From May 1: Swiss buses also for Germans / goods

The police agreement between Germany and Switzerland will enter into force on May 1 this year. This enables the Federal Office of Justice in Bonn to collect Swiss fines from German traffic offenders. The opposite also applies; Swiss authorities will collect fines from their citizens for offenses committed in Germany.

Until now, Germans who did not pay the fine imposed by the Swiss authorities could only be held liable if they re-entered Switzerland. Those who decided not to travel further to Switzerland generally had no worries. This will end from 1 May 2024 for buses starting at 80 francs (about 85 euros).

The fines are the highest in Switzerland, and speeding is severely punished. In Switzerland there is a speed limit of 120 km/h on roads, 80 km/h outside the city and 50 km/h in the city. However, the signal is increasingly sent down to 60 km/h outside the city, and 30 km/h in the city even on the highway – which is sometimes not shown on the navigation system.

Even offenses that are listed in the so-called list of administrative fines cost money. For example, exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 20 kilometers per hour outside urban areas costs 240 francs.

Offenses that are not listed in the list of fines are very expensive. This applies to high-speed driving in urban areas from 16 km/h, outside the city from 21 km/h and on the highway from 26 km/h. This results in fines ranging from 600 francs, to income-related fines in the five-figure range and, for people living in Switzerland, prison terms (usually conditional).

Drinking and driving is also not included in the list of fines. In the most innocuous case – 0.5 to 0.79 per mille – you can expect a fine of 600 to 800 francs. Anyone who has more than that will be fined according to income and subject to further restrictions. Swiss residents are also penalized by confiscation of their ID. Driving is prohibited for foreigners – as is speeding – but this only applies in Switzerland.