Importing a car from Germany into Switzerland
By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:
In short: Importing a car from Germany into Switzerland means 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT, plus the CO₂ penalty on vehicles that count as new under customs law. Import duty has no longer applied since 1 January 2024. The 19 % German VAT is refunded after export if the car was bought under the standard VAT scheme.
Why Germany?
Germany is Europe's largest used-car market: several hundred thousand cars listed at any time on mobile.de and AutoScout24, a dense dealer network that pushes prices down, and the shortest transport routes into Switzerland of any source country. It is also the only market where we inspect and buy the car for you on request.
Regelbesteuert or differenzbesteuert — 19 % ride on it
German VAT is 19 %, but it can only be reclaimed if the car is sold regelbesteuert, the standard scheme, with the tax shown on the invoice. Very many used cars run under the margin scheme instead, the Differenzbesteuerung of § 25a UStG. No VAT is shown there, and there is nothing to reclaim. On mobile.de you recognise it by the filter “Mehrwertsteuer ausweisbar” (VAT can be shown on the invoice). On a car at EUR 30,000 that is a difference of around EUR 4,790 — ask the dealer explicitly before any deposit is paid.
How much tax comes back from Germany?
A standard-taxed offer at EUR 23,800 contains 19 % VAT, i.e. EUR 3,800; the net price is EUR 20,000. Many German dealers first ask buyers from Switzerland for the full price and keep the tax as a deposit. It is paid out once the Ausgangsvermerk (exit endorsement) is available: the PDF from the ATLAS customs system in which customs confirm the export.
On the Swiss side, origin makes no difference, not even for a car from Germany: a zero duty rate, 4 % automobile tax, 8.1 % import VAT and, on cars that count as new under customs law, the CO₂ penalty. How the amounts are worked out is set out in the country comparison; motorcycles and caravans pay no automobile tax.
Which papers does export from Germany need?
If the car is worth more than EUR 1,000 or weighs more than 1,000 kg, the export declaration has to go electronically through ATLAS. The last EU customs office only confirms the exit if the car runs on export plates or sits deregistered on a trailer. Drive across the border on the old German plates and you get no Ausgangsvermerk, and so no VAT back either.
What to watch when buying
Ask for the complete service book and written confirmation of freedom from accident damage. From a dealer you get one year of statutory warranty under German law; in a private sale it can be validly excluded. The COC (certificate of conformity) should be on hand before purchase — if it is missing we obtain it, one to four weeks depending on the maker.
How far is it from Germany to Switzerland?
To the Thayngen customs office it is 161 km from Stuttgart, 271 km from Munich, 786 km from Berlin and 813 km from Hamburg. All these routes end via the A81 and the B34 at the Bietingen–Thayngen crossing, where the German exit office in Bietingen and the Swiss customs office are a few hundred metres apart.
We drive from Germany regularly. Collection is at the dealer, customs clearance at the Thayngen customs office about a kilometre from our premises, usually the same day.
As a rule, you buy the car in Germany yourself. What stays with you after that and what we take on, up to MFK, the Swiss roadworthiness test, and registration, depends on the package (package overview). The import calculator works out the final price for a car from Germany.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether the German VAT will come back?
Only on offers sold under the standard VAT scheme. On mobile.de and AutoScout24 there is a filter for it, “Mehrwertsteuer ausweisbar” (VAT can be shown separately); the listing then reads “zzgl. MwSt.” (plus VAT) or “MwSt. ausweisbar”. On margin-scheme vehicles under § 25a UStG the invoice shows no VAT at all, so there is nothing to reclaim.
How much do I really save by importing from Germany?
On a vehicle sold under the standard VAT scheme the German 19 % falls away, while 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT are added. On two of our orders the import price came in about CHF 14,140 (Mercedes GLS) and CHF 9,120 (BMW X5) below a comparable Swiss listing. For some models an import does not pay off. The import calculator shows you the final price for your specific vehicle.
Do I need German export plates?
Only if you drive the car yourself, as in the Basic package. In the Komfort and Premium packages the vehicle travels on the car transporter, and then no plates and no short-term third-party liability insurance are needed.
What is ADDW, and does it affect my import?
ADDW, the advanced driver distraction warning system, has been mandatory for all newly registered passenger cars in the EU and Switzerland since 7 July 2026. Nothing changes for used cars first registered earlier; on nearly new vehicles we check whether the car meets the requirement.
Is import duty payable on a car imported from Germany?
No. Since industrial tariffs were abolished on 1 January 2024, the Swiss duty rate for vehicles has been CHF 0.00 — regardless of the country of origin and with no proof of origin. Automobile tax, import VAT and, on new vehicles, the CO₂ penalty remain payable. The customs declaration itself is still mandatory.
How long does an import from Germany take?
Allow two to four weeks from the purchase contract. We travel to Germany regularly, so collection can usually be scheduled within a week. Customs clearance we normally complete the same day at the Thayngen customs office.
Sources and legal basis
The statements on this page rest on the following official publications. The wording of the enactments in force is always decisive.
- FOCBS – Importing vehicles into Switzerland
- FOCBS – Customs declaration and taxes on a vehicle import
- Automobile Tax Act (AStG, SR 641.51) (German text)
- Federal Act on Value Added Tax (VAT Act, SR 641.20)
Company
Services
- All services
- Vehicle import DE→CH
- Customs clearance
- Vehicle sourcing
- Document service
- Import advice
- Vehicle detailing
Calculators and tools
- Import calculator
- Swiss customs fees
- CO₂ calculator
- CO₂ penalty
- Transport calculator
- Car transport to CH
- Check the Stammnummer
- FlexiMoto.ch
Location
Import by country of origin
- Importing a car from Austria into Switzerland
- Import a car from France into Switzerland
- Import a car from Italy to Switzerland
- Import a car from the Netherlands into Switzerland
- Import a car from Belgium to Switzerland
- Importing a car from Luxembourg into Switzerland
- Importing a car from Czechia into Switzerland
- Importing a car from Poland into Switzerland
- Import a car from Sweden into Switzerland
- Import a car from Norway to Switzerland
Import by vehicle type
- Importing a passenger car into Switzerland
- Importing a motorcycle into Switzerland
- Importing a van up to 3.5 t into Switzerland
- Importing a motorhome into Switzerland
- Importing a caravan into Switzerland