Importing a motorhome into Switzerland: why the weight decides everything

By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:

In short: A motorhome pays 4 % Automobilsteuer (Swiss vehicle tax) and 8.1 % import VAT, but no CO₂ penalty. The line that matters runs at 3,500 kg gross weight: above it the vehicle tax falls away, the heavy vehicle charge applies instead — and you need a category C1 driving licence.

Why the weight decides everything

Nobody asks about the gross weight of an ordinary car. On a motorhome the entire tax calculation hangs on it. Directive 68 of the Swiss customs authority BAZG counts motorhomes as passenger cars under point 1.1 letter b — so they pay the Automobilsteuer of 4 %, the Swiss vehicle tax levied on import. Point 3.7.2.4 of the same directive exempts anything subject to the Schwerverkehrsabgabe, the heavy vehicle charge, and that applies from 3,500 kg gross weight upwards.

up to 3,500 kgover 3,500 kg
Vehicle tax 4 %yesno
Import VAT 8.1 %yesyes
Heavy vehicle chargenoyes, a flat annual sum
CO₂ penaltynono
Driving licencecategory Bcategory C1

The flat heavy vehicle charge for motorhomes depends on the gross weight and is levied every year; for a vehicle just over the line it is in the order of CHF 650 a year. It does not replace the vehicle tax once — it stays with the vehicle, which is worth remembering when you work out the cost over several years.

Kerb weight or gross weight?

The two figures get mixed up regularly, and the mix-up costs money:

Many base vehicles come from the factory in both versions — the same panel van is registered at 3,500 kg or at 3,650 kg gross weight. A look at field F.1 of the registration certificate is worth it before you buy, not after.

No CO₂ penalty — but why not?

Motorhomes are vehicles with a special purpose and fall outside the CO₂ emission rules for new cars. Even a brand-new motorhome with a thirsty engine pays no penalty. That is a real difference from a passenger car, where a vehicle that still counts as new for customs purposes can run to several thousand francs — see CO₂ penalty.

Panel vans converted for living

A van registered abroad as a commercial vehicle but fitted inside with a bed, a kitchen unit and a table counts as a motorhome in Switzerland — with everything that follows: 4 % vehicle tax up to 3,500 kg, no CO₂ penalty. The reverse does not work either: declaring a converted van as a commercial vehicle gets you nowhere, because what counts is the actual fit-out, not the entry in the foreign registration document. In the calculator, pick "motorhome" even if the papers say "panel van".

Transport and inspection

Motorhomes do not fit on an ordinary car trailer. We normally drive them across under their own power; with these vehicles that is not only cheaper but often the only practical route. Above 3,500 kg the drive needs a driver with a category C1 licence — we plan for that.

At the inspection, the ordinary MFK (Motorfahrzeugkontrolle, the Swiss roadworthiness test) is joined by a check of the living area: the gas installation, the mounting of the fittings, the emergency exit. A valid foreign gas certificate is not automatically carried over; expect the installation to be inspected again in Switzerland.

An overview of this vehicle class is on the page importing a motorhome; the import calculator works out the final price for your vehicle.

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