# New Regulation for Light Commercial Vehicles in International Transport **Category:** Regulation | **Source:** [Partner] move logistics | **Published:** 2026-07-08 | **Updated:** 2026-09-12 **Tags:** arv-1, nutzfahrzeuge, lieferwagen, güterverkehr-schweiz, ruhezeiten-sprinter, kurier, kurierverkehr, leichte Nutzfahrzeuge, Schweiz Transport, ASTRA, Ruhezeiten, ARV, Lenkzeiten, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, Digitalisierung > As of July 1, 2026, ARV 1 regulations will also apply to light commercial vehicles over 2.5 tonnes in international freight transport. Domestic transport operations are not affected. --- As of July 1, 2026, stricter rules apply to certain light commercial vehicles. Affected are vehicles and vehicle combinations over 2.5 tonnes when used in international freight transport. For example, vans, cargo vehicles or light commercial vehicles with trailers that cross borders. Important note: It does not affect every tradesperson and not every light commercial vehicle. The rule applies when the driver spends more than half of their working time driving. For purely domestic transport within Switzerland, nothing changes. For courier, express and small transport companies, this is nonetheless a significant turning point. Those who regularly travel from Switzerland to Germany, France, Italy or Austria must now look more closely at the requirements. The regulations concern working hours, rest periods, documentation, driver cards and control procedures. Dispatch planning must also be more meticulous. Simply making a quick trip to Freiburg, Milan or Stuttgart cannot always be organized as flexibly as before, depending on the operation. The rule is not unexpected. The Federal Government announced the change in December 2025. Since July 2026, it is now in effect. --- As of July 1, 2026, stricter rules apply to certain commercial vehicles. Affected are vehicles and vehicle combinations over 2.5 tonnes when used in international freight transport. For example, Sprinters, box vans, or delivery vehicles with trailers that cross borders. Important: It does not affect every tradesperson and not every delivery vehicle. The rule applies when the driver spends more than half of their working time driving. For purely domestic transport within Switzerland, nothing changes. For courier, express, and small transport companies, this is still a significant change. Those who regularly drive from Switzerland to Germany, France, Italy, or Austria need to pay closer attention now. It concerns working hours, rest periods, documentation, driver cards, and control processes. Dispatch planning must also be more rigorous. Simply making a quick trip to Freiburg, Milan, or Stuttgart cannot be organized as casually as before, depending on the operation. The rule is not unexpected. The Federal Government had already announced the change in December 2025. Since July 2026, it is now in effect. --- The new regulation has been in effect since July 1, 2026. It applies to vehicles and combinations over 2.5 tonnes. It concerns international freight transport. The driver must spend more than half of working time driving. Then the Working and Rest Time Regulation ARV 1 applies. For purely domestic transport within Switzerland, nothing changes. Courier, express, sprinter, and small transport operations are particularly affected. The objective of the regulation is to improve road safety and ensure fairer working conditions. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Switzerland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ch) ### Glossary - [Swiss Association for Transport and Logistics](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/swiss-association-for-transport-and-logistics) - [Dispatching](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/dispatching) - [Freight forwarder](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/freight-forwarder) - [Test and Inspection Processes](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/test-and-inspection-processes) - [Utility Vehicle](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/utility-vehicle) - [ARV1](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/arv1) - [ARV2](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/arv2) - [ASTRA](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/astra) - [ASTRA Newsletter Traffic](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/astra-newsletter-traffic) - [ASTRA Transport Data](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/astra-transport-data) - [ASTRA Traffic Monitoring](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/astra-traffic-monitoring) - [road freight transport rest period](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/road-freight-transport-rest-period) - [tractor-trailer combination](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/tractor-trailer-combination) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/neue-regel-fuer-lieferwagen-im-internationalen-verkehr-20260708162450](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/neue-regel-fuer-lieferwagen-im-internationalen-verkehr-20260708162450)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/neue-regel-fuer-lieferwagen-im-internationalen-verkehr-20260708162450](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/neue-regel-fuer-lieferwagen-im-internationalen-verkehr-20260708162450)*