Car Shipping Company from Kuwait to Switzerland 0552803439 | RoRo & Containers from Shuwaikh Port, Air to Zurich & Geneva

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Kuwait to Switzerland that arranges the whole journey: collecting the car from your home in Kuwait, sailing it from Shuwaikh Port to a European port, then carrying it on a covered transporter to Zurich, Geneva or Basel. Sea freight takes 32 to 48 days door to door, and air freight from Kuwait International Airport takes 4 to 7 days. Shipping a saloon to the European port starts from SAR 4,900, about KWD 400; a mid-size 4×4 starts from SAR 5,800 and a large one from SAR 6,900. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide45ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Kuwait to Switzerland?
2. Will Switzerland accept your car? Advice before you decide to ship
3. From Kuwait by sea to a European port, then on to Switzerland by covered transporter
4. Transit time for shipping a car from Kuwait to Switzerland, and how we shorten it
5. The price of shipping a car from Kuwait to Switzerland
6. What sets car shipping from Kuwait apart?
7. Collecting cars from Kuwait City and the governorates
8. RoRo or container: which of the two from Shuwaikh Port?
9. Shipping luxury cars from Kuwait to Switzerland in an enclosed container
10. The vehicles we ship from Kuwait to Switzerland
11. Preparing the car before loading in Kuwait
12. The inspection report before shipping and after arrival, and tracking the journey
13. A summer on Kuwaiti plates, or permanent export?
14. Procedures for exporting a car from Kuwait
15. Documents for shipping the car, and what is not accepted
16. Swiss customs, and bringing the car into line with European and environmental rules
17. Insurance and risk management on a long journey
18. Delivering cars from Kuwait in Zurich, Geneva and Basel
19. Temporary storage for the car before shipping and after arrival
20. Car shipping for individuals, companies, embassies and consulates
21. Air freight for cars from Kuwait to Switzerland
22. Steps for shipping a car from Kuwait to Switzerland
23. Car shipping from Switzerland to Kuwait
24. Home Safe’s advice before shipping your car from Kuwait to Switzerland
25. How do you choose a car shipping company from Kuwait to Switzerland?
26. Common mistakes when shipping cars from Kuwait to Switzerland
27. Why Home Safe for shipping your car from Kuwait to Switzerland?
28. Related articles and pages
29. Tags
30. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Kuwait to Switzerland
31. What should I expect from a car shipping company from Kuwait to Switzerland before I trust it?
32. How much does it cost to ship a car from Kuwait to Switzerland?
33. How many days does a car take from Kuwait to Zurich or Geneva?
34. Does the car sail from Shuwaikh Port or from Shuaiba Port?
35. I only want my car in Switzerland for the two summer months; do I cancel its registration in Kuwait?
36. How are export plates and the export certificate obtained in Kuwait?
37. Does Switzerland set an age limit for an imported car?
38. How much tax does a Kuwaiti car pay in Switzerland?
39. Does a Gulf-specification car need modifying to be registered in Switzerland?
40. Which suits my car better: RoRo or a sealed container?
41. Can the car be shipped by air from Kuwait International Airport?
42. May I put bags or belongings inside the car?
43. My car is financed by a bank in Kuwait; can I ship it?
44. Do you provide an inspection report for the car before shipping and after arrival?
45. Do you bring the car back from Switzerland to Kuwait?

Sea route: Kuwait → Shuwaikh Port → the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea → the Red Sea and the Suez Canal → a European port → covered transporter → Switzerland · Expected time: 32–48 days by sea, 4–7 days by air.

Who ships a car from Kuwait to Switzerland?

Demand on this route is mostly seasonal. It starts as the summer holiday approaches, when Kuwaiti families travel to Geneva, Montreux and Interlaken and prefer the car they know to a hire car for two months. Alongside them all year round are European employees whose contracts have ended, students, and collectors selling a rare car to a Swiss buyer. The difference between them lies in the paperwork:

The owner	The usual car	The method that suits	The car’s status in Kuwait
A Kuwaiti family on summer holiday	A family 4×4 or a luxury car	A container sent ahead of travel, or air freight	Stays registered on its plates and comes back
A European resident returning to Switzerland	Their everyday car	RoRo, or a 40ft container with the household furniture	Registration cancelled for export
A student or relocating employee	A mid-size saloon	RoRo or a space in a shared container	Registration cancelled, and relocation relief requested
A collector or seller of a rare car	A sports car or a classic	A sealed container for one car, or air freight	Permanent export in the buyer’s name
An embassy or a company	Official cars	Containers under one booking	According to the body’s status and its letters

