Fixed speed camera
No warningStationäre Geschwindigkeitskontrollanlage
Catches: Speeding.
Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Lucerne, Solothurn and Schwyz publish fixed camera sites. A unit is not always switched on.
Driving in Switzerland: the road rules for visitors
In Switzerland you drive on the right, with the steering wheel on the left, and roundabouts go anticlockwise. At junctions without signs or road markings, traffic from your right goes first, even from a small side street.
Watch for fixed, mobile, average speed and red light cameras.
RightSide of the road
50km/h in towns
80km/h on country roads
120km/h on motorways
0.05blood alcohol limit
Noturning right on red
Limitedearphones while driving
112emergency number
The rules that catch visitors out
The most important first.
Motorway vignette
Every motorway and expressway needs a CHF 40 vignette, either a sticker on the windscreen or an e-vignette registered to your number plate. Driving without one costs a CHF 200 fine plus the vignette. Cars hired in France, including at the French side of Geneva airport, usually lack one.
Speeding is fined from 1 km/h
Every km/h over the limit is fined once the small tolerance is deducted. Fixed fines stop at 15 km/h over in town, 20 outside towns and 25 on motorways. Beyond that a prosecutor sets the fine, usually at least CHF 400, and from 21 km/h over in town, 26 outside towns or 31 on motorways you also lose the right to drive in Switzerland for at least a month.
The Raser offence
Driving 40 km/h over in a 30 zone, 50 over where the limit is 50, 60 over where it is 80 or 80 over on faster roads is a crime. It carries up to 4 years in prison, a driving ban of normally at least 2 years, and the car can be confiscated.
Radar detectors and camera warnings are banned
Carrying or using a radar detector is illegal, and customs can seize one at the border. Publicly warning of speed checks and using a phone or sat nav to warn of them are also offences, so switch off camera alerts.
Priority to the right
At junctions with no signs or markings, traffic from the right goes first. This is the default on every road that is not signposted as a main road, including most residential streets and 30 zones.
Trams go first
Trams have priority over other traffic. Keep off the tracks, and at a tram stop without a passenger island stop until passengers have cleared the road.
Stop for pedestrians waiting at zebra crossings
At a zebra crossing without lights you must give way to anyone on it or waiting beside it who clearly wants to cross. Not stopping costs CHF 140.
You need a vignette
Motorways and expressways need a CHF 40 vignette, either a sticker on the windscreen or an e-vignette registered to the number plate. A few tunnels and car trains charge separately. One vignette costs CHF 40 and there are no daily, weekly or monthly versions. The 2026 vignette is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027.
10 more rules worth knowing
Roundabouts go anticlockwise
Go anticlockwise and give way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your left.
Lights on all day
Dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on whenever you drive, and dipped headlights in every tunnel. Driving without lights by day costs CHF 40.
The 50 limit has its own sign
Passing the place-name sign does not by itself set 50 km/h. The urban limit starts at a round «50 generell» sign, which can be after the place-name sign.
Mountain roads and postbuses
On narrow mountain roads, the vehicle going downhill must stop and reverse to a passing place if needed. On roads signposted with a yellow post horn, follow the postbus driver's signals when passing is difficult.
No overtaking on the right on motorways
Pulling out to overtake on the right and cutting back in costs CHF 250. Passing on the right is only allowed with care in queues, on lanes signposted for different destinations and on slip lanes.
Snow chains where signposted
When the «snow chains compulsory» sign is shown, you may only continue with chains on at least two drive wheels. Ignoring the sign costs CHF 100.
Headlights on in daylight
Dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on at all times, day and night. Dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on whenever you drive.
What the car must carry
The car must carry a warning triangle, a child seat and snow chains (in some areas). Hire cars should have them, but check before you drive away, because the driver gets the fine.
Stick'AIR pollution-peak restrictions (circulation différenciée)
Only during declared pollution peaks: from 06:00 to 22:00, only vehicles with a Stick'AIR sticker of an authorised class may enter the central area. Swiss and foreign vehicles are both covered. Where: Central Geneva. A French Crit'Air sticker is recognised with the same class numbers. Stickers cost CHF 5 at garages and service stations in the canton. Check www.ge.ch/monStickAIR if a pollution peak is announced.
