Import a car from Italy to Switzerland

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

In short: Importing a car from Italy into Switzerland means 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT, plus the CO₂ penalty for vehicles that count as new under customs law. Import duty has no longer applied since 1 January 2024. The 22 % Italian VAT comes back after export if the car was bought under standard VAT taxation.

Why Italy?

Italy is the market for sports and enthusiast cars, and from the north the routes to Switzerland are short. Italian VAT is 22 % — the highest rate among the neighbouring countries, and the biggest refund when the sale is under the standard VAT scheme. For cars over thirty years old, the veteran entry and the charges are covered in the guide importing a classic car.

Without a radiazione per esportazione, the Italian tax keeps running

For export, an Italian vehicle must be deregistered from the public vehicle register PRA (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico) — the radiazione per esportazione. If this is missed, the vehicle stays registered in Italy and the annual road tax (bollo auto) keeps running against the previous keeper. Usually it is the seller who notices, months later. For you that means: the deregistration belongs in the purchase contract, with a deadline. We require proof of it before the vehicle goes on the transporter.

How much tax comes back from Italy?

If a listing says “IVA esposta”, the VAT is shown separately: at EUR 24,400 that is 22 % or EUR 4,400, and the imponibile, the taxable net amount, is EUR 20,000. Under the “regime del margine” no IVA appears on the invoice and nothing comes back after export. Dealers use that route when they bought the car from someone who could not deduct IVA, a private individual for example.

On the Swiss side, origin makes no difference, not even for a car from Italy: 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 Italy need?

The radiazione per esportazione is applied for by the registered keeper, or whoever is entitled to act, at a PRA counter with an online appointment. Bring the Documento Unico (where there is none yet: the certificate of ownership and the registration document), both number plates and an ID. The fees are EUR 13.50 for the ACI, EUR 10.20 for the Motorizzazione and EUR 32 stamp duty, EUR 55.70 in total.

What to check when buying

On older cars and classics, check corrosion — southern Italy is dry, winter in the Po Valley is not. Without a solid invoice, or on a private sale, a valuation report keeps the customs value unchallenged.

How far is it from Italy to Switzerland?

From Milan to Thayngen it is 341 km, from Turin 456 km. Both routes cross the border at Chiasso and head north through the Gotthard.

We organise transport from Italy on request. From Lombardy and Piedmont the routes are short; from the south it takes longer and costs more.

As a rule, you buy the car in Italy yourself. What stays with you after that and what we take on, up to MFK and registration, depends on the package (package overview). The import calculator works out the final price for a car from Italy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the radiazione per esportazione?

It is the deregistration of the vehicle from the Italian vehicle register PRA for the purpose of export. Without it the car stays registered in Italy and the annual road tax keeps running up against the previous keeper. We ask to see proof of it before the vehicle is transported.

How high is Italian VAT?

22 %. On a standard-rated purchase from a dealer it can be reclaimed once the export has been declared correctly — the highest rate of any neighbouring country, and therefore the largest refund.

Is Italy worth it for classic cars?

The market is large and the choice is good. Do not count on any customs relief, though: the 30-year rule with a reduced tax rate familiar from the EU does not exist in Switzerland. You still owe 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT, exactly as for any other vehicle.

Is there any import duty on a car imported from Italy?

No. Since industrial tariffs were abolished, the Swiss duty rate for vehicles has been CHF 0.00 since 1 January 2024 — whatever the country of origin, and with no proof of origin required. What remains payable is the automobile tax, the import VAT and, on new vehicles, the CO₂ penalty. The customs declaration itself is still mandatory.

How long does an import from Italy take?

Reckon on two to four weeks from the purchase contract. From Italy we arrange transport on request, so collection needs a little more lead time. Customs clearance we usually handle at the Thayngen customs office on the same day.

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.

Finsler Customs GmbH

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Finsler Customs GmbH · Rebbergstrasse 6 · 8240 Thayngen · +41 77 246 76 37 · info@finsler-customs.ch · Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00

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