Do you need winter tyres in Switzerland?
No law makes winter tyres compulsory in Switzerland, only a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. But your car must be fit for the road: get stuck with summer tyres and block traffic, and you can be reported, and after an accident your insurer can pay less. The rule of thumb is from O to O, October to Ostern, Easter.
Ep. 69 · Ding or Clonk? · 60 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
Switzerland has no law that makes winter tyres compulsory, only a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. But the law does say your car must be fit for the road, so if you get stuck in snow with summer tyres and block traffic you can be reported, and after an accident your insurer can pay less or claim money back. That is why almost everyone changes tyres by the rule 'from O to O', October to Ostern (Easter). Book the change early: in the first snow week, every garage is full.
Blüemli's verdict: Clonk. No tyre law. But block traffic with summer tyres and you can be reported. Insurers can pay less.
VON O BIS O: literally: “from O to O”; really: winter tyres from October to Ostern, Easter Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. From O to O.
Learn more: Arrival course, day 10: transport
The rule, explained
The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, bfu, says it plainly on its page Winterreifen: in Switzerland there is currently no legal winter tyre requirement for cars. But drivers who get stuck with summer tyres and impede traffic can be reported, and insurers can cut benefits for accidents caused by poor equipment. The bfu recommends winter tyres from October to Easter. Beobachter, in an article updated on 28 October 2025, adds that the only legal tyre rule is a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm, that a fine is possible after an accident because the vehicle was not roadworthy, and that insurers may cut benefits or claim recourse. Its rule of thumb: von O bis O, October to Ostern, Easter. So the law is short, and the hill is long.
Sources: bfu, Winterreifen; Beobachter, Winterreifen Schweiz: Warum ein Pneuwechsel im Herbst sinnvoll ist, updated 28 October 2025
Questions people ask
Are winter tyres compulsory in Switzerland?
No. There is no legal winter tyre requirement for cars, only a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm (bfu; Beobachter).
Can you be fined for summer tyres in the snow?
Yes. If you get stuck and impede traffic, you can be reported, and after an accident a fine is possible (bfu; Beobachter).
When should you fit winter tyres in Switzerland?
From October to Easter, the rule von O bis O (bfu; Beobachter).
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