Winter TyresSwiss Winter Tyres 2026: No Mandate, Studs Capped at 80
Switzerland has no winter-tyre law, only a duty to keep the car roadworthy. Tread 1.6 mm. Studs 1 Nov-30 Apr, max 80 km/h, no motorways. Chains where signs say.
No Swiss law requires winter tyres. What the law does require is a roadworthy vehicle: under article 29 of the Road Traffic Act, a vehicle must be built and maintained so that the traffic rules can be followed without endangering its occupants or anyone else. Tread must be at least 1.6 mm all year. Studded tyres are allowed from 1 November to 30 April (and in winter conditions outside it), at no more than 80 km/h and never on motorways or expressways.
Why Swiss drivers fit them anyway
The absence of a mandate is not a green light for summer tyres on the Gotthard in January. A car that cannot keep to its lane, stop in time or get up a gradient in snow is not being driven in a state where “the traffic rules can be followed”, and a collision or a blocked pass on summer tyres puts the driver in a weak position with the police and, in a claim, with the insurer. The legal risk sits with whoever chose the tyres, which is the real reason to fit winter rubber for a mountain trip.
Studded tyres: every condition, in the regulations
Studs are permitted, but hedged with conditions spread across two ordinances:
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| Only on vehicles up to 7.5 t, motorcycles and light motor vehicles (and their trailers) | VTS art. 62(1) |
| From 1 November to 30 April, and outside it only in winter conditions | VTS art. 62(1) |
| All wheels must be studded | VTS art. 61(2) |
| An “80” maximum-speed sign on the rear of the vehicle | VTS art. 62(2) |
| Maximum speed 80 km/h | VRV art. 4a(1)(a) |
| No motorways or expressways | VRV art. 35(2) |
The motorway ban is the one that makes studs impractical for most visitors: a Nordic rental arriving on studs cannot legally take the A1 or the A2.
Tread depth
The vehicle technical ordinance (VTS art. 58(4)) requires tread grooves of at least 1.6 mm across the whole running surface. There is no deeper winter minimum in Swiss law; the practical advice from tyre makers is to replace winter tyres well before that.
Chains
On mountain roads in snow, a sign can make chains compulsory. If your route includes an Alpine pass in winter, carry a set that fits your tyre size; some passes close altogether for the season, and car-carrying rail tunnels are the winter alternative.
Sources
- Road Traffic Act (SVG), SR 741.01, art. 29 — roadworthiness duty.
- Traffic Rules Ordinance (VRV), SR 741.11, art. 4a (80 km/h with studs), art. 35(2) (no motorways with studs).
- Ordinance on technical requirements for road vehicles (VTS), SR 741.41, art. 58(4) (1.6 mm), arts. 61-62 (studded tyres).
More on Switzerland
Crossing more than one border this winter? See winter tyre rules, dates and legal tread minimums for every country →
Tyre details
- EU tyre label grades for wet grip and fuel use — What each letter and pictogram on the sticker actually measures.
- What the speed letter on the sidewall allows — H, V, W and Y decoded, plus the sticker rule for lower-rated winter sets.
- Load index: will the tyre carry a loaded car? — The two- or three-digit number that caps weight per tyre.
- Tyre noise ratings in decibels — What the dB figure and the A, B or C class on the label mean inside the car.
- Starting tyre pressure for your size and load — A starting figure in bar and psi, then the door placard has the final word.
Full rules, fines & requirements
Winter tyres, tread depth & rules
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Related Questions
No. Swiss law contains no winter-tyre obligation. The Road Traffic Act does require every vehicle to be roadworthy and built and maintained so that the traffic rules can be followed without endangering anyone, and a car on summer tyres that slides or blocks an Alpine road in snow can fall foul of that.
1.6 mm across the whole tread, all year. There is no separate winter figure in the vehicle technical regulations.
Yes, from 1 November to 30 April, and outside that period in winter conditions, on vehicles up to 7.5 t. All wheels must be studded, the car must show an '80' speed sign at the back, it may not exceed 80 km/h and it may not use motorways or expressways.
Only where signs require them, typically on Alpine pass roads in snow. It is sensible to carry a set that fits your tyres in winter if your route crosses the mountains.