What You Should Know Before Driving to Other Countries

August 4, 2026 - Daniel Dreier

Traveling by car is a very practical way to explore the world, but there are things you should be aware of before driving to other countries. This moneyland.ch guide explains the most important things to pay attention to.

From day trips to holidays spent traveling Europe by camper or touring the Mediterranean coast, driving is one of the most popular ways to explore other countries. This guide tells you what to consider before driving your car across the border.

Car insurance

All Swiss car insurance offers cover EFTA and EU countries, the United Kingdom (UK), plus Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City.

Before driving to any other country, you should check whether it is on the list of covered countries in your insurance policy’s terms and conditions. Typically, some other countries are also covered, but the exact list varies between car insurance providers. If you frequently drive to a certain country, it can be beneficial to get car insurance that covers your car in that country.

It is possible to drive to countries that are not covered by your car insurance, but you will have to purchase local third-party liability car insurance. This is usually offered at the border, and in some cases online as well. If you have semi-comprehensive or fully-comprehensive insurance for your car, it will not apply to incidents that occur in an uncovered country.

Get an International Motor Insurance Card

An International Motor Insurance Card is a document which proves that you have sufficient third-party liability insurance for your car. You must carry it with you when you travel to countries that are covered by your car insurance, but are outside of EFTA, the EU, the UK, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City.

If you have not already received one from your car insurance provider, you can ask your insurer to send you one.

Roadside assistance

The standard roadside assistance insurance offered with car insurance typically only covers breakdown assistance in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The same is true for the standard roadside assistance you get with a TCS membership.

However, most car insurance providers give you the option of extending the cover for an added premium. Depending on the insurer, you may be able to extend the cover to certain countries only – countries bordering Switzerland, for example – or to all countries covered by your car’s insurance. TCS offers international roadside assistance insurance separately as part of its ETI Schutzbrief/Livret ETI travel insurance offer.

Leased cars and car plans

If you lease a car, use a car plan, or rent a car, you should check the terms and conditions of your contract to see which countries you are allowed to drive the car in. Typically, leasing contracts allow you to drive the leased car in EFTA and EU countries, the UK, plus Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, and Vatican City. But included countries vary between service providers.

Restrictions on fuel, repairs, and car parts

Any paid work done on your car in a foreign country must be declared upon your return to Switzerland if the bill exceeds 150 francs. That is true for both necessary repairs and for voluntary work, routine maintenance, and replacing of tires or other parts. Make sure to fulfill the legal requirement to declare any eligible paid work done when returning to Switzerland in order to avoid fines.

There are also limits on how much fuel you can bring back to Switzerland with you without declaring it to Swiss customs authorities. Specifically, you do not have to declare the fuel in your car’s tank, plus a reserve tank with up to 25 liters of fuel.

Foreign speed limits

Each country has its own general speed limits for highways, motorways, national roads, and town roads. Special speed limits may also apply when you tow a caravan, or drive a vehicle above a certain weight.

Taking a moment to research the speed limits in the countries you will travel to can help you avoid fines.

Foreign traffic fines and parking tickets

France, Germany, and Italy have agreements with Switzerland that allow traffic authorities to send traffic fines directly to residents of Switzerland. What is more, fines from France are enforceable in Switzerland, as are fines from Germany that exceed 70 euros.

Other countries may or may not send fines to your mailbox. Depending on the country and the situation, some fines may be payable on the spot. But often, you must pay the fine online, at a post office, or over the phone. Normally, the details of how to pay the fine are explained on the ticket itself.

In every case, you should pay any traffic fines and tickets from foreign police or other authorities. Failure to do so can result in debt collection or even prosecution. If you have doubts about the authenticity or correctness of a traffic fine, contact the foreign traffic authority to inquire about it.

Be properly equipped

Having a CH country code sticker or magnet on the back of your car is generally mandatory when driving in foreign countries. Carrying the car’s papers with you is obligatory in most European countries.

You should also carefully review requirements for safety equipment like emergency vests, triangles, or beacons, as well as children’s car seats.

Low emission zones

A number of countries in Europe have special low emission zones that you can only drive in if your car meets certain emissions requirements. In order to drive in these zones, you must obtain certification showing that your car meets the requirements.

Many restrictions primarily apply to diesel vehicles. Typically, vehicles must meet at least the Euro 4 emission standard to be exempt from certificates. But the exact regulations vary between countries and even municipalities.

Failing to comply with low emission zone regulations can result in huge fines, so taking time to do your research and make the necessary preparations is a good investment.

Low emission zones

Use this form to get a PDF with a detailed overview of low emission zone rules, with links to check or register your car.

Restrictions on food and drinks

Wine from a charming bodega in Spain, cured ham from an open-air market in Italy, Swiss delicacies for family and friends abroad – carrying lots of provisions or souvenirs with you is easy when you have your own car. On leisure trips, in particular, it can be easy to forget that there are restrictions on carrying food and beverages across borders.

You can bring larger amounts with you, but only if you declare the goods and pay customs duties. If you are caught carrying larger amounts without declaring them, you will be fined.

Apart from groceries, there may also limitations on carrying other newly-purchased goods across the border. For example, when you return to Switzerland, you can only carry a maximum of 150 francs worth of goods purchased in a foreign country per person without declaring them.

Countries outside of EFTA and the EU have their own restrictions and limitations. The fines for crossing the border without proper declarations can be substantial, so it is important to look into these before you travel.

Limits on alcohol consumption

Each country has its own limits for driving after consuming alcohol. In Europe alone, limits can vary between 0.0 per mille (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania) and 0.8 per mille (UK, except Scotland). You can find an overview of limits on the website of the European Transport Safety Council. If you drink alcohol at all, make sure to check the limits for drivers in the countries you will travel to.

It is worth noting that driving after taking certain kinds of medicines is also prohibited in many countries.

Legal problems

Claiming your legal rights in foreign countries can be difficult. Having motorist legal insurance that covers the cost of legal cases in foreign countries can be beneficial.

You can use the interactive legal insurance comparison to compare motorist legal insurance offers. You can find detailed information about the cover for Switzerland, Europe, and the rest of the world on the product information pages of the offers in the comparison.

Outside of EFTA, the EU, the UK, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City, enforcing liability claims for road traffic incidents can be problematic. Some countries have very low third-party liability car insurance requirements for local vehicles. What that means is, if you suffer damage or injury in an accident caused by a local car, you may only receive very little compensation. You can find more information in the guide to underinsured driver insurance.

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