Will Switzerland accept your car? Advice before you decide to ship

Switzerland does not turn a car back at the border because of its age, but it can make registering it expensive. That is why we separate two questions before any booking: will the car get in, and is it worth bringing in. The answer to the first is yes in most cases. The second depends on the car’s value, its specification and what you will do with it there. The review is free, and we carry it out from a photo of the registration book and the model:

What we review	Why it matters on this route	What we come out with
Whether the car is returning or staying	It sets the paperwork track in Kuwait and in Switzerland	Temporary exit or permanent export
Date of first registration and how long you have owned it	The condition for relocation relief, with a bearing on the emissions penalty	Whether it is exempt from the two taxes
Country of specification	A Gulf car has no European certificate of conformity	An estimate of the individual-inspection modifications
The car’s value	The basis for calculating the 4% and the 8.1%	An approximate figure for the two taxes
Height and ground clearance	They decide between RoRo, container and aircraft	The most suitable method and port

If it turns out that selling the car in Kuwait and buying another in Switzerland would cost you less, we say so before you pay. Furniture and parcels on the same route are covered in the article on shipping to Switzerland, and our service for the Gulf states in general is on the car shipping from the Gulf page.

From Kuwait by sea to a European port, then on to Switzerland by covered transporter

Shuwaikh Port lies inside Kuwait Bay, right beside the capital, and receives car carriers and RoRo vessels alongside its container terminal. The vessel leaves it southwards down the length of the Arabian Gulf, passes through the Strait of Hormuz, then rounds the Arabian Peninsula to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Kuwait is at the head of the Gulf, so this is one of the longest routes out of it to Europe, and there is no regular direct car service on it. Usually the car or the container is moved to a second vessel at a hub port before Europe.

Stage	What happens	Approximate time
From your address to the loading yard	Collection by recovery truck, condition report and photographs	1 day
Preparation and entry into Shuwaikh Port	Securing in the container or handover to the RoRo yard, and the Kuwaiti export declaration	2–5 days
Sailing to a Mediterranean port such as Genoa	Usually with a change of vessel at a hub port	About 20–30 days
Or sailing to the northern ports	Rotterdam and Antwerp for containers, Zeebrugge and Bremerhaven for RoRo	About 26–36 days
From the European port to the Swiss border	Covered transporter, or the container by rail or Rhine barge to Basel	2–5 days
Swiss customs and delivery	Declaration and payment or relief, then a recovery truck to the address	2–4 days

Switzerland has no seaport, so the overland stage after the port is an integral part of the journey, not an extra. From Genoa it is about 420 km to Zurich across the Alps, and from Rotterdam about 700 km to Basel. We choose a covered transporter for this stage because a car that has spent five weeks at sea unharmed should not arrive with motorway grit and winter road salt on it. As for the full overland route from Kuwait through Iraq or Saudi Arabia and then Turkey and the Balkans, we do not offer it: it means many borders, and car transporters do not run it regularly. The figures in the table are approximate and shift with the shipping lines’ routings, so we confirm them at booking. The ports we work through are on the ports and gateways page.

Transit time for shipping a car from Kuwait to Switzerland, and how we shorten it

The shortest complete sea journey comes to a month and a few days, and the longest to about seven weeks. This is a period that hurrying at the end does not shorten; organising at the start does. Most of the days lost are lost before the vessel sails: a missing paper, a fine left unpaid, or a booking that missed its cut-off.

Method	Door-to-door time	Note
Private container via a Mediterranean port	32–40 days	Best for Zurich, Lugano and central Switzerland
Private container via the northern ports, then Basel	38–48 days	Suits Basel, Bern, and Geneva by the northern road
Shared container with a second car	38–48 days, possibly more	Waits for the container to fill
RoRo, then covered transporter	36–48 days	Tied to the car-carrier sailings from Shuwaikh
Air freight to Zurich or Geneva	4–7 days	Once the space on the aircraft is confirmed

What lengthens the time?

• Waiting for the second vessel at the transhipment port, which can stretch to days in busy seasons.
• A traffic fine or a lien that surfaces when the cancellation of registration is requested in Kuwait.
• The transporter reaching the border on the eve of a Sunday or a public holiday, as Switzerland halts heavy lorries on those days and during night hours.
• The pre-summer rush, when many people send their cars from the Gulf to Europe in the same weeks.

