IdefixOnTour

For those people in Switzerland who want to know about the import process, we have written down our experience.

After Erich Christ received the car from Italy and fitted out the Grand Raid Package on our car he made an appointment with us to hand over the vehicle.

We organised the insurance based upon the purchase invoice and the chassisnumber of the car. Once the car is through customs we informed the insurance company of the Stammnummer we received at the border.

At the Strassenverkehrsamt we arranged Tagesschilder. Like with the insurance you have to give the details of the car like Type and Chassisnumber. Perhaps it was not necessary to arrange the insurance already as we paid (Jul 06) at the Strassenverkehrsamt (ZH):

Tagesausweis CHF 75,–,Versicherungsprämie für Tagesausweis CHF26.50 and Kaution CHF 100,–. The latter we received back when we brought the Tagesschilder back.

On the agreed day and time we met Erich Christ in Sankt Margrethen, just before the border is a parking. Between the two border posts Erich will park the Bremach. As he knows the procedure well he will have the various documents like Eur 1 with him and takes you with him to Schenker on the Swiss side of the border to clear the goods. We paid for this Einfuhrabfertigung CHF 90,–.

Next step is to the Swiss customs office where you will have to pay (in cash!) the Mehrwertsteuer and Automobilsteuer. Actual info can be found at www.ezv.admin.ch . This is also the moment that your car will get a Stammnummer.

Now Erich will drive the Bremach over the Swiss border to the parking where he will give the keys, documentation and instructions of the car. You obviously need to attach the Tagesschilder to the car, take something with you to do that. Erich will give you also the Einzelgenehmigungsbescheid (Austrian Fahrzeugausweis), this document holds all the details of the car.

Next step is to have the car technically checked at a Verkehrssicherheitszentrum. We went to the one in Stans (NW) as Mr. Alois Scheuber (tel 041 618 41 30) had checked imported Bremachs before. It should not make a difference to which one you go. You have to make an appointment beforehand though!

Before going to a VSZ you need an Abgastest. You can do this at a local Iveco dealer and get this document from www.auto-suisse.ch, we paid CHF 32,– for the document and CHF 90,– at the garage. Take the document you received from customs, the one with the Stammnummer on it, together with the Einzelgenehmigungsbescheid you received from Erich Christ with you. Again Tagesschilder are necessary. Tip: do not leave the Kangurugitter on the car. The VSZ charged us CHF293,– and needed about two hours.

Now you can go to the Strassenverkehrsamt and get proper number plates. Take the document you received from the VSZ as well as proof of Insurance with you to the Strassenverkehrsamt. You do not need to make an appointment.

Now the Bremach is imported as Lieferwagen. For it to be a Wohnmobil it needs: a bed, cooking facilities, a place to sit, water and waste water cans or tanks as a minimum. If this is done you must go again to a VSZ, we went this time to Winterthur, and they will check whether it is now a Wohnmobil. The thing to bear in mind now is the weight of the car, you normally do not want it to exceed 3500 kgs. Tip: the spare wheel does not have to be on the car.

When this second check at the VSZ is done succesfully you can have your Fahrzeugausweis changed at the Strassenverkehrsamt. Also you have to inform your Insurance company, the rate for a Wohnmobil is lower than a Lieferwagen but they will take into account any additions you made.

Success!