Driving in Switzerland with a UK licence, and getting around Zurich without a car

Your UK licence works in Switzerland for a year after you move, then it must be swapped for a Swiss one, no test needed. Do it on time: on day 366 you're not allowed behind the wheel.

The short version

• Living in Switzerland, you can drive on a UK licence for 12 months from the day you arrived; after that you must exchange it [1][3].
• UK licence holders exchange without a driving test or extra theory test in the canton of Zurich, but you need an eye test, and the exchange costs over CHF 100 (about £91) [3][4].
• A UK photocard licence is fine on visits; holders of old paper licences may need a 1968 International Driving Permit [2].
• Motorways need a CHF 40 vignette (about £36), valid from 1 December to 31 January of the year after [5].
• In the city, a 24-hour ZVV ticket costs CHF 9.60 (about £8.75) from 13 December 2026, and many Brits get by without a car at all [8].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = CHF 1.0976).

Your UK licence after you move

The FCDO's Living in Switzerland guide is clear: you can drive in Switzerland for up to 12 months on a licence issued in the UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, and to keep driving after that you must exchange it [1]. You don't need a test to exchange a UK licence, but apply before the 12 months are up, because processing takes time [1].

Two traps catch people:

• You can't renew or replace a UK licence while living in Switzerland [1]. If your photocard is about to expire, or you lose it, sort the Swiss licence first. DVLA only issues licences to people who live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
• The clock starts on the day you entered, not the day you registered or got your permit [3]. The canton of Zurich says that after 12 months you may not drive in Switzerland at all until the licence has been exchanged [3]. You can still exchange it later, but you may be fined [4].

If you're only visiting, the FCDO travel advice says you can drive on a UK photocard licence. If you still have an old paper licence, you may need to update it to a photocard or carry a 1968 International Driving Permit as well [2]. See our guide to driving abroad on a UK licence for the UK side.

Exchanging your licence in Zurich, step by step

In the canton of Zurich, the exchange goes through the Strassenverkehrsamt (road traffic office), which you can start online [3]. Great Britain is on the canton's list of countries whose licence holders need neither a check drive (Kontrollfahrt) nor an extra theory test [3].

1. Get an eye test. Every foreign licence exchange needs one [4]. Ask an optician for the eyesight test for a driving licence.
2. Start the application on the canton's "Ausländischen Führerausweis umtauschen" page [3].
3. Hand over the original. You must produce your original UK licence [4]. Make a copy before it goes.
4. Pay the fee. It varies by canton but is more than CHF 100 (about £91) for a foreign licence [4].
5. Wait for the post. Your Swiss credit-card licence arrives by post; timing varies by canton [4].

The canton's offices include Zürich-Albisgütli, Winterthur, Bassersdorf, Bülach, Hinwil and Regensdorf, and the general number is +41 43 257 00 00 [3]. Counter hours are typically 7:15 to 17:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays and 7:15 to 16:00 from Wednesday to Friday [3], which is early enough to beat the queue on your way to work.

Swiss road rules that differ from home

Apart from driving on the right, a few things surprise Brits:

Drink-driving

Between 0.05% and 0.079% you face a formal reprimand and a fine of around CHF 600 to CHF 800 (about £550 to £730), plus at least a month's ban if you broke another rule at the same time [6]. Over 0.08% means at least three months' disqualification and a heavy fine based on your income [6]. The Swiss advice is the same as ours: if you're driving, skip the pint.

Speeding

Swiss speed cameras are everywhere, and the fines are no joke. In built-up areas, 21 to 24 km/h over the limit brings at least a month's ban, and 25 km/h or more at least three months [9]. On motorways the thresholds are 31 and 35 km/h over [9]. Fines on a court summons usually start at CHF 400 (about £364) and rise with your income [9].

The vignette

You must buy and display a vignette to use Swiss motorways, or face a large fine [2]. It costs CHF 40 (about £36), and each year's vignette runs from 1 December of the year before to 31 January of the year after. You can buy an e-vignette online, tied to your number plate, or a sticker [5].

Winter is the other big difference. The government advises fitting winter tyres from October until Easter, and warns that if you crash without proper winter equipment, you may be found liable and your insurer may not pay the full cost [7].

Getting around Zurich without a car

Many Brits in Zurich never exchange their licence, because the trams, buses, S-Bahn trains and lake boats make a car optional. Everything in the canton runs on one fare system, ZVV, priced by zones. The city of Zurich (zone 110) counts as two zones, so a city trip is a 1–2 zone ticket [8].

ZVV prices change on 13 December 2026. From then, adult second-class fares for one or two zones (the whole city) are [8]:

Compare that with a London Travelcard and Zurich starts to look like good value. Tickets are checked by roving inspectors rather than barriers, so always buy before you board. The SBB app or ZVV app is the easiest way.

The Half Fare travelcard

For trips beyond Zurich, the Swiss railways' Half Fare travelcard (Halbtax) halves most train, bus and boat fares across the country. For adults it costs CHF 190 (about £173) until 12 December 2026, then CHF 195 (about £178) from 13 December 2026; renewing without a break costs CHF 170, then CHF 175 [10]. It renews automatically each year on your SwissPass [10]. If you'll take more than a couple of trips to Bern, Lucerne or the mountains, it pays for itself quickly.

Bikes are another option: Zurich is flat along the lake and the Limmat, though the hills up to the university and Zürichberg will test your legs.

Swapping tips on licences, parking or the best tram passes? Join our community group for Brits in Switzerland.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Switzerland (last updated 24 December 2025)
2. GOV.UK (FCDO): Switzerland travel advice, safety and security (updated 11 August 2026)
3. Kanton Zürich: Ausländischer Führerausweis
4. ch.ch: Exchanging your driving licence
5. Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG): FAQ Vignette
6. ch.ch: Alkohol am Steuer (drink-driving) (English version checked 7 November 2026)
7. ch.ch: Winter tyres
8. ZVV: Prices from 13 December 2026
9. ch.ch: Driving over the speed limit
10. SBB: Half Fare travelcard

Keep reading

• Moving to Zurich as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Cost of living in Zurich vs London and the UK average
• Registering with the Gemeinde and Swiss house rules
• Driving abroad on a UK licence