How do we shorten the time without touching the car’s safety? We review the papers in full before booking, not after. We book the vessel well ahead of its cut-off. We send the Swiss customs file while the car is still at sea, so clearance begins the day it arrives. And when there is no suitable sailing from Shuwaikh, we offer an alternative: moving the car on a road transporter to Jeddah Islamic Port and sailing from there, and we compare the two times with you before the decision. Times for our other routes are on the transit times page.

The price of shipping a car from Kuwait to Switzerland

The price has two parts, calculated separately. The first runs from your door in Kuwait to the European port and follows the size of the car, because a car carrier charges for space, not weight. The second runs from the European port to your address in Switzerland and follows the port, the city and the type of transporter. We write both parts in one itemised quotation, with Swiss taxes on a separate line because they are paid to the state at their amount.

Car or service	Price	Note
Saloon or hatchback to the European port	Starts from SAR 4,900, about KWD 400	Small and mid-size cars
Mid-size 4×4 to the European port	Starts from SAR 5,800, about KWD 475	Crossovers and family cars
Large 4×4 to the European port	Starts from SAR 6,900, about KWD 565	Large family cars and pickups
Private 20ft container for one car	Set on request	According to the shipping line and the port of arrival
Two cars in a 40ft container	Set on request	The freight is split between the two cars
Covered transporter from the European port to Switzerland	Set on request	According to the port and the Swiss city
Air freight for the car	Set on request	By weight, dimensions and fuel type

Prices circulating in the market: little is published for this particular route, and most companies in Kuwait price on request. Figures quoted for shipping a saloon from Kuwait to Switzerland in a container run between USD 1,900 and 2,100, for 4x4s and larger cars from USD 2,000 to 2,300, and for RoRo from about USD 1,600. International guides mention USD 800 to 3,200 for intercontinental RoRo and USD 2,200 to 5,000 for a 20ft container. All of these are figures to the port, without clearance or transport inside Europe.

Factor	Its effect on the price
Size of the car	Length, width and height set the pricing band on RoRo
Method	RoRo is lowest, then a shared container, then a private one, and air is several times those
Port of arrival	A Mediterranean port is a shorter sailing; the northern ports are closer to Basel
Swiss city	It changes only the covered transporter’s distance
Season	The weeks before summer bring higher demand and prices
One way or out and back	Booking both directions together lowers each one

How do you bring the cost down?

• Book two months before the summer season; an early space is cheaper than a last-minute one.
• Share a 40ft container with a relative sending a car to the same city.
• Take delivery in Basel or at the customs office if that suits you, and save part of the delivery charge.

The pricing items are explained on the pricing factors page.

What sets car shipping from Kuwait apart?

We start with what should be said plainly: Home Safe is a Saudi establishment based in Jeddah, with no office and no yard in Kuwait. Our service from there is arranged through partner agents in Kuwait who handle collection, the export formalities and port handling, while our team manages the booking, the documents and the Swiss partner. One person follows the file, and you call one number. These points are particular to the Kuwaiti origin:

• A small country with a port in the heart of the city: every address in Kuwait is less than an hour and a half from Shuwaikh Port, so collection and delivery to the port happen in a single day.
• Summer heat: in the hottest months we load the car early in the morning or in the evening, and it is not left in an open yard longer than necessary.
• Residents’ fines: the rule in force is that a resident does not leave Kuwait with traffic fines outstanding, so anyone ending their residence settles their fines and the car’s formalities before the travel date, not after.

Anyone who wants a car in Kuwait coming from the Kingdom will find that it travels by road, and the destination page is shipping to Kuwait.

Collecting cars from Kuwait City and the governorates

The agent calls you a day before the appointment, and the driver arrives at the agreed hour with a recovery truck that suits your car. The car is inspected in front of your door, its report is written, and it is then moved to the loading yard. All six governorates are served; what differs is the nature of the place:

Governorate	Some of its areas	Collection note
Capital	Shuwaikh, Shamiya, Kaifan, Rawda, Surra, Dasma	Closest to the port, and cars are collected directly from the Shuwaikh Industrial showrooms
Hawalli	Salmiya, Hawalli, Jabriya, Salwa, Mishref, Bayan	Blocks with basement parking, so the car is brought out to the street
Farwaniya	Farwaniya, Khaitan, Ardiya, Ishbiliya, Andalus	Close to Kuwait International Airport, and convenient for air freight
Mubarak Al-Kabeer	Sabah Al-Salem, Adan, Qurain, Messila	Villas with wide entrances
Ahmadi	Fahaheel, Mangaf, Mahboula, Ahmadi, Sabah Al-Ahmad, Wafra	Closest to Shuaiba Port; the southern areas by prior appointment
Jahra	Jahra, Saad Al-Abdullah, Qasr, Naseem	About half an hour from Shuwaikh

RoRo or container: which of the two from Shuwaikh Port?

