Switzerland on a US Licence — Buy the Vignette First, Then Watch the Cameras

Can Americans drive in Switzerland? Yes. The State Department says you may drive on your valid US license for up to one year after you arrive, so no International Driving Permit is needed for a vacation. Switzerland keeps to the right, as the US does. That is where the similarity ends: right on red is illegal, a car coming from a side street on your right usually has priority, headlights stay on at all times, and motorways need a CHF 40 vignette. As for driving to Switzerland from the US: an ocean is in the way, so the trip starts with a flight and a rental.

Check for the vignette before anything else

The State Department’s advice is to check the windshield or ask the agency, because rental cars usually come with a vignette already. “Usually” is the word to notice. Look for the sticker, or ask whether an e-vignette is registered to the plate, before leaving the lot. If you rent in a neighboring country and drive in, buying it is up to you: online, at gas stations or at the border. It costs CHF 40 and runs from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following one. Using a motorway without one is a CHF 200 fixed fine. The Switzerland vignette guide walks through buying one.

Rules that work differently from home

• No right on red. Ever, unless a sign allows it.
• Priority to the right. Unless signs say otherwise, traffic entering an intersection from the right goes first, even from a small side street onto a big boulevard. Expect cars to pull out in front of you.
• Pedestrians, bikes and trams generally have the right of way.
• Headlights on, day and night.
• No phone for talking or texting while driving.

The State Department also warns that lane markings and sign placement differ from the US, so be ready for last-minute maneuvers and stops by others. Roundabouts are everywhere.

Speeds, in mph

What a Swiss ticket costs

The State Department puts ordinary speeding fines between CHF 20 and 300. The fixed-fine table is precise: 6-10 km/h over costs CHF 120 in town, CHF 100 on rural roads and CHF 60 on a motorway; 11-15 over, CHF 250, 160 and 120. Beyond that the fixed system ends (above 15 km/h over in town, 20 outside, 25 on motorways) and the case goes to the public prosecutor. That is expensive for visitors: prosecutors commonly require a deposit that can exceed CHF 1,000, on top of the fine and costs. A red light is CHF 250, a phone CHF 100, no seatbelt CHF 60. To price a different excess, try the speeding fine calculator.

Alcohol at 0.05

The limit is 0.05 percent (0.5 per mille), against the 0.08 most states use, and Swiss penalties for impaired driving are heavy. One glass of wine at a mountain lunch can be too many.

Mountains, chains and insurance

Alpine roads can turn dangerous with snow, ice or avalanches, and some close for long periods. In parts of the mountains, snow chains are required in winter; ask the rental agency what the car carries. Liability insurance is compulsory and must come from a Swiss insurer, which a Swiss rental includes. The car must also carry a warning triangle, and the minimum driving age is 18.

Who to call

There is no single 911. Police are 117, fire 118, and 144 for medical emergencies, which the State Department calls the equivalent of 911. 112 also works. Call the police straight away after any accident.

For tunnels, parking and the rest, see the Switzerland driving guide.

Sources

• U.S. Department of State, Country Information, Switzerland (“You may drive in Switzerland with your valid U.S. license for up to one year after your arrival; then you must obtain a Swiss permit.”; speed limits; priority to the right; no right on red; headlights; phones; vignette; fines and prosecutor deposits; snow chains; insurance; 117, 118, 144), last updated January 15, 2026: cadataapi.state.gov
• Ordnungsbussenverordnung (OBV, SR 314.11), Annex 1, item 303 (speeding fines by road type): fedlex.admin.ch
• Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, e-vignette and adhesive vignette (CHF 40, validity): bazg.admin.ch