Convert Your Foreign Driving Licence to a Swiss One

You can drive on your foreign licence for up to one year in Switzerland, but if you live here for longer than one year, you need to convert your driving licence to a Swiss one. If you are from an EU/EFTA country you can directly exchange your driving licence. Drivers with a licence from most other countries will have to pass a test drive.

What you need to know

The general rule for converting your licence

According to Art. 42 VZV, owners of a valid foreign national driving licence can exchange it for an equivalent Swiss licence, upon the successful completion of a test drive. In this test drive, they need to demonstrate knowledge of the traffic rules and know how to safely handle the vehicle category that they are applying for.

The exception to the rule

However, Art. 44 Abs 1 VZV allows for an exception to the general rule under Art 44 Abs. 1 & 2, for licences from countries which apply similar requirements for driving licences as Switzerland.

Drivers from EU/EFTA states do not need to do the test drive and are exempt from doing the theoretical exam to receive the driving licence categories C and D, as well as the sub-categories C1 and D1. Find out more about what the categories mean here.

These are all EU/ EFTA states for whom the exemption applies: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the Czech Republic.

Also generally exempt from the test drive are drivers with a licence from Andorra, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Singapore, Taiwan, Tunisia, and the USA.

Officially, you only have one year time to convert your foreign licence to a Swiss one

You have one year from your arrival date in Switzerland to convert your foreign licence to a Swiss driving licence.

Mark this in your calendar and do it as soon as possible. There are two good reasons not to miss this date.

Firstly, past the one year mark you are technically no longer allowed to drive in Switzerland on your foreign licence. If they find out you are driving on a foreign licence and have been residing in Switzerland for longer than a year, there could be trouble.

Secondly, if you miss this date you may no longer be able to automatically to convert your driving licence to a Swiss one, even if you belong to one of the states with an exemption.

You will have to do the whole process from the beginning, which is expensive and time-intensive.

However, sometimes life gets in the way and the first year passes by too quickly. What can you do if it has been longer than 1 year?

If you notice that you are just past the deadline by a few months, it really pays to prepare all your documents and try your luck with the authorities anyway.

Contrary to what you may think, Swiss bureaucracy is not inflexible and they have been known to make exceptions.

In fact, the Zurich transport authority explicitly writes that “The driving license with the foreign driver’s license expires after one year. It is important that you no longer drive in Switzerland after the exchange period has expired. However, you can exchange your foreign driving license at any time after the end of this year”.

Therefore, brush up on your German and bring your best smile and plead your case. I do know at least one person who was able to convert their licence after the one-year mark.

How to convert your licence if you belong to the exception

Follow these steps if your licence is from one of the following states:

You can also find the full list here.

Step 1: Check you fulfil the requirements to convert your licence automatically

Find your driving licence and make sure it is still valid. Technically you can’t exchange your driving licence if it has expired, but if it is a matter of a few weeks you may be able to get away with it.

Also, note that you need to be 18 to have a driving licence in Switzerland. So, you cannot exchange your licence if you are under 18, even if in your home state you could already receive it at 16.

Step 2: Fill out the application form, take a photo, and do the eye test.

Download the application form to convert your foreign driving licence to a Swiss licence from your cantonal transport authority and fill it out. For Zurich you can find the form here.

The form may vary slightly depending on the canton and you may have to fill out two forms in some cantons.

Take this form to any optometrist for an eye test. You can usually do this as a walk-in, without an appointment. It just takes a few minutes and costs between 10-20 CHF.

The optometrist will then fill out the part of the application form confirming that you pass the vision test.

Then you need to take a photo and attach it to the form. You can do this at most train stations with one of the booths that are available there.

Also remember to take your passport if you are Swiss or your permit to the office.

If the licence is not in English, German, French, or Italian, you will also need an accredited translation of the licence with you.

Additional papers that may be required if you are a dual Swiss citizen:
In my case, the transport authorities also wanted proof that I had resided abroad during the period in which I received my foreign driving licence and that I did not just travel to avoid doing the Swiss driving licence test.

The Swiss authorities naturally asked for a confirmation of registration and de-registration from my home country. However, New Zealand, like many other countries does not require registration with the municipality.

