Import a car from the Netherlands into Switzerland
Why the Netherlands?
Dutch vehicles are often unusually well documented: the RDW register records odometer readings and inspections, and the cars are usually well kept. VAT is 21 % and is recoverable on a regularly taxed purchase. Transport routes to Switzerland are of medium length.
BPM is not refunded on an export to Switzerland
The Dutch price includes BPM, the registration tax on passenger cars and motorcycles. On export there is a refund in principle — but not on an export to Switzerland. The Belastingdienst ties the refund to permanent registration “in another EU member state or in Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway”, within 13 weeks of the export status being set at the RDW. Switzerland is not on that list. That noticeably reduces the value of the 21 %: the VAT comes back, the BPM stays in the price. Always price a Dutch offer against a comparable German one.
What you get back
You reclaim the 21 % VAT from the seller after export, provided the car was sold under the regular VAT scheme and the export is correctly declared. We produce the export documents the seller needs.
What the Swiss side costs
The Swiss charges are identical for every country of origin. No import duty has applied since 1 January 2024 — with the abolition of industrial tariffs the duty rate for vehicles is CHF 0.00, regardless of origin. No proof of preferential origin (EUR.1) is needed; the customs declaration itself remains mandatory.
| Charge | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile tax | 4 % | Vehicle value plus incidental costs to the border |
| Import VAT | 8.1 % | As above, plus automobile tax |
| CO2 penalty | CHF 95 per gram | Only for 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 weight. For a motorhome the CO2 penalty falls away.
What to check when buying
Insist on the RDW extract: it documents odometer readings over the years and makes tampering all but impossible. For export, the vehicle is set to “Export” at the RDW.
Transport and process
We drive from the Netherlands regularly; collection is at the dealer, and the route is longer than from southern Germany but stays plannable.
The process is the same in every country: you choose the vehicle, we obtain the papers, handle the export, collect the car, clear it at the Thayngen customs office and see you through the MFK roadworthiness test and registration in your canton of residence. Allow two to four weeks; the run from the Netherlands is one we make regularly.
What it costs
The final price for your vehicle comes out of the import calculator: country of origin, vehicle type, all charges, transport from your collection point. No sign-up, no email address. The individual items are explained in Calculating import costs; three worked cases are under Cost examples.