Wartungsheft
MFK inspection notice: checks, costs and missed dates
At some point the letter arrives: the notice for the periodic vehicle inspection, in Switzerland usually called the MFK (Motorfahrzeugkontrolle). Here you will find when it comes, how to prepare and what happens if you ignore it.
When does my car have to go for its MFK inspection?
The intervals are set out in Art. 33 of the Ordinance on the Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles (VTS). Passenger cars, motorcycles and trailers over 0.75 tonnes must be inspected for the first time five, but no later than six years after first registration, then after three years and every two years after that (VTS Art. 33). Vans and motorhomes start sooner: first inspection after four years.
The notice is sent to you in writing by your cantonal road traffic office (Strassenverkehrsamt, the authority that registers vehicles and licenses drivers) (ch.ch). You can, however, have your vehicle inspected voluntarily earlier at any time. A change of owner does not change the date, by the way, unless the vehicle is more than ten years old (TCS).
What gets checked?
According to the VTS, the inspection covers: identification of the vehicle, brakes, steering, visibility, lighting and electrical system, chassis, axles, wheels, tyres and suspension, as well as exhaust emissions. The canton of St. Gallen also explicitly lists bodywork, load-bearing parts and corrosion (sg.ch).
The canton of Zurich requires you to present the car at operating temperature and clean; if it is very dirty, the inspection cannot be completed (zh.ch). Older cars, roughly from model years 1976 to 2006, without a recognised OBD system also need the exhaust maintenance document. You do not have to present the car yourself: another person or your garage may do it for you.
What does the MFK inspection cost?
According to ch.ch, you should expect around 60 francs. Examples from the cantonal fee schedules:
- Bern: CHF 60 for a passenger car, motorcycle and trailer up to 3.5 t, a partial re-inspection after a complaint CHF 30 (Bern fee schedule).
- Aargau: Fr. 58 for a passenger car (ag.ch).
- Zurich: CHF 30 per inspection unit, a garage confirmation after defects CHF 20 (Zurich fee order 2026).
In the cantons of Aargau, Bern, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Ticino and Zurich, the TCS technical centres also carry out inspections on behalf of the office (TCS). Solothurn charges a processing fee of CHF 20 for this (so.ch).
Postponing the appointment
The rules vary by canton:
- St. Gallen: by no more than 30 days, at the latest five working days before the appointment; re-inspections cannot be postponed (sg.ch).
- Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft: online and free of charge, within three months of the first notice (bs.ch).
- Obwalden and Nidwalden: at least seven days in advance, online only once (vsz.ch).
What happens if I ignore the notice?
Then it gets expensive. Anyone who fails to comply with the notice without sufficient reason has their vehicle registration document (Fahrzeugausweis) withdrawn (Art. 106 VZV). In 2024 the Administrative Court of Solothurn upheld such a case: the owner did not turn up, the office summoned him again and then withdrew the vehicle registration document and number plates with immediate effect (Judgment VWBES.2024.5).
Even a single missed appointment costs money: in Zurich, not turning up is charged at CHF 30 per inspection unit, a withdrawal order at CHF 60 and the collection of the plates by the police at CHF 180. In Obwalden and Nidwalden the inspection fee is also due if you do not turn up.
And even if the notice never arrives, for example because of an inspection backlog at the office, you as the owner remain responsible for the condition of your vehicle (TCS via Nau).
How to prepare
- Service beforehand: ch.ch recommends taking the car to the garage before the inspection.
- Pre-test: The TCS MFK pre-test costs from CHF 60 for members, depending on the location (TCS).
- Typical defects: According to the TCS Bern section, the most frequent complaints concern lighting, running gear and tyres; around 15 per cent of vehicles fail (Nau). You can check the lights and tyres yourself beforehand.
And if defects are found?
Then a re-inspection follows, normally within 30 days, and you have to arrange the appointment yourself. For minor defects, some cantons accept that a garage fixes them and reports this to the office (ch.ch). In St. Gallen this is called the repair confirmation procedure and takes place within 14 days.
Keep the inspection report: it records the mileage and proves, when you sell, that your odometer is correct. More on this in the guide Selling a used car.