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Sell your car in Geneva – on the Rive droite and the Rive gauche

A binding offer online, payment on the day of the handover, and we take care of the forms at the OCV, the cantonal vehicle office in Carouge.

Rated “very good” by our customers

Enter your vehicle data now & get an offer

Free and non-binding, done in a few minutes.

  1. 1Car
  2. 2Details
  3. 3Your offer

Which brand is your car?

Other brand

Brand not listed? Call us: 062 557 74 48 or via

  • Fixed price based on your photos
  • Tax refunded once the plates have arrived
  • Cancellation at the OCV in Carouge included
  • Payment as soon as the contract is signed

Prefer the phone? 062 557 74 48

48haverage time to sell

0 CHFfor valuation & deregistration

100%secure sale

Selling your car in Geneva: a border canton with its own rules

Sell your car in Geneva without writing a listing and without test drives through city traffic: you send us details and photos and get a binding offer before anyone has even seen your car. The price is not up for discussion again at the handover.

Geneva is a special case among the cantons: on the Swiss side, it borders only Vaud; otherwise, it borders France. According to the cantonal statistical office, at the end of 2025, 28 percent of Switzerland’s foreign cross-border commuters worked in Geneva, more than in any other canton. The A1 bypasses the city as far as the Bardonnex customs post, and since December 2019, the Léman Express has connected Geneva with Vaud, Haute-Savoie and the Ain.

For drivers, there is also a local rule: during smog, “circulation différenciée” applies, and only vehicles with an authorized Stick’AIR sticker, classified by Euro emission standard, may drive in the center between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Older cars with a low Euro standard may be restricted on such days. For us, that’s no reason to turn a car down: we value every car according to its condition and take care of the formalities at the Office cantonal des véhicules (OCV).

Enter your vehicle details now and get an offer right away.

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The Jet d’eau in the Geneva harbor basin, with a yellow Mouette boat in front and the buildings along the quay behind

How car buying in Geneva works – fast & transparent

  1. 1

    Request a non-binding offer

    Enter your vehicle details in our online form. Your advantage: with just a few details, you get a very accurate initial offer (in practice often accurate to within +/- 1’000 CHF), because we use real market data.

  2. 2

    Send photos & vehicle registration document

    Send us photos of your car and your vehicle registration document conveniently online. This allows a precise assessment without you losing time on appointments.

  3. 3

    Get a guaranteed offer

    Based on your photos, you receive a firm, guaranteed offer – conveniently online, with no on-site viewing appointments. No renegotiation, 100% transparent.

  4. 4

    Vehicle handover & payment

    If everything matches the photos at the handover, we sign the sales contract and you receive the amount by instant bank transfer, or in cash for smaller amounts if you wish. We take care of the deregistration at the OCV.

How you get your money

Right at handover, with no waiting.

Instant bank transfer Recommended

We transfer the purchase price during the handover itself. The money is usually in your account within seconds, secure and traceable.

Cash payment

For smaller amounts, for example for export vehicles, we can also pay in cash on request.

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Car buying in Geneva: city, lakeshore and rural municipalities

We buy cars in the city of Geneva and in every municipality of the canton. Vernier and Meyrin on the Rive droite share a junction on the A1 bypass motorway, and further north lies Versoix on the lake. On the Rive gauche, Carouge is home to the OCV, and there are further A1 junctions near Bernex and Plan-les-Ouates. Between the Arve and the lake, the Thônex-Vallard crossing leads from Thônex into France. Finally, in the Mandement and the Champagne genevoise, villages rather than city districts set the scene.

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Places in the canton of Geneva

  • Geneva (Genève)
  • Vernier
  • Lancy
  • Meyrin
  • Carouge
  • Onex
  • Thônex
  • Versoix
  • Le Grand-Saconnex
  • Plan-les-Ouates
  • Chêne-Bougeries
  • Bernex

Also covered

  • Rive droite
  • Rive gauche
  • Entre Arve et Lac
  • Mandement
  • Champagne genevoise

Deregistration at the OCV in Carouge: the rules in Geneva

In Geneva, the responsible office is the Office cantonal des véhicules (OCV), the cantonal vehicle office, at Route de Veyrier 86 in Carouge. If you sell, you must have the original vehicle registration document, called “permis de circulation” in French, canceled at the OCV, in person at the counter or by mail; the buyer then receives it. The seller keeps the plates, because in Switzerland they belong to the person, not to the vehicle.

If the plates remain unused for 14 days because no new vehicle is registered with them, they must be deposited at the OCV: at any time in the outdoor box by the main entrance, at the counter or by mail. The plates should be cleaned and have no frames. The OCV keeps deposited plates for one year at most and informs the liability insurer. It only refunds the motor vehicle tax for the unexpired period once the plates have arrived.

We take care of the cancellation and deposit after the handover, unless you need the plates for a new car. If the periodic inspection is coming up, to which the OCV summons you with a notice, you can skip it if you sell to us beforehand.

What you need for the sale

  • Original vehicle registration document (permis de circulation)
  • Valid ID of the registered keeper named in the registration document
  • All keys or key cards
  • Service booklet and latest inspection reports
  • Leave the GE plates on the car until we take it over
  • If leased: settlement confirmation

Why verkaufedeinauto.ch?