With RoRo, a port worker drives the car up a ramp into a vessel that resembles a multi-storey car park, where it is lashed uncovered, with no wrapping, and then driven onto the quay at the port of arrival. With a container, the car goes into a steel box in Kuwait and is sealed in, so nobody touches it until the seal is opened. On the Switzerland route the choice between them is not settled by the sea freight alone, because after the sea come hundreds of kilometres on land.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Private 20ft container	Shared 40ft container
Loading	Driven aboard uncovered	Lashed by its wheels, and the container is sealed	Lashed with a second car
After the European port	Covered transporter to Switzerland	The same container by rail or lorry	Unloaded at the port, then a transporter
Belongings with the car	Not allowed	Allowed with a list and a declaration	Limited
Freight	Lowest as far as the port	Highest	Between the two

We suggest RoRo for running saloons and 4x4s when the car-carrier schedule suits, and a container for everything else. Each method is explained on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages.

Shipping luxury cars from Kuwait to Switzerland in an enclosed container

A luxury or classic car is shipped to a plan of its own, because its value lies in its original condition and not in its price alone. A scratch in original paint, or a broken part that is no longer made, takes away value that money does not easily restore. That is why it is given a whole enclosed container, with nothing loaded alongside that could move.

• Protective pads on the walls: the sides of the container facing the doors and mirrors are lined with pads, so metal does not touch paint if a door is opened or the container shakes.
• Secured by all four wheels: wide soft straps wrap round each tyre and are tensioned to the floor rings, with wooden chocks in front of and behind the wheels. No hook touches the rims or the body.
• Entry without scraping: long ramps that ease the approach angle for a low car, or a lift level with the container floor.
• Protecting the interior: covers for the seats, steering wheel and floor, and moisture-absorbing bags, since the container travels from Kuwait’s heat to the cold of the Alps.
• Classics: a tray under the engine for any leak, the battery disconnected, and the numbers of original parts recorded before closing.
• Insurance: at an agreed value supported by an expert valuation, not at book value.

The vehicles we ship from Kuwait to Switzerland

We ship any vehicle with a valid registration book or an export certificate, and what we watch for at loading and at the Swiss inspection differs from one type to another:

Vehicle	Most suitable method	What we watch for
Saloon or hatchback	RoRo or a shared container	Whether its value justifies the cost of conformity
Family 4×4	RoRo or a private container	Height with a roof rack, and tint that is removed in Switzerland
Luxury or sports car	Enclosed container or air freight	Ground clearance and the insured value
Classic	Private container	Leaks, and historic-vehicle status at registration
Motorcycle	A wooden crate in a container or by air	Draining the fuel and tying the handlebars

Preparing the car before loading in Kuwait

A car leaving Kuwait carries fine dust in every opening, and Swiss customs and the inspection office take cleanliness seriously. What you prepare in one day before collection saves days after arrival:

• Wash the body, the underside and the engine bay, and clear the cabin of sand.
• Empty the car of personal items, perfumes, air fresheners and electronic toll devices.
• Leave the fuel at a quarter of a tank or less.
• Replace the coolant and the screenwash with fluids that withstand sub-zero temperatures if the car will stay for the winter.
• Photograph every side, the roof, the wheels, the interior and the odometer reading.
• Hand over one key, disable the alarm, and mention any fault you know of in the brakes or the battery.

More detail is in the car shipping guide.

The inspection report before shipping and after arrival, and tracking the journey

The report is what protects your rights if a dispute arises, because it establishes the car’s condition on the day it left your hands. We write it twice: once in Kuwait in front of you, and once in Switzerland in front of whoever receives the car. Between the two reports you follow the journey through notifications that reach you without your asking.

• Before shipping: a condition report recording every scratch and dent, the odometer reading, the fuel level and the accessories in the car, signed by both parties.
• Photographs: clear, dated pictures from every angle at collection, on entering the container or being handed to the RoRo yard, and when the seal is opened.
• On the way: a notification on entry into Shuwaikh Port, on the vessel sailing, on a change of vessel if there is one, on arrival at the European port and on crossing the Swiss border.
• After arrival: a second inspection against the same report, with every difference written on the delivery document before signing and photographed.

Tracking is by container number or bill of lading on the shipping line’s website, and the method is on the shipment tracking page.

A summer on Kuwaiti plates, or permanent export?

