What is the chassis number (VIN) and how is it structured?
Last verified: 2026-06-20
In Switzerland, “chassis number”, “vehicle identification number” (FIN) and “VIN” mean the same thing: the 17-character code that uniquely identifies every vehicle. Its structure and content are set internationally by the standards ISO 3779 (content and structure of the VIN) and ISO 3780 (world manufacturer code); the VIN was standardised into a uniform 17-character format around 1981 (ISO and, in the USA, the NHTSA).
The letters I, O and Q are excluded because they can be confused with the digits 1 and 0. The VIN is designed to identify a vehicle uniquely over a period of at least 30 years.
| Positions | Section | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier) | world manufacturer code (per ISO 3780) |
| 4–9 | VDS (Vehicle Descriptor Section) | vehicle characteristics (manufacturer-defined) |
| 10–17 | VIS (Vehicle Identifier Section) | including model year (position 10) and sequential serial number |
Art. 44 para. 4 of the Ordinance on the Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles (VTS, SR 741.41) requires for Switzerland that the vehicle identification number be clearly visibly stamped or embossed on the chassis, frame or another equivalent vehicle part. It must be placed in the same spot on all vehicles of the same type.
The VIN is the unique link between the individual vehicle, its type data and the Stammnummer register entry. ASTRA deliberately does not publish chassis numbers in its open data products — vehicle data are published in anonymised or pseudonymised form.
On the registration document the chassis number appears in field 17. Commercial bodies (e.g. importers, garages) can retrieve vehicle data via the electronic data sheet portal using the VIN or the Stammnummer.
Sources
- ISO 3779:2009 – Road vehicles — Vehicle identification number (VIN) — Content and structure — ISO – International Organization for Standardization
- World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) – ISO 3780 — NSAI – National Standards Authority of Ireland
- VTS (SR 741.41) – Ordinance on the Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles, Art. 44 — Fedlex – Swiss Federal Law
- FAQ – Vehicle data information products — ASTRA – Federal Roads Office