Switzerland · Vehicle import
Swiss Car Import Tax Calculator
Buying a car abroad and bringing it to Switzerland? Enter the price and see the full landed cost — automobile tax, import VAT, the CO₂ sanction, and clearance — before you commit.
CHF5'748.17
Import taxes on top of the purchase price.
- Automobile tax 4% of CHF 23'500.00
- CHF 940.00
- Import VAT 8.1% of CHF 24'440.00 (incl. automobile tax)
- CHF 1'979.64
- CO₂ sanction 22.4 g/km over the 97.6 g/km target · CHF 95/g
- CHF 2'129.06
- Clearance customs assessment certificate (form 13.20 A)
- CHF 20.00
Paying in euros? Save 2–3% with Wise
Estimate from BAZG automobile tax + import VAT and the SFOE CO₂ rules. Passenger cars pay no customs duty (industrial goods, duty-free since 2024). Confirm the current-year CO₂ figures before you rely on them.
What you actually pay to import a car
Four line items · 2026Automobile tax — 4% of the value
Switzerland levies a one-off automobile tax of 4% on passenger cars at import. The base is what you paid plus all costs to the Swiss destination (transport, insurance). It applies whatever the country of origin.
Import VAT — 8.1%, on top of the tax
Import VAT of 8.1% is charged on the value including the automobile tax and transport — so it's a tax on the tax. Paid in euros? Customs converts at the official daily rate, not your bank's.
CO₂ sanction — only on a first registration
If the car is registered in Switzerland for the first time and emits more CO₂ than its individual target, a penalty of CHF 95 per excess gram (2025–2026) is due before you can register it. On a new or nearly-new import this is often the biggest single item. See section 02.
Customs duty — zero for cars
Since 1 January 2024 Switzerland charges no customs duty on industrial products, and passenger cars are included. The only fixed extra is the CHF 20 customs assessment certificate you need to register the vehicle.
A €25,000 petrol car, driven over the border, first registered in Switzerland. At 0.94 the value is CHF 23,500. Automobile tax 4% = CHF 940. Import VAT 8.1% × (23,500 + 940) = CHF 1,979.64. At 120 g/km and 1,500 kg the CO₂ target is ~97.6 g/km, so the sanction is ~22.4 g × CHF 95 ≈ CHF 2,129. Plus CHF 20 clearance. Total taxes: about CHF 5,069 — before Swiss registration and the vehicle inspection.
The CO₂ sanction, explained
The number people missSwitzerland caps the average CO₂ of newly registered cars, and a private importer becomes their own "fleet". When you register a car here for the first time, you are measured against an individual target and pay for every gram above it.
The target is 93.6 g/km — adjusted for weight
The fleet reference dropped to 93.6 g/km (WLTP) on 1 January 2025. Your individual target adjusts that reference for weight, measured against the fleet-average kerb weight (1,777 kg for 2026). Switzerland uses a negative slope, so a car lighter than that average gets a more lenient target (above 93.6 g/km) and a heavier car gets a stricter one (below 93.6). A 1,650 kg car — just under the average — has a target of about 95.4 g/km.
CHF 95 for every excess gram
The penalty rate is set yearly between CHF 95 and 152; it is CHF 95 per gram for both 2025 and 2026. Multiply the grams above your target by CHF 95. It must be paid before the car is registered in Switzerland.
Used cars usually escape it
The sanction targets first registrations. A car counts as an exempt used import — no CO₂ sanction, just the automobile tax, VAT and clearance — if it was registered abroad more than 12 months before the Swiss customs declaration, or has over 5,000 km and more than 6 months of foreign registration. This is why a used car from Germany is often far cheaper to import than a new one.
Electric cars pay nothing
A fully electric car emits 0 g/km, so the CO₂ sanction is zero regardless of weight. (It still owes the 4% automobile tax and 8.1% VAT.) Set the fuel type to Electric in the calculator and the sanction drops out.
A 1,650 kg SUV emitting 110 g/km has an individual target of 95.43 g/km. Excess: 14.57 g/km. Sanction: 14.57 × CHF 95 ≈ CHF 1,384. The calculator reproduces this figure — try it with those inputs.
Moving to Switzerland? It can be tax-free
Removal goodsIf you're relocating to Switzerland and bringing your own car, it can enter as removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut) — free of automobile tax and import VAT. The conditions: you owned and used the car abroad for at least six months before the move, you import it around the time you take up residence, and you keep it for one year afterwards. The same relief covers inheritance goods. You still get the CHF 20 clearance certificate. Set Reason for import to Moving to CH in the calculator to see the exempt result — then confirm your specific case with BAZG, because the paperwork (residence permit, proof of prior ownership) has to line up.
Keep going
Guides & toolsFrequently asked questions
Car import basicsHow much does it cost to import a car into Switzerland?
You pay 4% automobile tax and 8.1% import VAT on the price plus transport, with VAT calculated on the value including the automobile tax. A CHF 20 clearance certificate is always due. If the car is registered in Switzerland for the first time and exceeds its CO₂ target, a CO₂ sanction is added. Customs duty is nil.
What is the CO₂ penalty for importing a car?
For a first Swiss registration: (the car's CO₂ − its individual target) × CHF 95 per gram (2025–2026). The target is built around the 93.6 g/km fleet reference and adjusted for weight. A 1,650 kg car at 110 g/km ≈ CHF 1,384. Fully electric cars pay nothing.
Do I pay the CO₂ penalty on a used car?
Usually not. The sanction applies to first registrations. A car escapes it as a used import if it was registered abroad more than 12 months before the customs declaration, or has over 5,000 km and more than 6 months of foreign registration — then you pay only the automobile tax, VAT and clearance.
Is customs duty charged on cars?
No. Switzerland abolished customs duties on industrial products on 1 January 2024, and passenger cars are included, so there's no percentage duty from any country. What remains is the automobile tax, import VAT, clearance certificate and any CO₂ sanction.
Can I import my car tax-free when moving to Switzerland?
Often yes — as removal goods. If you owned and used the car abroad for at least six months before relocating and keep it a year after import, automobile tax and VAT are waived; only the CHF 20 certificate remains. Inheritance imports qualify too. Confirm with BAZG.
Is this an official customs calculator?
No. It's an independent estimate built on the published figures of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, last verified July 2026. The final assessment is made by customs and the road-traffic office.