Most cars on this route travel in order to come back. They are not treated like a car that has been sold or is moving with its owner. Confusing the two cases is the most expensive mistake a shipper makes: whoever cancels the registration of a car that is going to return pays, on its return, for an import procedure on their own car.

Point of comparison	A car returning after summer	A car not returning
Registration book and plates	Both stay as they are	Registration cancelled and plates handed in
In Kuwait	Temporary exit papers, and the bank’s letter if financed	Export certificate and export plates
In Switzerland	Temporary private use by a non-resident	Two taxes, then inspection and registration
Swiss taxes	Not paid as long as it leaves within its period	4% and 8.1%, or relocation relief
Insurance on the road	Temporary cover valid for Switzerland	A Swiss policy before the plates

The rule in force in Switzerland is that a person living abroad may use their foreign car for private purposes for a limited period without taxes, and a permit on form 15.30 may be required if the stay is long. Because the car arrives shipped rather than driven, the Swiss customs office decides how its temporary entry is evidenced. A customs carnet is not normally a condition for Switzerland, but it may ease passage through the European port on Kuwaiti plates, and we confirm what is required before shipping. It is explained on the triptik page.

Procedures for exporting a car from Kuwait

A car leaving for good has its registration cancelled for export at the General Traffic Department before the agent collects it. The transaction is in the name of the owner or their proxy, and we review its papers before they are submitted so that it is not rejected. What appears in the table is the rule in force, and we confirm what applies and how to submit on the day you apply:

Step	What it requires	Note
Clearing fines	Payment of everything against the car and its owner	The transaction is not opened before this
Releasing the lien	A letter from the bank or finance company	For a financed car only
Request to cancel the registration for export	The registration book and the civil ID	Submitted by the owner or their proxy
Handing in the plates	The Kuwaiti plates are returned and temporary export plates issued	For a car that will travel to the port on its own wheels
Export certificate	Issued in the owner’s name with the chassis number	Asked for by customs in both countries
Customs declaration	Lodged by the agent at Shuwaikh Port or the airport	Once the traffic papers are complete

We only request the cancellation once the sailing date is firm, because export plates are temporary and after them the car cannot be driven in Kuwait. Keep a copy of the registration book before handing it in, since Switzerland asks for the date of first registration.

Documents for shipping the car, and what is not accepted

The file is prepared in an Arab country and read in a customs office that works in German or French. So every Arabic paper is accompanied by a certified English translation. We start with copies so that we can review them, and the originals travel by express courier to arrive ahead of the vessel.

Document	Its source	Where it is asked for
The car’s registration book	The Kuwaiti traffic department	Booking, and customs in both countries
Export certificate or temporary exit papers	The General Traffic Department and customs	Shuwaikh Port or Kuwait International Airport
Civil ID and passport	The owner	Every stage
Purchase invoice or valuation	The seller or an expert	Swiss customs and the insurance
Swiss residence permit and tenancy contract	The person relocating	The relief application on form 18.44
The bank’s letter	The lender	The Kuwaiti traffic department
Bill of lading or air waybill	The shipping line or the airline	Receiving the car on arrival

These are cases that prevent loading, or postpone it until they are dealt with:

Case	Ruling
An outstanding fine or an unreleased lien	The car does not leave Kuwait before it is settled
A car that does not run	Not accepted on RoRo; it is shipped in a container
A fuel or oil leak	Repaired before loading
A radar detector, a weapon or fireworks	Prohibited, and radar detectors are banned in Switzerland
Food, plants or clinging soil	Removed, as they are subject to controls on entry

The general lists are on the shipping documents and prohibited items pages.

Swiss customs, and bringing the car into line with European and environmental rules

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, so its customs are not those of the country where the car landed. The car crosses Union territory on a transit document without paying its taxes, then that document is closed at the Swiss border and the declaration begins there. After customs comes the cantonal road traffic office, which decides whether the car may run on Swiss roads.

Item	The rule in force	Our part in it
Customs duty	Not collected on cars	We explain it so that it is not confused with the two taxes
Automobile tax	4% of the value	An advance estimate of the amount
Value added tax	8.1% on the value, the freight and the automobile tax	Included in the same estimate
Relocation relief	A car its owner has used for at least six months, on form 18.44	Reviewing the date on the registration book and the proof of relocation
Customs inspection report	Form 13.20 A, without which the car is not registered	Its original is handed over with the key
Emissions penalty	May be imposed on a car with a recent first registration	We ask for that date before booking
Technical inspection and registration	An individual inspection for a car without a European certificate of conformity, and a deadline counted in months for someone relocating	A list of the expected modifications

A car built for the Gulf market is equipped for heat, not for European emissions standards. So it may be asked for an exhaust and noise measurement at an approved centre, headlamps to the European specification and a rear fog lamp. The dark tint common in Kuwait is removed from the windscreen and the front windows. The side of the steering wheel and the speedometer, however, match in both countries. The rates and forms are revised from time to time, so we confirm what applies before shipping. Clearance is explained on the customs clearance page.

