Tourists jetting off to a beautiful European country renowned for its stunning Alpine landscapes could soon be slapped with a major new levy. Swiss lawmakers are on the brink of implementing a new tax on visitors who drive through the country en route to another country, as transit tourists are being blamed for traffic jams.
In late September, Switzerland’s Council of States approved a proposal to introduce a so-called “tourist transit tax” to help ease congestion. If given the green light, foreign vehicles entering Switzerland from one neighbouring country and exiting into another, without making a substantial stop, would pay a fee. The new tax would be in addition to the annual highway vignette, which costs approximately £37 (€43).
The Senate has now backed a proposal by Swiss People’s Party parliamentarian Marco Chiesa, Travel Mole reports. It calls on the government to impose a transit tax on all foreign nationals crossing Switzerland in their private car, camper, or motorcycle—”without a significant stay in the country”.
“The traffic keeps growing and growing, and it’s getting out of hand,” says Heidi Z’Graggen, a centre-right politician.
The levy would vary depending on the time of day, day of the week and traffic density with higher charges likely during peak holiday weekends.
License plate scans at the border would collect the fee automatically which Chiesa says is “technically feasible”. He says: “Implementation is technically feasible. Over 170 border crossings are already equipped with automatic license plate recognition.”
However, the notion of what qualifies as a “significant stay” has yet to be defined.
The new tax would severely hurt people in Austria, in 2021 approximately 20,000 people commuted from Austria to Switzerland for work daily.
The number of people crossing the border to work in Switzerland from neighbouring countries rose by 18.6% between 2017 and the end of 2022.
Traffic scientist Alexander Erath told Swiss broadcaster SRF that the levy may comply with EU treaties but would significantly test neighbourly relations.
The measure will need to pass Switzerland’s National Council in December, where it is expected to be approved.