %, so that is where I save most." But the tax is already inside the price. What comes back is therefore not the rate itself, but the rate divided by one hundred plus the rate:

Between Luxembourg and Sweden there are 5.5 percentage points of the gross price — on a EUR 30,000 car that is around EUR 1,650. It sounds like a lot, but two other figures eat it up quickly: the price of the vehicle itself, and the distance. Driving 1,500 kilometres further because of a tax rate gains you nothing.

More important than the rate is the type of sale: under the margin scheme or in a private sale, nothing falls away at all — in any of the eleven countries.

Norway is the special case

Ten of the eleven countries belong to the customs territory of the European Union. Exporting to Switzerland is a well-established procedure there, with an export declaration and an exit confirmation, and the vehicle papers follow EU type approval.

Norway lies outside the EU customs territory. The export therefore runs through the Norwegian authorities, not through an EU export procedure. On price we calculate without a refund: the amount from the listing counts as a net price in the calculator. Whether Norwegian VAT can be reclaimed in an individual case is something we clarify before the purchase — we do not promise it.

What distance really costs

Transport is not a flat rate per kilometre. It is made up of kilometres, driving time and the driver's expenses — from eight hours of driving time an evening allowance is added, from twelve an overnight stay. The price therefore grows with the distance in steps, not linearly.

We drive to Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg regularly; the transfer is part of the package there. For France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden and Norway we quote transport on request — the distance decides whether driving the car over on its own wheels still makes sense or whether a trailer is the better choice. The import calculator shows the exact amount as soon as the collection postcode is entered.

Papers: harmonised within the EU

• COC document: within the EU the certificate of conformity is uniformly regulated; it contains the values Switzerland needs for type approval and CO2. If it is missing it can be reordered from the manufacturer — which costs time. See the guide on type approval and the COC.
• Registration certificate: named and laid out differently in every country, but comparable in content. What matters is that part I and part II (or the local equivalent) are complete.
• Proof of export: without it there is no refund of the foreign VAT — equally so in all ten EU countries.

What this means for your search

Do not start with the country, start with the vehicle. The tax rate of the exporting country moves the final price by a few per cent; the price of the vehicle itself and its equipment move it by a multiple of that. A sensible order is:

1. Find the vehicle and the price — independently of the country.
2. Check the type of sale: VAT-registered dealer, margin scheme or private.
3. Add distance and transport method in the calculator.
4. Only then compare. The calculator shows the same structure for each of the eleven countries.

For all eleven countries we handle the same things: purchase, export, customs clearance, MFK and registration. What differs is the way there — not the result.

Frequently asked questions

Is importing a car from Germany cheaper than from other countries?

Not because of the charges — the Swiss side is identical everywhere: no duty, 4 % automobile tax, 8.1 % import VAT. Germany is usually cheaper because the distance is short and the market is large. At the same distance and the same vehicle price there is little between the countries.

In which country do I get the most VAT back?

Arithmetically in Sweden, at 25 / 125 = 20 % of the gross price, and least in Luxembourg at 17 / 117 = 14.5 %. The difference of 5.5 percentage points is around EUR 1,650 on a EUR 30,000 car — and a longer journey eats it up quickly.

Can I import a car from Norway into Switzerland?

Yes. But Norway lies outside the EU customs territory, so the export runs through the Norwegian authorities. In the calculator the Norwegian price counts as a net price — we calculate without a refund. Whether Norwegian VAT can be reclaimed in an individual case is something we clarify before the purchase.

Is more Swiss duty payable on a car from Italy or Poland?

No. Switzerland abolished industrial tariffs on 1 January 2024 — for every country of origin. The customs declaration remains compulsory, and automobile tax, import VAT and where applicable the CO2 penalty are unchanged.

Do I need different papers for each country?

Within the EU the vehicle papers are largely harmonised: COC document, registration certificate and proof of export. Outside it — that is, for Norway — the export follows national law. The Swiss side asks for the same documents in every case.