Because our customers matter most to us, verkaufedeinauto.ch gives you a platform where you can conveniently – at any time of day – have your car’s value estimated from home. Our team supports you personally from the valuation to the handover – for a fast, smooth sale and immediate payment. If you’d like to find out more, visit our About us page.

  • Guaranteed offer

    You get a firm offer for your car in no time, based on your photos. No negotiating and no obligation whatsoever.

  • Hassle-free

    Fast and stress-free: upload your photos, and we’ll take care of the rest. No lengthy appointments and no tough negotiations.

  • Fair

    A fair offer based on your photos – no hidden costs, no obligation whatsoever.

Selling your car made easy

Selling your car in Geneva: list it yourself, a garage or verkaufedeinauto.ch?

Criterion Private sale Selling to a dealer Selling via verkaufedeinauto.ch
Price high low medium-high + guaranteed offer
Effort high medium very low
Risk high low zero risk – secure payment
Duration 3–12 weeks 3–10 days 24–48h
Deregistration do it yourself sometimes included

Private sale

Price
high
Effort
high
Risk
high
Duration
3–12 weeks
Deregistration
do it yourself

Selling to a dealer

Price
low
Effort
medium
Risk
low
Duration
3–10 days
Deregistration
sometimes

Selling via verkaufedeinauto.ch

Price
medium-high + guaranteed offer
Effort
very low
Risk
zero risk – secure payment
Duration
24–48h
Deregistration
included

Selling a used car in Geneva: CO2, Euro standard and export

Since 2025, the Geneva tax on passenger cars has been based on CO2 emissions, and for electric cars on the unladen weight. For cars registered before 2025, it is capped at twice the 2024 tax from 2025 to 2027, and from 2027, a surcharge of 200 francs applies to vehicles with an emission standard older than Euro 3. For buyers in Geneva, emissions and the Euro standard therefore count twice: for the annual tax and for the Stick’AIR classification during smog.

An older car with high fuel consumption may therefore have a harder time with private buyers in Geneva. But that doesn’t make it worthless: many such vehicles find a buyer abroad through export, where different rules apply. In our offer, we consider both routes, the Swiss market and export, and buy your car as it is, even with high mileage.

What determines the value of your car?

The most important factors in a vehicle valuation:

  • Make & model

    Premium brands hold their value better

  • Mileage

    The lower, the more valuable

  • Features & engine

    High-end features and a powerful engine increase the value

  • Technical condition

    Body, engine and transmission are assessed individually

What our customers say

Reviews on ProvenExpert from people who have sold their car to us.

Very good

Average 5-star rating

Recommended by customers 2026

All reviews

“Finally, a sale where I felt I was treated fairly. The offer was binding, and the whole process was quick and hassle-free.”

“I’ve sold several cars before, but never this stress-free. Everything was prepared digitally, and all I had to do was show up for the appointment. No haggling, no paperwork – the team took care of everything.”

“Professional team, transparent processes and fast payment.”

Questions about selling your car in Geneva

What is the OCV, and do I have to go to Carouge myself?

The Office cantonal des véhicules (OCV) is Geneva’s road traffic office, based at Route de Veyrier 86 in Carouge. No, you don’t have to go there: after the handover, we apply there for the cancellation of the vehicle registration document and take care of the plates. Once everything is done, you get a confirmation from us, and the OCV reports the deposit to your liability insurer.

In Geneva, who do the license plates belong to after the sale?

To you. In Switzerland, plates belong to the person, not to the vehicle. If you don’t put them on a new car within the following 14 days, they must be deposited at the OCV, which keeps them for one year at most. If you need the number for a new vehicle, tell us before the handover. Otherwise, we take care of the deposit for you.

Do I get the Geneva motor vehicle tax back?

Yes, for the unexpired period, but only once the plates have arrived at the OCV. The OCV doesn’t refund amounts for less than 30 days; if the plates are deposited after December 1, you therefore get nothing back. So if you want to sell toward the end of the year, it’s best to schedule the appointment before the beginning of December.

Geneva is French-speaking. How does deregistration work if I don’t speak French?

You don’t need to speak French for that. We take care of canceling the vehicle registration document, called “permis de circulation” here, and depositing the plates at the Office cantonal des véhicules after the sale. For the offer, we only need the details from the registration document and a few photos; you then receive the deregistration confirmation from us.

Do you also take older cars with a low Euro standard?

Yes. The fact that older vehicles may be restricted in the center during smog and that a tax surcharge applies from 2027 to emission standards older than Euro 3 doesn’t make them worthless. Many of them still have a market abroad. You can read how such a sale works in the guide Sell your car for export.

Is a new vehicle inspection needed before the sale?

Not for us to buy your car. It’s different with a private sale: according to the OCV, a technical inspection is needed before registration if, among other things, a car is older than nine years and its last inspection was more than three years ago. We buy your car in its current condition; you can request your offer at the top of this page.

Sell your car in the neighboring canton of Vaud

On the Swiss side, Geneva borders only Vaud. If your car has VD plates, the page for that canton is the right one.

Sell your car in Geneva: get an offer now

  • Request at no cost and with no obligation
  • Fixed price with no haggling
  • Instant bank transfer as soon as the contract is signed
  • Older cars with a low Euro standard too
  • Cancellation at the OCV and deposit of the plates included
Request an offer now

Prefer to talk to someone?

Call us or message us on WhatsApp. We’re happy to answer your questions about selling your car.

062 557 74 48
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