Drink driving
The blood alcohol limit is 0.05, and 0.01 for learner drivers and holders of a Swiss probationary licence, which lasts 3 years. The standard limit is 0.5 g/L in the blood or 0.25 mg per litre of breath.
Speed limits
Where no sign says otherwise, in kilometres per hour.
Towns and cities
Applies across the densely built-up area. It starts at the «50 generell» sign and ends at the grey version of the same sign.
Country roads
Applies on every road outside built-up areas except expressways and motorways.
Dual carriageways
Expressways (Autostrassen) start at a green sign showing a white car and end at the same sign crossed out.
Motorways
Motorways (Autobahnen) start at a green sign with a white motorway symbol. Lower limits are signposted on some sections.
- The place-name sign marks the town, but the 50 km/h limit starts at its own «50 generell» sign, which stands at or after the place-name sign.
- If you enter a town from a minor road such as a farm or forest track, 50 km/h applies without a sign as soon as the buildings become dense.
- Near border crossings, a blue board headed CH lists the general limits: 50, 80, 100 and 120 km/h.
- Only vehicles that can and may reach at least 80 km/h may use motorways and expressways.
- On motorways with three or more lanes in one direction, the far left lane is only for vehicles allowed to go faster than 100 km/h, so not for cars towing a trailer.
Who goes first
Look left first
You stop at the stop line.
Priority to the right
Both cars arrive at a junction with no signs or lines.
When your road has priority
You are on a priority road, shown by the yellow diamond.
The app animates all 7 junctions for Switzerland, including the ones above.
Open it in the appSigns to know
MotorwayAutobahn
Start of a motorway. The general limit is 120 km/h and a vignette is required.
Motorway vignetteVignette / E-Vignette
Proof that the CHF 40 motorway charge has been paid. Needed on every road that starts at the green Autobahn or Autostrasse sign.
ExpresswayAutostrasse
Start of an expressway. The general limit is 100 km/h and a vignette is required.
General 50 km/h limitHöchstgeschwindigkeit 50 generell
Start of the built-up area's general 50 km/h limit.
End of the general 50 km/h limitEnde der Höchstgeschwindigkeit 50 generell
End of the built-up area. The general limit outside towns, 80 km/h, now applies.
30 km/h zoneTempo-30-Zone
Start of a zone with a 30 km/h limit, usually in residential streets.
Encounter zoneBegegnungszone
Pedestrians may use the whole street and have priority over vehicles. The limit is 20 km/h.
Junction with priority to the rightVerzweigung mit Rechtsvortritt
Junction ahead where traffic from the right has priority.
Main roadHauptstrasse
You are on a main road. Traffic joining from side roads must give way to you.
End of main roadEnde der Hauptstrasse
Your road is no longer a main road. Priority to the right applies again unless signposted.
Stop
Stop completely and give way.
Give wayKein Vortritt
You must give way to traffic on the road you are joining.
Speed cameras
Switzerland uses fixed, semi-stationary, mobile, section control and red light cameras. There is no official camera warning sign, cameras usually give no advance warning, and mobile units can be hidden. Some cantons publish camera sites online.
Other camera
No warningSemistationäre Anlage
Catches: Speeding.
Semi-stationary units are moved from site to site. Lucerne and Basel-Landschaft publish where they are.
Mobile camera
No warningMobile Radarkontrolle
Looks like: Can be hidden. Police in the canton of Zurich have built cameras into a parked small car and a rubbish lorry.
Catches: Speeding.
Police choose the sites and do not have to make them visible or keep a minimum distance from a speed sign. Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Solothurn, Lucerne and Schwyz publish mobile sites.
Every camera type in Switzerland, the warning signs and how fines reach you
Licence and International Driving Permits
| Licence from | Permit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| the EU, Ireland, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland | Not needed | Licences in the European format show their categories in Latin script and are valid on their own. |
| Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada | Recommended | Your licence is valid, but only for the categories it shows explicitly, understandably and in Latin script. If its classes are not clear to a Swiss officer, an IDP or an official translation into German, French, Italian or English settles it, so carry an IDP. |
| Japan | Required | A Japanese licence does not show its categories in Latin script, so carry an IDP with it. Switzerland accepts IDPs issued under the 1926, 1949 and 1968 conventions, so Japan's 1949 convention IDP is valid. An official translation into German, French, Italian or English is the alternative. |
What to carry
- Driving licence
- IDP or official translation if your licence needs one
- Passport or national identity card
- Vehicle registration certificate (Fahrzeugausweis), kept with the hire papers in a hire car
- Hire agreement
Zones and tolls
Stick'AIR pollution-peak restrictions (circulation différenciée)
Only during declared pollution peaks: from 06:00 to 22:00, only vehicles with a Stick'AIR sticker of an authorised class may enter the central area. Swiss and foreign vehicles are both covered. Where: Central Geneva.
