Changing registration plate

The importing process of doing that is fair simple, but time consuming. The required documents for the process are the Work Permit, and the Circulation License.

You have to go, with your car, to one importing office (Douane) and declare that you want to import your car. You fill all the necessary paperwork, and you get a piece of paper that you use to to get license plates. You don’t have to go to the importing office the day you arrive but it is quite convenient to do so. You can find the importing offices here ( http://www.ezv.admin.ch/dienstleistungen/04051/index.html?lang=en )

If you own the car for more than 6 months, the importation is duty free. Otherwise you have to pay duties. The same applies if you don’t import your car during the first year.

Normally, after that you should go for a technical inspection, but it is required to have a Swiss insurance. So you need to insure your car before going there. You can compare different insurance companies here ( http://www.comparis.ch/ )

After getting the insurance, you have to arrange a rendezvous with the official technical inspection office, which is called “Service des automobiles et de la navigation” ( http://www.vd.ch/themes/mobilite/automobile/). After you have passed the technical inspection you will get the plates.

In this whole process only the techical inspection costs (around 160 CHF).

This is a good website where you can find detailed info in English: https://www.ch.ch/en/importations-cars-switzerland/