Noise regulations Switzerland

This post suggests you'll need to revert to stock if you reregister the car there https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/posts/148114217/

 

Yes, that was me

 

I registered my F355 in Switzerland, I imported it with me from Italy, on Italian plates.

It is complicated. I will break the explanation into two parts, admin and technical. You will need professional help, I know people who have attempted this themselves and regretted it.

Admin.
If you are moving your primary residence to Switzerland and getting B permits then you are entitled to bring your personal possessions with you tax free. Included in that is one vehicle. Make sure your removals co. properly file import documentation.

To be eligible for tax exemption:
1. You must prove that you owned the car at least 1 year before taking residency in Switzerland.
2. The car must be specifically itemised (VIN no.) in the inventory of your household belongings that your removals co. will submit to the customs for tax free importation.
3. You must register the car in Switzerland within one year of date of arrival on your resident permit.
4. When the car crosses the border, you must declare the vehicle and get the necessary import document from the border office. Without this paper you cannot register the car. They will want to see the car, and evidence that you owned the car for >1 year. They will also need the ref. number of your filed import declaration. For this step it is vital that you cross at a manned border point during office hours! Check the opening hours of your chosen border post before you get there and don’t even dream about bringing the car in without the customs document. If the personal possessions declaration was done correctly by the removers then from reaching the front of the queue at the customs window to getting the stamped import document took about 45 minutes.

once you have the import papers from customs you can proceed to the technical part and the registration.

You will need a certificate of conformity for your VIN from Ferrari. I asked 3 dealers in Italy and only one was willing to help, but for a fee of €1,200. No conformity certificate = no Swiss registration.

I elected not to source the conformity document in Italy, and instead used the local Ferrari dealer who agreed to manage the process for me. They inspected the car and prepared it for the “expertise” which is a detailed inspection of the vehicle at the cantonal inspection office.

Technical
The car has to be bone stock, that means original homologated exhaust & cats with Ferrari part numbers and homologation numbers visibly stamped on the casing. In my case, I still had the stock parts, thankfully, otherwise the dealer would have forced me to buy from them.

My car had upgraded Brembo vented brake disks and aeroquip brake hoses which they forced me to remove and replace with factory parts.

They then do an exhaust gas check and make sure it conforms to spec.

Of course, the vehicle is fully inspected and anything they find wrong will need to be fixed, so depends on what shape your car is in if it will cost a lot or really a lot (Switzerland is ridiculously expensive for everything).

In my case, the whole exercise cost me around CHF6k.

Also keep in mind, you will not be able to sell your car in Switzerland for 2 years after import, otherwise you will have to pay VAT on the value.

Good luck with the move and let us know how you get on.

Here is a pic of my 355 on “import day”
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Are all car modifications banned in Switzerland or just emissions related ones?


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

In order to import and register the car the first time you need to demonstrate that it is in conformity with type approval with all original mechanical parts.

However, once a car is registered you can make modifications as long as you get the car to pass a safety inspection at the cantonal (local government) vehicle inspection authority. If it passes the inspection then they amend the registration document with the approved modifications. Examples are bigger wheels, lower ride height, retrofitting a tow hitch, etc. In all cases, the vehicle must meet applicable laws for safety, emissions and noise. If you get caught driving a car with unapproved modifications deemed unsafe the consequences can be severe, especially if you are involved in a collision eg. seizing and destroying the car, hefty fines, even jail time if someone got hurt as a result.

I have lived in a few different countries, and Switzerland has the most rules, rigorously enforced not only by the police, but by your own neighbours that think nothing of reporting each other when the rules are broken.

Probably for this reason, you don’t really see modified cars here, apart from cosmetic stuff, wraps & such like.

 

Sounds like fun.

 

It is possible Switzerland is an heaven on earth but from other stories reported to me by friends and other people working there, no offense, it looks like a refined, rich and prosperous concentration camp.

 

It does seem that lots of European nations are developing technological solutions to the problem of free will …to the benefit of what, I’m not sure. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

 

I live in Switzerland and had modifications on my F355, but I needed to have a special inspection and of course have to pay for that.
I have a roll cage, Challenge carbon seats and harnesses, all these are now legal on my car.
But for the exhaust I have a Tubistyle which is too noisy and the gas emissions are too high, so I need put the original exhaust every 2 years to pass the inspection. But I could drive on the streets and even checked by the police and no problems.

There might be neighbours reporting something, but I never have directly heard or experienced something like that...

But it is true we have very strict rules and sometimes I can say it is like a dictatorship... but the quality of life is so much better than our european neighbours!

 

Quality of life means different things to different people. I need to travel there someday soon. Never been.

 

You are moving to a country where they have signs in nearly every bathroom telling you to pee sitting down. I can't imagine what it's like to register a car there. I don't expect this to be easy.
But it will be worth it.

Simply put- its the nicest place. Period.

 

I saw similar signs in Yellowstone telling you not to stand on the toilet seats

 

Just curious where you live for making such a statement, or perhaps your comment was ironic?

 

I live in the USA. Nope not being ironic- Switzerland) is very particular and I love it.

 

Are you suggesting you would be ok living among people who have the mentality of putting signs such the toilet signs you mentioned earlier?
I was asking about where you lived as I guess people around you may be even worse than that?

 

Yes! 1,000%. Switzerland will also fine you if pick endangered flowers growing wild in a field.
It's Switzerland. You can go anywhere (I did) in Switzerland and you can be assured it will be beautiful, clean and, unique.

I'm very particular so I can appreciate the mentality of something like that.
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I've been living in Switzerland for 5 years now. I accepted a transfer here with my company for professional reasons. I won't comment or criticise Switzerland because it's not my country and I consider myself to be a guest here. If these folks want to live this way, with all the rules, regulations and fines, then I respect how they want their country to be and stay within their rules as any good guest should do when staying in someone else's home.

Let's just say that when my working time here is done, I will move to another country. I have lived in a bunch of countries and cities over the last 30 years and there are plenty of places in Europe where the quality of life, healthcare, culture, food, cost of living, natural beauty and general joy for life are more than a match for Switzerland.

 

Yes that’s true
Like Alberta , Canada
Ha ha

 

Beautiful pictures. They remind me of the terrific Swiss culture of reporting to the police the neighbours who do not vacuum-clean their grass.

 

Q: Whats the difference between Zurich and the Central Cemetery in Vienna?

A: Zurich is twice as big, but only half as entertaining.


All jokes aside, Switzerland is certainly one of the best places on the planet,no doubt about it.

 

If you place it behind all other best places on the planet, without a doubt.

 

Everyone defines quality of life differently.