Importing a van up to 3.5 t into Switzerland
The 1,600-kilo threshold — the costliest mistake on a van
The Vehicle Tax Act covers goods vehicles of tariff heading 8704 only «with a unit weight of not more than 1,600 kg». Unit weight (Stückgewicht) means unladen weight. Directive 68 of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security is even clearer in another passage and expressly names, as an example of a vehicle not covered by the tax, «a van with a unit weight of more than 1,600 kg».
In practice: most vans are not subject to the vehicle tax at all. A Ford Transit, a Sprinter or a Ducato weighs between 1,900 and 2,400 kg empty. Anyone applying a flat 4 % here quotes around CHF 1,100 too much on a vehicle costing EUR 30,000. The reverse holds too: a small high-roof van under 1,600 kg is indeed liable. What counts is the tariff classification and the unladen weight entered in the registration document — we check that before quoting.
The duties at a glance
| Duty | Van up to 3.5 t |
|---|---|
| Customs tariff heading | 8704 |
| Customs duty | CHF 0.00 (since 1 January 2024) |
| Vehicle tax 4 % | only up to 1,600 kg unladen weight |
| Import VAT 8.1 % | yes |
| CO₂ penalty | yes, reference value 153.9 g/km |
| MFK (Swiss roadworthiness test) | yes |
Basis: Directive 68 of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, «Vehicle tax», version of 1 July 2026, section 1.1 on Art. 2 of the Vehicle Tax Act. The rate of CHF 0.00 follows from the abolition of industrial tariffs on 1 January 2024.
What to watch for
With commercial vehicles, check the entry in the registration document: a vehicle listed as a lorry abroad can be classified differently in Switzerland. Conversions into a motorhome are a separate matter — R-68 treats them as manufacture, and the vehicle then becomes taxable as a motorhome.
Process and costs
The process is no different from a passenger car: you choose the vehicle, we obtain the documents, handle the export in the country of origin, collect the van, clear customs at the Thayngen customs office and see you through inspection and registration. You can work out the final price in the import calculator — with vehicle type, country of origin and all duties, without signing up.
The country you import from does not change the Swiss duties, but it does change the refund in the country of origin: from 17 % in Luxembourg to 25 % in Sweden — and nothing at all in Norway.