Insurance and risk management on a long journey

Five or six weeks, usually two vessels, and three countries: the risks of a journey this long are managed before it begins. We assess the car and the route, choose the method that reduces the number of times it is moved, and cover what remains with insurance. The car’s Kuwaiti policy does not cover it as cargo at sea, and the sea carrier’s liability is limited to a small sum.

• Loading and unloading risks: reduced by a container sealed in Kuwait and opened only in Switzerland.
• Risks of changing vessels: a container is moved closed, while a RoRo car is driven, which is why we favour a container for a valuable car.
• Risks of the road leg: a covered transporter instead of an open one from the port to Switzerland.
• What the insurance covers: accidents, fire, theft and handling damage, door to door and at the value of the car plus its freight.
• When claiming: the condition report and the photographs are what is relied on, which is why we are strict about producing them.

The types of cover are on the cargo insurance page.

Delivering cars from Kuwait in Zurich, Geneva and Basel

After clearance the car is loaded onto a local recovery truck and delivered to the door of the house or hotel. Zurich and Geneva are the cities most in demand, and Basel is the first city reached by containers from the north. The service also covers Bern, Lausanne, Lugano and the other cantons. The key is handed over after the inspection, not before.

City	Its location	How the car reaches it	Delivery note
Zurich	The north, the economic centre	From the Mediterranean port across the Alps, from Basel, or by air	Building garages are underground, so the car is unloaded at the entrance
Geneva	The far west, on the lake	From the Mediterranean port, from Basel via Bern and Lausanne, or by air	Lakeside hotels are coordinated with the garage attendant in advance
Basel	The north-west, on the Rhine	From Rotterdam and Antwerp by river or rail	Containers are cleared here, and delivery is usually on the day of clearance
Bern	The centre, the federal capital	From Basel or Zurich	Seat of the embassies, with delivery coordinated with the body
Lausanne and Montreux	North shore of Lake Geneva	With the Geneva cars	Sloping streets, so the car is unloaded on the nearest level ground
Lugano	The south, near the Italian border	Directly from the Mediterranean port	The shortest road distance after the port

Two remarks apply on delivery day to a car arriving from Kuwait. Swiss motorways require an annual sticker, bought before the first trip. A car whose registration has been cancelled arrives without valid plates, so it stays on the recovery truck as far as the address or the inspection office. Details of the service are on the door-to-door page.

Temporary storage for the car before shipping and after arrival

The sailing date does not always match your travel date. You may leave Kuwait two weeks before the sailing, or the car may reach Switzerland days ahead of you. In both cases the car is kept with our partner until its time comes, and remains under the same report.

• Before shipping, in Kuwait: an enclosed, shaded place, because the summer sun harms the paint and the battery in an open yard.
• After arrival, in Switzerland: the car is kept with the partner until the owner arrives or the inspection appointment is booked.
• Short or long term: from days to months, and this is written in the quotation.
• During storage: the battery disconnected or charged periodically, tyre pressures checked, and a condition report sent to the owner on request.

The terms of the service are on the storage page, and its charge on this route is set on request.

Car shipping for individuals, companies, embassies and consulates

An individual cares that the car arrives before the holiday, and an embassy that the file follows its official track. What differs between them is the paperwork and the way of contracting:

• For individuals: a plan built on your travel date, and one person following up from Kuwait until delivery.
• For companies and showrooms: one booking for several cars, an invoice in the firm’s name, and a separate report for every chassis number.
• For embassies, consulates and missions: coordination by official notes, confidentiality of data, and the diplomatic exemption requested from the competent Swiss authority before shipping.

Air freight for cars from Kuwait to Switzerland

Air cuts seven weeks down to one. The car is handed over in the cargo area of Kuwait International Airport, lashed by its tyres to a metal pallet, and loaded onto a freighter or into the hold of a wide-body aircraft if its dimensions allow. It lands at Zurich or Geneva airport, is cleared at airport customs, and is then delivered on an enclosed recovery truck. The time from collection to delivery is 4 to 7 days.

