Import a car from Sweden into Switzerland
Why Sweden?
Swedish cars are traditionally well equipped — heated seats, auxiliary heating and all-wheel drive are the rule there, not extras. At 25 %, Sweden has the highest VAT rate together with Norway, and so the largest refund on a regular-taxed purchase.
Road salt is the real issue here, not the price
Sweden salts heavily in winter, and does so for months. On vehicles from around eight years old a targeted underbody inspection is therefore worth it — wheel arches, sills, brake lines and the rear axle mounting points. On younger, fully galvanised vehicles this is uncritical. For older Swedish vehicles we have an expert report drawn up before the purchase; that costs less than the first repair after the MFK, which fails on exactly this point.
What you get back
You reclaim the 25 % VAT from the seller after export, provided the vehicle was sold under the normal VAT regime and the export is 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 the abolition of industrial tariffs, the duty rate for vehicles is CHF 0.00, regardless of origin. No preferential proof of origin (EUR.1) is needed. The customs declaration remains mandatory.
| Charge | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile tax | 4 % | value plus incidental costs up to the border |
| Import VAT | 8.1 % | as above, plus the automobile tax |
| CO2 penalty | CHF 95 per gram | only for vehicles new under customs law |
| Import duty | CHF 0.00 | since 1 January 2024 |
The 4 % automobile tax does not hit every vehicle: motorcycles and caravans are not listed in the Automobile Tax Act, and neither is a van over 1,600 kg unladen. For a motorhome, the CO2 penalty falls away instead.
What to watch when buying
Expect long transport routes and correspondingly longer delivery times. For a single vehicle Sweden is rarely economical; for a rare and well-equipped one it certainly is.
Transport and process
We arrange transport from Sweden on request: tell us the collection point and we will calculate concrete figures. The process is the same in every country: you choose the vehicle, we obtain the documents and handle the export, collect the car, clear it at the Thayngen customs office and take you through MFK and registration in your canton of residence. Allow two to four weeks.
What it costs
Work out the final price for your vehicle in the import calculator — country of origin, vehicle type, all charges and transport from your collection point. No account, no email address. The individual items are explained in calculating import costs; three fully worked cases are under cost examples.