Importing a car from Austria into Switzerland
Why Austria?
Austria is the neighbouring market with the shortest routes to Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Salzburg. Prices sit below Swiss levels, the cars are usually well kept, and with willhaben.at there is one large, clearly laid out platform to search. Austrian VAT is 20 % and comes back on a standard-rated purchase.
The NoVA, and what changed on 1 July 2026
The Austrian price of a vehicle contains the NoVA, the Normverbrauchsabgabe or standard consumption levy. On export it can be refunded under § 12a NoVAG, which lowers the price a seller is able to accept. Since 1 July 2026 this refund is heavily restricted: under the Betrugsbekämpfungsgesetz 2025, the Austrian anti-fraud act, it covers only vehicles no more than four years old. The claim goes through the Austrian tax office, has to be filed within five years, and proof is required that the vehicle was in fact taken abroad. What matters for you as the buyer: the party entitled to claim is the registered keeper, meaning the seller, not you. On a young vehicle that is an argument in the negotiation; on an older one there is nothing left to get.
What you get back
You reclaim the 20 % VAT from the seller after export, provided the tax was shown on the invoice and the export correctly declared. We prepare the export documents the seller needs.
What the Swiss side costs
The Swiss charges are the same for every country of origin. Import duty has not applied since 1 January 2024: with industrial tariffs abolished the rate for vehicles is CHF 0.00 whatever the origin, and no EUR.1 preference proof is needed. The customs declaration stays mandatory.
| Charge | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile tax | 4 % | vehicle value plus costs to the border |
| Import VAT | 8.1 % | as above, plus the automobile tax |
| CO2 penalty | CHF 95 per gram | only vehicles new in customs terms |
| Import duty | CHF 0.00 | since 1 January 2024 |
The 4 % automobile tax does not hit every vehicle: motorcycles and caravans are not named in the automobile tax act, nor is a van over 1,600 kg unladen. A motorhome is spared the CO2 penalty.
What to watch when buying
Ask to see the Pickerl, the § 57a roadworthiness inspection: it says a lot about condition. Austrian plates are tied to the person and stay with the seller; for export the vehicle is deregistered.
Transport and process
We run transports from Austria regularly; from Vorarlberg and Tyrol a single vehicle pays. You choose the car, we obtain the papers, handle the export, collect the vehicle, clear it at the Thayngen customs office and take you through MFK and registration in your canton. Allow two to four weeks.
What it costs
The final price for your car comes out of the import calculator: origin, vehicle type, every charge and transport from the pick-up address. No sign-up, no email address. The items are explained in calculating import costs, three fully worked cases under cost examples.