Thus, I had to find documents confirming that I had lived in New Zealand for at least one year during the time where I received my licence.

To prove this, I provided three years of my school certificates showing that I had lived there and which the transport authorities happily accepted.

Others I know, have also successfully provided rental or employment contracts as proof that they lived abroad during the period in question.

However, there is no clear standard for what the authorities will accept, and you may need to insist if they kick up a fuss.

Step 3: Take your licence and your applciation form to your cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt or the Office des véhicules

Take your completed form to your local transport authority. You can find the office responsible for your canton here.

The authorities will confirm that the form is complete and verify your identity.

Then they will take your licence and your application form and send it to the cantonal police who will verify the authenticity of your foreign driving licence and process the conversion to a Swiss licence.

Step 4: Wait for the bill and your new Swiss driving licence to arrive in the mail

Within a few weeks of your application, you should receive the bill in the mail for converting your licence.

Its incredibly annoying that many cantons don’t clearly explain how much it will cost to convert your foreign driving licence to a Swiss one but in general it costs between 60 – 80 CHF for the processing fees, and 45-60 CHF for the actual licence.

What happens to your foreign licence?

If your licence is from EU/EFTA state your licence is sent back to the relevant authorities in the country in which the licence was issued. You can find the addresses where the licence is sent, beginning on page 4 here.

If your licence is not from an EU/EFTA state, you will either get a big red sticker on your licence that says NOT VALID IN SWITZERLAND on it or a stamp on the licence saying the same.

Both are easily scratched off, or you can keep them on and get curious questions back home every time you need to show your licence asking what exactly you did in Switzerland to get such a stamp.

How to convert your licence if you have to do a test drive

If you do not belong to one of the countries listed as exempt under Art. 44 then you will need to complete a test drive.

Step 1: Pass a test drive to prove your knowledge of Swiss road rules

First, complete steps 1 to 3, listed in the process above and fill out the form to convert a foreign driving licence to a Swiss licence.

Then, once you have submitted your documents and your application to the transport authority you will need to register for the test drive.

Driving examinations in Switzerland are quite tough. The test drive is a shorter (and some say easier) version of the normal exam.

But this does not mean you should underestimate it.

You only have one chance to pass the test drive. If you fail you will need to apply for a Swiss driving licence from the beginning, take driving lessons, the first aid course, the theoretical exam, the safe driving course, and the practical exam. (This gets quite expensive).

The test drive is performed for the highest vehicle category that you are applying for. You need to demonstrate that you can safely handle the vehicle and that you know the Swiss traffic rules.

Step 2a. If you pass your test drive your foreign licence is converted to a Swiss licence

Upon the successful completion of your test drive, you should receive your new Swiss driving licence in the post within a few weeks.

Your foreign licence will either be returned to you with a sticker saying that it is not valid in Switzerland or it will be returned to the authorities in your home country.

All that remains is for you to pay the bill and then you are free to drive in Switzerland.

The bill for the test drive is much higher than the simple conversion, expect to pay between 90 to 180 CHF depending on the vehicle category, plus the other costs for the processing and the cost of the licence.

On the upside, Swiss driving licences are valid forever, so you do not need to worry about doing the process ever again.

Step 2b. If you fail your test drive you will not be able to convert your licence

If you fail the test drive you will not be able to convert your foreign licence for a Swiss one and you will not be allowed to drive in Switzerland until you receive a Swiss driving licence.

Therefore, if you want to drive in Switzerland you will need to complete a first aid course and pass the theoretical tests.

Once you have passed the theoretical test you can then apply for a learners permit. Two courses on road awareness and road safety then have to be completed while on your learners permit.

You can then begin practising your driving with someone over the age of 22 who has had their licence for at least 3 years.

Next, you will need to pass the practical exam. If you successfully complete the practical exam you will receive a temporary licence for 3 years. During this time, you must attend two more training courses.

Finally, after the completion of the three years and the two courses, you will receive your Swiss driving licence which is valid forever.

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In summary, although it may not seem like it as first, converting your licence to a Swiss licence is simply a matter of filling out the application form and completing the test drive. It’s even easier if you belong to one of the countries with an exemption and you may even get a cool new sticker on your old licence!