Importing a motorcycle into Switzerland
Importing a motorcycle into Switzerland triggers neither the automobile tax nor the CO₂ levy. Motorcycles fall under customs tariff number 8711 and are not named in the automobile tax act. The only charge due is import VAT of 8.1 %. Customs duty has not applied since 1 January 2024.
No automobile tax — and the law says so
Almost every guide on the web quotes one flat figure for vehicle imports: 4 % automobile tax plus 8.1 % VAT. For motorcycles that is wrong. Article 2 of the automobile tax act lists three groups and nothing else: vehicles under tariff number 8702 up to 1,600 kg unit weight, passenger cars under numbers 8703.1000–9060, and goods transport vehicles under number 8704 up to 1,600 kg. Motorcycles run under 8711 and do not appear in that list. Directive 68 of the Swiss customs authority BAZG, which spells out what counts as an automobile, does not mention them at any point. That removes 4 % on the entire vehicle value — on a machine costing EUR 15,000 roughly CHF 560, which elsewhere is wrongly built into the calculation.
The charges at a glance
| Charge | Motorcycle |
|---|---|
| Customs tariff number | 8711 |
| Import duty | CHF 0.00 (since 1 January 2024) |
| Automobile tax 4 % | no — not in the automobile tax act |
| Import VAT 8.1 % | yes |
| CO₂ levy | no |
| MFK (the cantonal roadworthiness test) | yes |
Basis: BAZG Directive 68 on the automobile tax, version of 1 July 2026, section 1.1 on Art. 2 of the automobile tax act. The duty rate of CHF 0.00 follows from the abolition of industrial tariffs on 1 January 2024.
What to watch for
For Swiss registration a motorcycle needs an MFK — the roadworthiness inspection at the cantonal road traffic office — and, like any imported vehicle, the COC (certificate of conformity). On older machines, check whether a Swiss type approval exists; without one the vehicle goes through individual approval, which costs time. Modified exhausts, handlebars or lighting are the most common reason a machine fails the MFK.
Process and costs
The process does not differ from a passenger car: you choose the vehicle, we obtain the documents, handle the export in the country of origin, collect the machine, clear customs at the Thayngen customs office and see you through inspection and registration. Work out the final price in the import calculator — with vehicle type, country of origin and every charge, no sign-up needed.
The country you import from does not change the Swiss charges, but it does change the VAT refund at source: from 17 % in Luxembourg to 25 % in Sweden — and nothing at all in Norway.