How could a Washington registered car travel to Zürich?
About three months ago, I went to Switzerland from Germany by car. And when I parked the car in Zürich, I realized that the car (BMW Coupe 3er) that parked beside my car had a non-EU registration plate. When I looked closely at that license plate, I realized the license plate was from Washington DC.
First, I think it was just a fake dummy license plate that was put on the Swiss car, but when I observed more on the bottom corner of windshield, it has a sticker that stated some kind of parking subscription member, and it also mentioned Washington DC.
And then I peeked through the driver windows; I saw it had MPH measurement for speed (EU doesn't use MPH; they use KM/h).
Was that really a person who drove a car to EU from USA? Not quite a important question, but I'm curious about it.
Best Answer
The vast majority of cars in Zürich have non-EU plates... Because Switzerland isn't in the EU!
But I guess you mean non-European. In this case, it is quite common to see US models on Swiss roads: as others have pointed out, they usually belong to US citizens working at one of the large number of international organisations in Switzerland.
It is worth pointing out that Swiss regulations allow US cars to be driven on Swiss roads without modification - for instance, they are allowed to use the flashing stop-light indicator paradigm. In the EU (i.e. over any border), the car would require european-style amber-yellow indicators that are independent of the brake warning light. Perhaps this is the reason why, in Switzerland, US people bother to ship their cars over, instead of just buying a local model.
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Are cars allowed in Zurich?
Am I allowed to drive in Switzerland? Travellers who are at least 18 years old and in possession of a valid national driver license are allowed to drive a car or motorbike in Switzerland.Can a non resident register a car in Switzerland?
If you are not a resident, but have a second home in Switzerland, and the vehicle is stationed in Switzerland, then it can be registered. Plates are issued according to where the car is stationed. You must pay all registration fees and taxes in advance.Can I drive a car in Switzerland?
Who can drive in Switzerland? You can drive in Switzerland using your foreign driving license for up to 12 months. However, if your driver's license is not in English, German, French, or Italian, you also need an International Driving License. This isn't actually a license but a translation of your foreign one.Can I take my car to Europe?
Car shipping to Europe can start at $749, but vary based on the port of origin, port of destination, type of vehicle shipped, shipping method (container shipping vs RoRo shipping), and more. We internationally ship an average of 2,000+ cars every month from USA, Europe, and other parts of the world.How To Title and Register Your Vehicle in Washington, DC
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Answer 2
There are a large number of US troops stationed in Europe, many of whom have cars with US license plates, the registration being that of their home state.
You likely saw one such.
The only alternative would be someone putting a US registered car on a ship or aircraft and transporting it to Europe that way. Not impossible, but given the cost being much higher than that of a rental car extremely unlikely.
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