Tip: A French Crit'Air sticker is recognised with the same class numbers. Stickers cost CHF 5 at garages and service stations in the canton. Check www.ge.ch/monStickAIR if a pollution peak is announced.
Tolls
Motorways and expressways need a CHF 40 vignette, either a sticker on the windscreen or an e-vignette registered to the number plate. A few tunnels and car trains charge separately.
- One vignette costs CHF 40 and there are no daily, weekly or monthly versions.
- The 2026 vignette is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027.
- The e-vignette is linked to the number plate and is valid as soon as you buy it. Buy it on the official Via portal at www.e-vignette.ch.
- Stickers are sold at post offices, most petrol stations and garages, and border customs posts. They must be stuck on the inside of the windscreen.
- Driving on a motorway or expressway without a vignette costs a CHF 200 fine, and you must buy the vignette as well.
- Other websites may sell e-vignettes with a surcharge. The official portal charges only CHF 40.
- A trailer or caravan needs its own vignette.
- Entering at Basel/St-Louis, Rheinfelden or Kreuzlingen, no vignette is needed if you leave the motorway at the first exit.
- Cars hired in Switzerland normally include the vignette. Cars hired in France, including on the French side of Geneva airport, do not include it as standard.
- The Great St Bernard tunnel costs CHF 32 one way for a car. The Munt la Schera tunnel costs CHF 15 with an e-ticket or CHF 17 on site.
- Car trains through the Lötschberg, Simplon, Furka and Vereina cost about CHF 25 to CHF 36 one way for a car.
Driving in the cities
Zurich
Zurich city alone had 87 fixed speed cameras in 2022, and police in the canton have hidden mobile cameras in a parked car and a rubbish lorry.
Trams run through the centre and have priority. At a tram stop without a passenger island, stop until passengers have cleared the road.
Geneva
The airport has a Swiss sector and a French sector. Swiss-sector hire cars come with the vignette and, in winter, winter tyres. French-sector cars do not include the vignette as standard.
During declared pollution peaks, the Stick'AIR scheme limits traffic in the centre from 06:00 to 22:00 to vehicles with an authorised sticker. Foreign cars are covered, and a French Crit'Air sticker is recognised.
Basel
Arriving from France at Basel/St-Louis or from Germany at Rheinfelden, you need no vignette if you leave the motorway at the first exit.
Basel-Stadt publishes its fixed camera sites. In neighbouring Basel-Landschaft, the Arisdorf tunnel on the A2 has section control over its whole length.
Lucerne
The canton publishes a map of its fixed and semi-stationary speed cameras, updated every hour, and also publishes mobile camera sites.
Questions people ask about driving in Switzerland
Do I need a vignette to drive in Switzerland?
Yes, on motorways and expressways. It costs CHF 40 and the 2026 vignette is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027. There are no short-term vignettes, and driving without one costs CHF 200 plus the vignette.
What is the speed limit on Swiss motorways?
120 km/h unless signs show otherwise. Expressways are 100 km/h, other roads outside towns 80 km/h and built-up areas 50 km/h.
How much is a speeding fine in Switzerland?
After a tolerance of 3 to 7 km/h depending on the device and speed, 1 to 5 km/h over costs CHF 20 on motorways and CHF 40 elsewhere. In town, 11 to 15 km/h over costs CHF 250. Bigger excesses go to a prosecutor, usually with a fine of at least CHF 400, and can bring a driving ban in Switzerland.
Can I drive in Switzerland on my foreign licence?
Yes. A valid national licence is accepted for the categories it shows clearly in Latin script. If your licence is not in Latin script, or its categories are unclear, carry an IDP or an official translation.
Are radar detectors and speed camera apps legal in Switzerland?
No. Carrying or using a radar detector is banned and customs can seize it. Using a phone or sat nav to warn of speed checks is also an offence.
