Published on 27 April 2026
Driving licence and vehicle
A valid national driving licence is required to drive a car in Switzerland or abroad. When you relocate your residence abroad or to Switzerland, it is necessary to exchange your driving licence. Swiss vehicle registration documents and number plates must be returned on arrival at the new domicile abroad.
If you are a Swiss national and are planning to relocate abroad or if you are already living abroad and have questions regarding your Swiss driving licence, your vehicle registration documents and your Swiss number plates, you will find information here on whether you can drive abroad with your Swiss driving licence and for how long. Information is also available on the conditions under which you may drive in Switzerland with a foreign licence.
If you have a Swiss driving licence and are relocating abroad you must notify the road traffic office of your departure (Art. 26(2) of the Road Traffic Authorisation Ordinance [RTAO; SR 741.51]). Usually, the Swiss driving licence will need to be replaced with the equivalent national document abroad.
If the concerned road traffic office is not informed of a relocation of residence abroad and the address in Switzerland is consequently considered unknown, notifications for any mandatory medical tests will generally be published in the official gazette. If there is no response to the notification and the required medical certificate is not submitted by the deadline, the road traffic office will proceed to revoke the driving licence by publishing a notice in the official gazette and issuing an alert in the computerised police search system (RIPOL).
Please inform the cantonal road traffic office of your relocation abroad: Association of Road Traffic Offices ASA (German, French, Italian)
The requirements for obtaining a local driving licence are governed by the national legislation of your country of residence. Most countries allow holders of Swiss driving licences to use these for up to one year after arrival. Some countries, however, require a local driving licence to be obtained within three months. The procedures and requirements for obtaining a foreign driving licence differ from country to country.
Please contact the relevant local authorities in good time, comply with any laws and instructions and exchange your Swiss driving licence within the stipulated time period. Should you fail to do so, you will probably have to pass a driving test.
Should you require a translation of your Swiss driving licence in the form of a certificate, for example to exchange your Swiss licence for a local driving licence, you can either:
- Contact the Swiss representation responsible for your place of residence abroad and present a valid identity document along with your original Swiss driving licence. Information about certification fees is available on this site:
Various fees: Attestation or certificate per document - Contact the representation of the concerned country (embassy or consulate) in Switzerland to enquire what steps you need to take for a Swiss translation to be recognised in that country.
The translation of a driving licence in the form of a certificate is valid only when presented along with the original licence.
- Contact the Swiss representation responsible for your place of residence abroad and present a valid identity document along with your original Swiss driving licence. Information about certification fees is available on this site:
If you reside abroad and have lost your Swiss driving licence: you will generally receive only a certificate stating the category of vehicle for which your Swiss licence was valid (provided this information is still available in the records of the concerned cantonal road traffic office). Please contact the cantonal authority where you obtained your Swiss driving licence (where you passed your driving test).
You may also try submitting the following documents to the competent local road transport authority in your country of residence abroad to apply for a local driving licence, although this is merely a suggestion:
- Certificate stating the categories of vehicles for which your Swiss driving licence was valid
- Confirmation letter from the concerned cantonal road traffic office that Swiss law does not permit issue of a duplicate Swiss driving licence if the holder is residing abroad and has no address in Switzerland.
- A police report on the loss of the driving licence issued by the local police where the loss occurred
Documents issued by Swiss authorities will generally need to be legalised before they can be submitted to a foreign authority. You will find more information on this procedure under the link to ‘Legalisation’.
If you leave Switzerland with your car to take up residence abroad you must return your Swiss number plates (licence plates) and the vehicle registration documents to the road traffic office of your previous place of residence in Switzerland immediately on arrival. You may also submit these to the Swiss representation responsible for your new place of residence abroad.
You must apply directly to the competent authorities abroad for local vehicle registration documents and number plates.
Drivers from other countries may drive motor vehicles in Switzerland provided they hold:
- a valid national driving licence, or
- a valid international driving permit (issued under the International Convention relative to Motor Traffic [SR 0.741.11] or the Convention on Road Traffic [SR 0.741.10] and can produce this along with the corresponding national driving licence.
A national or international driving licence issued by a foreign country entitles the holders to drive all categories of vehicles in Switzerland for which the licence was issued.
If no international driving permit (which serves as a translation) can be presented along with the original driving licence, the driver must carry a translation of the national driving licence. The translation may be into French, German, Italian or English, however it must be issued by an official body (for example, the national authority competent for issuing national driving licences, a notary or an officially approved local translator).
The holder's first name and surname must appear in Roman script both on the international driving permit and the translation, which will allow the police to identify the person from an identity document recognised in Switzerland.
The following must obtain a Swiss driving licence:
- Foreign drivers who have been living in Switzerland for over 12 months and have not stayed abroad for longer than three consecutive months during this period.
- Professional drivers of motor vehicles registered in Switzerland that require a category C or D driving licence, a sub-category C1 or D1 licence, or an authorisation as defined under Art. 25 of the Road Traffic Authorisation Ordinance (RTAO; SR 741.51).
Please contact the road traffic office responsible for your place of residence in Switzerland about the requirements for exchanging your foreign driving licence for a Swiss driving licence. A list of all cantonal road traffic offices can be found on the website of the Association of Road Traffic Offices (ASA).
Association of Road Traffic Offices ASA (German, French, Italian)
The website of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) contains information about exporting motor vehicles from Switzerland and importing vehicles to Switzerland
Before you travel, it is recommended that you ask your travel agent, the authorities in the destination country or its representation in Switzerland (embassy or consulate) about the requirements for driving a motor vehicle in that country on a Swiss driving licence. The local authorities in the destination country may require a translation of your Swiss driving licence in the local language.
The cantonal road traffic office at your place of residence in Switzerland is responsible for:
- Issuing Swiss driving licences, and
- Issuing duplicate driving licences
If you lose your licence you should contact the relevant road transport office and enquire about the requirements for issuing a duplicate licence. The following documents are normally required:
- An application form for a duplicate driving licence and to report the loss or theft of the original licence, duly completed and signed
- A recent colour passport photo (35x45mm)
- An official identity document (original).
The time taken to issue duplicate licences varies in different cantons.
If the lost licence is found, it must be returned to the competent authorities within 14 days (Road Traffic Authorisation Ordinance [RTAO; SR 741.51]).
A list of all cantonal road traffic offices can be found on the website of the Association of Road Traffic Offices (ASA).
Association of Road Traffic Offices ASA (German, French, Italian)
Links
- Association of Road Traffic Offices ASA: addresses of road traffic offices (German, French, Italian)
- Road Traffic Authorisation Ordinance, RTAO; SR 741.51 (German, French, Italian)
- Convention on Road Traffic, SR 0.741.10 (German, French, Italian)
- International Convention relative to Motor Traffic, SR 0.741.11(German, French, Italian)