What is the difference between first registration and (first) entry into circulation?

First registration denotes the date of the first admission by an admission authority (licence plate and authorisation to drive). The first entry into circulation is the date on which the vehicle was first put into circulation; for vehicles previously registered abroad, this date may precede the Swiss registration.

Why the distinction matters: under Art. 4 of the Ordinance on the Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles (VTS, SR 741.41), vehicles already in circulation when the ordinance is amended must at least meet the requirements that were decisive in Switzerland at the time of their first entry into circulation. The applicable technical rules are therefore determined by the first entry into circulation — not by the date of a later Swiss (re-)registration.

• Applicable technical rules: based on the first entry into circulation (Art. 4 VTS).
• CO₂ rules: the time of entry into circulation, respectively first registration, is relevant (BFE).
• Age or veteran classification: tied to the date of the first entry into circulation.

For vehicles previously registered abroad, the date of the first foreign registration counts as the first entry into circulation. For the technical requirements it is therefore not decisive when the vehicle is newly registered in Switzerland.