Are winter tyres compulsory in Switzerland?
No. But the driver is fully responsible if unsuitable tyres cause an accident, and can be fined or lose their licence. Snow chains are compulsory where signposted, and hire cars in Switzerland usually have winter tyres from about November to March.
What is the drink-drive limit in Switzerland?
0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood, or 0.25 mg per litre of breath. Learner drivers, Swiss probationary licence holders and professional drivers have a limit of 0.1 g/L.
What is the emergency number in Switzerland?
112, which also works with a foreign SIM card. Police is 117, fire 118 and ambulance 144.
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The same guide, with only what's different from home.
Sources
Checked 15 October 2026. Official sources first.
- Motorway vignette: costs, validity, points of purchase ch.ch (Swiss Confederation, cantons and communes)
- Motorway charge FAQ: vignette and e-vignette purchase Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS/BAZG)
- Motorway charge (vignette) Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS/BAZG)
- Radar detectors banned in Switzerland Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS/BAZG)
- Driving licence and vehicle (published 4 March 2026) Embassy of Switzerland in Canada, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
- International driving licence ch.ch (Swiss Confederation, cantons and communes)
- Verkehrsregelnverordnung (VRV), SR 741.11, version in force 1 October 2026 Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex)
- Signalisationsverordnung (SSV), SR 741.21, version in force 1 October 2026, with sign illustrations in Annex 2 Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex)
- Ordnungsbussenverordnung (OBV), SR 314.11, fixed-fine list, version in force 1 August 2026 Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex)
- Verkehrszulassungsverordnung (VZV), SR 741.51, version in force 1 January 2026 Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex)
- Verordnung über die technischen Anforderungen an Strassenfahrzeuge (VTS), SR 741.41, version in force 1 October 2026 Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex)
- Nationalstrassenabgabegesetz (NSAG), SR 741.71 Swiss Federal Assembly (Fedlex)
- Verordnung des ASTRA zur Strassenverkehrskontrollverordnung (VSKV-ASTRA), SR 741.013.1, measuring tolerances Federal Roads Office FEDRO/ASTRA (Fedlex)
- Verordnung der Bundesversammlung über Alkoholgrenzwerte im Strassenverkehr, SR 741.13 Swiss Federal Assembly (Fedlex)
- Ordnungsbussengesetz (OBG), SR 314.1 Swiss Federal Assembly (Fedlex)
- Strassenverkehrsgesetz (SVG), SR 741.01, version in force 1 July 2026 Swiss Federal Assembly (Fedlex)
- Standortmitteilung Kontrollanlagen (speed control locations, July 2025) Polizei Basel-Landschaft
- Radar-Apps, Standorte, Höhe der Bussen: diese Regeln gelten bei Tempoblitzern (updated 8 April 2024) Blick
- Tips for driving in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (last modified 3 December 2024) The AA Ireland
- Driving tips: Switzerland DriveAway (Auto Europe group)
- Emergencies and danger: emergency numbers ch.ch (Swiss Confederation, cantons and communes)
- Geschwindigkeitsüberschreitungen: Geldbusse oder Anzeige ch.ch (Swiss Confederation, cantons and communes)
- Sondermaut Schweiz: tunnels and car trains ADAC
- TCS-Ratgeber: Mit einem Leihauto im Winter unterwegs (updated 22 November 2024) Blick, quoting the Touring Club Schweiz (TCS)
- Swiss Motorway Sticker (Vignette) Enterprise Rent-A-Car Switzerland
- Rent a car from Geneva Airport: Swiss sector or French sector Chamonix.net
- Circulation différenciée en cas de pic de pollution: entrée en vigueur (14 January 2020) République et canton de Genève, Département du territoire
- Première activation de la circulation différenciée (22 January 2020) République et canton de Genève, Département du territoire
- Radarkontrollen in der Schweiz: welche Kantone die Standorte bekanntgeben (31 March 2023) SRF
- Ist das legal? Deutsche warnen vor Blitzern in der Schweiz (17 September 2025) Blick
- Strassenverkehr 2026: Die wichtigsten Änderungen (8 January 2026) Federal Roads Office FEDRO/ASTRA blog
- Renting a car in Switzerland: the complete guide (modified 14 July 2026) Tour Switzerland