Official driving competence test for foreign licence holders

Depending on the country you come from, there are a number of different ways of obtaining a Swiss driving licence:

• The driving licences of citizens of EU/EFTA member states automatically become invalid in Switzerland one year from the date such citizens enter Switzerland. After that, such individuals may no longer drive anywhere in Switzerland. The licences remain valid outside of Switzerland, of course. Once a citizen from an EU/EFTA member state enters Switzerland, he or she has five years to obtain a Swiss driving licence on the basis of their valid foreign licence by completing the form “Application to Obtain a Swiss Driving Licence on the Basis of a Foreign Licence” [“Gesuch Umtausch eines ausländischen Führerausweises”]. Citizens of EU/EFTA member states who entered Switzerland more than five years prior to applying for a Swiss licence will not only need to complete the form “Application to Obtain a Swiss Driving Licence on the Basis of a Foreign Licence” but will also have to present to the driver and vehicle licensing office a signed declaration containing written confirmation that they have driven on a regular basis outside of Switzerland within the previous five years. In the event that the driver and vehicle licensing office has a legitimate reason to call into question the authenticity of such a signed declaration confirming periodic driving outside of Switzerland, the driver and vehicle licensing office can demand to see some other form of proof, and may even reject the application for a Swiss driving licence altogether.
• Citizens from countries that are not EU/EFTA member states are given one year after they enter Switzerland to obtain a Swiss driving licence on the basis of their valid foreign licence by completing the form “Application to Obtain a Swiss Driving Licence on the Basis of a Foreign Licence” and passing the driving competence test for foreign licence holders. If no Swiss licence is obtained within a year, the driving licences of citizens of countries that are not EU/EFTA member states automatically become invalid. After that, such individuals may no longer drive anywhere in Switzerland. The driver and vehicle licensing office can extend the one-year deadline, but whether or not it does so, and for how long, depends on individual factors that are examined by the driver and vehicle licensing office in each case.
• In the case of citizens from an EU/EFTA member state, the foreign licence is exchanged for a Swiss licence – i.e. the foreign licence is sent back to the country in which it was issued. The driving licences of citizens from countries that are NOT EU/EFTA member states are sent back to the licence holders. The driving licences of individuals who have been issued Swiss residence permits F, N or S are sent to the Federal Office for Migration.

If you don’t pass the driving competence test

Don’t worry – all is not lost if you are unable to pass the driving competence test, as you can still obtain a Swiss driving licence the normal way. In other words, you will have to go through the entire process consisting of the Emergency First Aid Course, the submission of the learner’s permit application, the completion of the theory test and the completion of the VKU Traffic Safety Course and driving lessons – and then you will need to pass the practical driving test.