Question 1

What permit do you need to operate a food truck in Geneva?

Accepted Answer

In Geneva, selling on public land requires a City-issued permit for increased use of the public domain, plus an operating licence tied to food service. Pitches are limited and awarded on application. On private land (shopping centre car park, business park), you need the owner's agreement plus notification to the cantonal consumer affairs office. We help you build the application and identify realistic pitches.

Question 2

How does it work in the canton of Vaud, in Lausanne, for example?

Accepted Answer

The canton of Vaud requires a licence under its hospitality and liquor law (LADB) to sell food, even from a mobile unit. Lausanne adds a public-domain use permit, granted per pitch and per time slot. Each Vaud commune keeps its own pitch rules: a permit granted in Lausanne is no use in Vevey or Yverdon.

Question 3

And in Fribourg, Valais or Neuchâtel?

Accepted Answer

Fribourg requires a K licence (alcohol-free food service) issued by the cantonal security directorate, on top of communal pitch permits. Valais requires a cantonal operating permit and applies specific rules in resorts. Neuchâtel works with an itinerant trade permit. The common thread: the health authorisation for the vehicle always rests on the same federal foundation (foodstuffs legislation); it is everything else that varies.

Question 4

Do the rules really change from canton to canton?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and that is the main trap of running a food truck in Switzerland: 26 cantons, 26 administrative practices, plus communal regulations. Licence or no licence, public or private land, pitch fees, opening hours: everything varies. That is exactly why Helve'Truck includes regulatory guidance with every sale; you know what your canton will require before you buy.

Question 5

What are the requirements for a food truck's gas installation in Switzerland?

Accepted Answer

The gas installation must comply with the SVGW/SSIGE directives (the Swiss gas and water industry association): certified fixed piping, compliant pressure regulator, properly sized ventilation, an accessible emergency shut-off and inspection by an approved specialist. A trailer bought abroad with a French- or German-standard installation is not automatically compliant; it is the number one blocker we encounter. All our vehicles are delivered with the Swiss gas inspection certificate.

Question 6

And for the electrics?

Accepted Answer

The vehicle's fixed electrical installations fall under the Swiss Low-Voltage Installations Ordinance (NIV/OIBT): they must be carried out and inspected by an authorised installer, with a safety report to show for it. The mains connection (230 V or 400 V depending on your equipment) also has to be planned ahead: many pitches simply don't supply the power a professional fryer demands. We size the installation around your actual equipment and provide the safety report.

Question 7

What hygiene rules apply to mobile catering?

Accepted Answer

Federal foodstuffs legislation applies in full to food trucks: documented self-monitoring, cold chain, separate drinking water and waste water, washable surfaces, hand-wash basin. The cantonal food inspector can inspect your vehicle like any restaurant. Our fit-outs are designed to pass those inspections: compliant materials, regulation sinks and water circuits from the day of delivery.

Question 8

What happens if my food truck isn't compliant?

Accepted Answer

Best case, a formal notice with a deadline to bring it up to standard; worst case, an immediate ban on operating while the installation is redone. Redoing a non-compliant gas installation frequently costs more than CHF 10'000, not counting weeks of downtime. It is the main risk of buying directly abroad, and the very reason Helve'Truck exists.

Question 9

What licence do you need to tow a food truck trailer?

Accepted Answer

Up to 750 kg GVW, a category B licence is always enough. Above that, category B is still sufficient as long as the car-plus-trailer combination stays under 3,500 kg; otherwise you need a category BE licence, obtained through a short practical course. Our model sheets always state the required licence, and we factor it into our advice from the very start.

Question 10

Does my food truck have to pass an inspection?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every trailer or truck must be presented to your canton's road traffic office (MFK inspection) to be registered: chassis compliance, braking, lighting and, for imported vehicles, type approval or an individual inspection. We prepare the complete technical file and present the vehicle for inspection before delivery: you receive a vehicle that can be registered immediately.

Question 11

What insurance do I need?

Accepted Answer

Vehicle third-party liability is mandatory for registration. In practice you should add comprehensive (casco) cover, since the professional contents of a food truck are often worth more than the vehicle itself, plus business liability insurance for the catering activity and business interruption cover. We put you in touch with insurers who genuinely understand mobile catering.

Question 12

What extra costs come with importing a food truck into Switzerland?

Accepted Answer

Importing adds Swiss VAT (8.1%) calculated on the vehicle price plus transport, possible customs duties depending on origin and weight, customs clearance fees and, for trucks, the 4% automobile tax. An “attractive” price advertised by a foreign manufacturer can thus rise by 12 to 15% once in Switzerland. Our prices always mean a customs-cleared vehicle, taxes included, delivered in Switzerland.

Question 13

Can I import a trailer I bought abroad myself?

Accepted Answer

You can, but this is where the nasty surprises pile up: customs declaration, VAT to advance, type approval or individual inspection to organise and, above all, Swiss gas and electrical compliance work rarely anticipated at the time of purchase. The apparent saving of buying direct often turns into extra cost. Our job is precisely to take that whole journey on for you, from the technical file to the cantonal inspection.

Question 14

What are the lead times from order to delivery?

Accepted Answer

Allow 8 to 12 weeks for a catalogue model and 12 to 20 weeks for a custom project, including manufacturing, transport, customs clearance, compliance work and inspection. We give you a precise schedule at the time of order and keep you informed at every stage.

Question 15

Why choose Helve'Truck over a foreign manufacturer?

Accepted Answer

Because a manufacturing price does not tell you whether the vehicle can actually operate in Switzerland. From the design stage, Helve'Truck covers gas and electrical standards, the road approval file, importation and cantonal inspection. You buy a ready-to-operate vehicle with a point of contact in Switzerland, not a vehicle you still need to adapt, have inspected and defend from a distance if something goes wrong.

Question 16

I want to work across several cantons and attend events. What should I plan for?

Accepted Answer

You need to think beyond your home canton. A business based in Geneva may target Paléo, Festi'neuch or events in Zurich, yet every canton and municipality applies its own practices for permits, pitches and inspections. We identify your operating areas during the scoping phase so we can anticipate technical and administrative requirements that might otherwise block you later.

Question 17

What are the risks of buying directly from a foreign supplier?

Accepted Answer

The main risks are a manufacturing delay that eats into your season, a vehicle that differs from the approved specifications, defects and Swiss compliance work that was never included. A foreign warranty may exist, but enforcing it remotely often involves transport, translations, travel and additional procedures. When an event is lost or a vehicle is immobilised, those delays can quickly cost more than the initial saving.

Question 18

Does the support stop at delivery?

Accepted Answer

No. We do more than sell a vehicle: we remain your point of contact after commissioning for technical questions, equipment upgrades and the needs created by expanding into other cantons. Your food truck evolves with your business, and so does our support.

Food truck regulations: your questions, canton by canton

Cantonal permits

Gas, electrical and hygiene standards

Vehicle, licences and registration

Importation and customs

Why choose Helve'Truck?

One point of contact for your entire food truck project.