How to avoid an unexpected problem with your driving licence when you return to Switzerland

Answer: If you own a Swiss driving licence and move abroad, you must deregister from your local cantonal driver and vehicle licensing office. Furthermore, driving licence holders in Switzerland who turn 75 must undergo a medical fitness-to-drive test. From this age, drivers have to be checked by a doctor every two years.

Fail to deregister and you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. If the driver and vehicle licensing office is not notified about your residence abroad, your residential address will be deemed as unknown in Switzerland. A notice instructing you to undergo the medical test will then be published in the official cantonal gazette. If this request remains unanswered and no all-clear from the doctor has been provided in time, the driver and vehicle licensing office will order the withdrawal of your driving licence. A notice to this effect will subsequently appear in the cantonal gazette, and a relevant alert will be issued in the federal government’s computerised police search system, RIPOL. This is because you will no longer be registered in Switzerland but still be in possession of a Swiss driving licence. And when you next enter Switzerland, you may be pulled aside by a border official – not necessarily the nicest welcome.

If you are a Swiss domiciled abroad who continues to own a Swiss driving licence, you can contact the relevant driver and vehicle licensing office and request the suspension of your licence. There are normally no fees or costs associated with doing so. For the contact details of the cantonal driver and vehicle licensing offices as well as further information, visit revue.link/asa (website shown in German, French and Italian).

You will normally be obliged in your new country of residence to swap your Swiss driving licence for a local driving licence within a specific time frame. An International Driving Permit (IDP) will also lose its validity and needs to be renewed after a certain period of time. The time limit within which you must renew your IDP will vary depending on the country you are in (e.g. within one year of arrival). If you fail to renew your IDP in time, you may have to take your driving test again in your new country of residence after doing the full complement of theory and driving lessons. For authoritative information on time limits and on how to swap your driving licence, you should always contact the responsible authority in your country of residence.

revue.link/asa