• Who it is for: luxury and urgent cars, anyone whose holiday date comes before any vessel, and a car being shown at a specific event.
• Flights: there are direct flights between Kuwait and both Geneva and Zurich in their seasons, and outside them the car passes through a hub airport. Acceptance of the car depends on the aircraft type, not on the existence of the flight.
• Dangerous goods: the fuel and the battery make the car a consignment with a special declaration prepared by a certified specialist.
• Fuel and battery: the rule in force is fuel not exceeding a quarter of a tank and a secured battery, and for electric and hybrid cars there are conditions set by the air carrier.
• Papers: the same papers as for sea freight, with an air waybill.
• Price: set on request by weight and dimensions, and several times the sea freight.

Air services for goods other than cars are on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping a car from Kuwait to Switzerland

Eight steps, two of which are yours: the first and the third.

1. You send to 0552803439 a photo of the registration book, the model, the year of manufacture, the Swiss city and your travel date.
2. We review the car’s situation, settle the method and the port with you, and send the itemised price and the transit time.
3. You pay the fines and bring the bank’s letter if needed, and the traffic formalities are completed according to your case.
4. The agent collects the car from your address with a condition report and photographs.
5. It is secured in the container and sealed, or handed to the RoRo yard or to air cargo, and the Kuwaiti declaration is lodged.
6. After sailing or take-off we send you the bill of lading and a number for following the journey.
7. The car is moved from the European port on a covered transporter to Swiss customs and cleared.
8. It reaches your address, you check it against the report, sign, and receive the key and the customs form.

Car shipping from Switzerland to Kuwait

The reverse direction serves two groups. The first is a Kuwaiti car that has finished its summer and returns to its registration book without being imported, provided it comes back within its period. The second is a car bought in Switzerland, whose plates are cancelled there and for which a Swiss export declaration is lodged. The rule in force in Kuwait is that a used light vehicle must be no older than five years, must be left-hand drive, and must not have suffered major accident or flood damage. Customs duty of 5% is collected on it, and it is then inspected before registration. We confirm the conditions in force before the purchase, not after.

Home Safe’s advice before shipping your car from Kuwait to Switzerland

This advice comes from the reality of this route, and most of it is carried out before collection day:

• Gather all the documents and send copies before you fix the travel date.
• Choose the method by the car’s value and condition, not by the lowest figure in the quotation.
• Insure the car at its true value, door to door.
• Clean the car thoroughly and take out everything that is not part of it.
• Remove loose additions such as a roof rack, private tracking devices and portable screens.
• Follow the notifications, and tell us at once if your address or arrival date changes.

The lashing and protection methods are on the packing and lashing page.

How do you choose a car shipping company from Kuwait to Switzerland?

Every advertisement promises safety and speed, and the test is a few questions that only someone who knows this route can answer:

The sign	What it indicates
It first asks whether the car is coming back	It knows there are two different procedures in Kuwait
It says plainly who represents it in Kuwait	It does not claim what it does not have
It states where its price ends	No surprise in the European road charge
It mentions the two Swiss taxes and the individual inspection	It has dealt with Switzerland, not just with a European port
It writes a condition report and offers insurance at value	It accepts being held to account for what it delivers

Common mistakes when shipping cars from Kuwait to Switzerland

Seven mistakes recur on this route, and every one can be avoided with an early question:

• Cancelling the registration of a car that will return to Kuwait after the summer.
• Sending the car in the last week before the holiday and waiting half the summer for it.
• Comparing quotations that end at a European port with quotations that end at the front door.
• Shipping an old car to be registered in Switzerland without counting the cost of the individual inspection.
• Leaving belongings in a car travelling by RoRo.
• Relying on the Kuwaiti insurance policy inside Switzerland.
• Forgetting a small fine that stops the traffic transaction on collection day.

Why Home Safe for shipping your car from Kuwait to Switzerland?

Because we tell you what we have ourselves and what we arrange through our partners, we price items you can see, and we start the file from its end: from what Switzerland asks of your car, then back to the port, the method and the Kuwaiti paper.

To book: 0552803439 by call or WhatsApp, from 7 am to 11 pm. Or from the request a quote page.

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Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Kuwait to Switzerland

What should I expect from a car shipping company from Kuwait to Switzerland before I trust it?

That it gives you three names before a price: who collects the car in Kuwait and takes it into Shuwaikh Port, which European port it lands at, and who presents it to Swiss customs. Home Safe is a registered Saudi establishment that runs these links through partner agents in Kuwait and partners in Switzerland, and stays with you on one number, 0552803439, from the first call until the key is handed over.

How much does it cost to ship a car from Kuwait to Switzerland?

