Wanderlust – who doesn’t know it?

This longing for faraway places, for discovering new and unknown things. The desire to travel to foreign countries and explore new cultures, but also to look forward to coming home again.

The travel-hungry among us didn’t get their money’s worth in the last two years. So, it’s all the better now that the borders are open again and the pandemic situation allows us to pack our bags and escape the daily grind.

Statistics show that holidays by car have increased sharply since the pandemic.

Following our blogpost in November 2021, in which we outlined what to do in the event of a road accident abroad, today we explain what to keep in mind when repairing a vehicle abroad.

If you are involved in a traffic accident abroad with your own vehicle, you can either repatriate it to Switzerland in an unrepaired condition or have it repaired abroad.

If you decide to have your vehicle repaired abroad, you need to know the following:

If repairs or other modifications are carried out abroad on a vehicle registered in Switzerland that exceed the value of CHF 300, these must be declared to the customs office.

For this purpose, you must present the repair invoice to both the foreign and the Swiss customs office. At the Swiss customs office, you must pay Swiss VAT of 7.7% on the repair costs. This will then be refunded to you by your insurer (depending on coverage and liability).

The foreign value added tax is therefore not due. Payment of the repair costs by your insurer is therefore always exclusive of foreign VAT (depending on coverage and liability).

It is important that you ask the foreign repairer for a detailed invoice showing the type, weight and value of the newly fitted spare parts, as well as the labour costs incurred.

Present the repair invoice at the border crossing without being asked; otherwise, you run the risk of paying a heavy fine.

The exact customs regulations can also be found on the back of your vehicle registration card.

We wish you a safe journey and a relaxing holiday!