Quote:
Originally Posted by Sphinx_77
Yeah I have fantasized about the autobahn and especially driving through the Alps 😉
Question:
I've heard that you can in fact leave American plates on a vehicle for a determined amount of time and avoid a lot of the paper work and fees etc.
Not sure if it's a terrible idea. Switzerland is about as safe as it gets, but in some neighboring countries like France and Italy where there is a lot of theft related to tourism in the big in the big cities, you would be basically advertising yourself as a tourist.
Any experience with this?
Thanks!
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I wish I could give you definitive information for your situation, but I think I can only share my own experience and tell you what I *think* would be the case for you.
As I said, I've lived well over half my life overseas, including driving all over the world, some of it US spec vehicles. My time that I lived in Europe, it was with the US military. Shipping and operating our cars over there was under legal Status of Forces Agreements with the other countries, which would not apply to civilian citizens. But there was no issue driving the cars there, getting gas, or getting service at various auto shops and dealers.
Yes, you'll pay more for gas, which is true for any car. Yes, you may experience issues with the US warranty, but you can still get service.
If your wife's company is willing to ship the car over, I would posit that they would also have access or reference to resources to answer your questions about registration and operation. I don't know if Switzerland specifically will hassle vehicles if you leave the USA plates on them, but I wouldn't be surprised if you can do that for a while--right up to the point where you get flashed by a speed camera, or pulled over by a cop. Then you might be in trouble.
Switzerland should be fine for theft issues. But yes--you do correctly point out that if you do something like leave your US plates on the vehicle, you are shouting to the community that you're an American. It's generally best not to call that kind of attention to yourself overseas.