A saloon from your door in Kuwait to the European port starts from SAR 4,900, about KWD 400. A mid-size 4×4 starts from SAR 5,800 and a large one from SAR 6,900. The covered transporter from the port to your Swiss city, a private container and air freight are all set on request once we know the model and the address. Swiss taxes are paid at their actual amount, outside the freight charge.

How many days does a car take from Kuwait to Zurich or Geneva?

By sea, 32 to 48 days from the day it is collected until it is unloaded at your address. The difference comes from the port of arrival and from whether the container changes vessel on the way, which is the usual case on this route. By air, 4 to 7 days including clearance at both airports.

Does the car sail from Shuwaikh Port or from Shuaiba Port?

Cars shipped by RoRo normally leave from Shuwaikh Port, which receives car carriers alongside its container terminal and sits right next to Kuwait City. A container may leave from Shuwaikh or from Shuaiba Port to the south, depending on the shipping line that carries the booking. We write the name of the port in the booking confirmation before the car moves.

I only want my car in Switzerland for the two summer months; do I cancel its registration in Kuwait?

No. A car that is coming back keeps its Kuwaiti registration book and plates. Temporary exit papers are arranged for it in Kuwait, and it enters Switzerland for the temporary private use that the rules in force allow to people who live abroad. Cancelling the registration and fitting export plates is for someone who has sold the car or moved home and will not bring it back.

How are export plates and the export certificate obtained in Kuwait?

From the General Traffic Department. The fines recorded against the car and its owner are paid and any lien is released, then the request to cancel the registration for export is submitted with the registration book and the civil ID; the Kuwaiti plates are handed in, and temporary export plates and a certificate in the owner’s name are issued. We confirm the submission method in force on the day you apply, because it changes.

Does Switzerland set an age limit for an imported car?

The rules in force set no age limit that bars a used car from entering, unlike what many Arab countries impose. What governs is the two taxes and the technical inspection. An old car gets in, but it may not pass the emissions and noise test without modifications that cost more than it is worth.

How much tax does a Kuwaiti car pay in Switzerland?

The rule in force is a 4% automobile tax and 8.1% value added tax, calculated on the value of the car plus its freight to the border, with no customs duty collected on it. A car belonging to someone moving their residence to Switzerland is exempt from both if they used it for at least six months before the move. A car entering temporarily does not pay them as long as it is going to leave.

Does a Gulf-specification car need modifying to be registered in Switzerland?

Usually, yes. Because it has no European certificate of conformity, it goes to an individual inspection at the cantonal road traffic office. What is commonly asked for: headlamps to the European specification, a rear fog lamp, proof of emissions and noise measurement, and removal of tint from the windscreen. The steering wheel is on the left in both countries and the speedometer reads in kilometres, so neither is changed.

Which suits my car better: RoRo or a sealed container?

RoRo is for a running family car whose owner wants the lowest freight and leaves nothing inside. A sealed container is for a luxury, low-slung or classic car, and for anyone shipping belongings with the car. On the Switzerland route the container often comes out ahead, because it stays sealed at sea and through the overland transit as far as Swiss customs.

Can the car be shipped by air from Kuwait International Airport?

Yes. It is secured on an air-cargo pallet and leaves Kuwait International Airport for Zurich or Geneva airport, direct when a flight that will accept it is available or through a hub airport. It is delivered after clearance within 4 to 7 days of collection. This is the option for a luxury or urgent car, and its price is set on request by weight and dimensions.

May I put bags or belongings inside the car?

Not on RoRo: the car is driven and its doors are opened in more than one port, and whatever is left in it is not covered. In a private container, belongings may travel beside the car if they are written on a separate list and declared to Swiss customs. Anything hidden in the boot exposes the whole container to being held and fined.

My car is financed by a bank in Kuwait; can I ship it?

Only with the consent of the lender. The lien is recorded on the registration book, so the registration cannot be cancelled for export before it is released, and temporary exit papers are not normally arranged without a no-objection letter. Ask for the letter before booking.

Do you provide an inspection report for the car before shipping and after arrival?

Yes, and it is a fixed part of the service. A condition report is written at collection in Kuwait, with photographs of every side, the odometer and the underside of both bumpers, and it is signed by the owner or a representative. At delivery in Switzerland the car is checked against the same report before the key is handed over, and any remark is recorded before signing.

Do you bring the car back from Switzerland to Kuwait?

Yes. For a summer car the return is usually booked together with the outward trip; it is collected from your address and leaves through a European port or by air from Zurich or Geneva. A car bought in Switzerland enters Kuwait as an import, and the rule in force there is that it must be no older than five years and left-hand drive, with customs duty of 5%.