Country Codes from A to Z

Country symbols, also known as country abbreviations or international country codes, are combinations of one to three letters. The letters stand for the country from which a vehicle comes. The abbreviation allows a vehicle to be clearly assigned to a country – an important aid in international traffic during border or vehicle checks.

In general, the following applies: You do not need a country symbol to register your vehicle in Switzerland. However, if you are traveling abroad by car, truck or motorcycle, the country symbol "CH" must be displayed on the vehicle. This oval sign with a black abbreviation on a white background – colloquially known as a CH sticker – is attached to the rear next to the license plate. You can buy it at gas stations or online. 

Mandatory or not? The regulations on the "CH" symbol in detail:

If you are traveling in Switzerland: 

• Vehicles have a license plate with the Swiss coat of arms and the coat of arms of the canton, as well as the canton abbreviations.
• The country code "CH" is not integrated onto license plates, but there is no need for a "CH sticker" on the vehicle. 

If you are traveling abroad:

• A "CH sticker" is required because the license plate does not have this country code integrated.

For the country symbol to be recognized abroad, it must be correctly and clearly visible on the vehicle. This means for vehicles with a Swiss license plate: a "CH" sticker in accordance with Article 45 of the VTS (Ordinance on the Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles).

Shape, size and appearance:

The sign must be oval, be white with a black border and black letters, and comply with the following minimum dimensions. 

• Length: 17.5 cm
• Height: 11.5 cm
• Letter height: at least 8 cm

Placement on the vehicle:

• The CH sticker must be clearly visible and permanently affixed to the rear of the vehicle – preferably on the left or in the middle, near the license plate.
• It must not be covered, for example by a bicycle rack, trailer coupling or luggage.
• The surface should be clean, dry and smooth so that the sticker adheres well.
• If you are traveling with a trailer, caravan or boat transporter, this must also have its own CH symbol on the rear – regardless of whether the towing vehicle already has a sticker.

Tip: At low temperatures, it is advisable to place the vehicle in a warm environment before applying the sticker so that it sticks well.

Around the world, there are around 220 country abbreviations for states, but also for autonomous territories such as Greenland or Jersey. Would you like to find out which country a car comes from? In this list you will find the most important country symbols from A (Austria) to ZW (Zimbabwe).

A
A – Austria
AFG – Afghanistan
AL – Albania
AND – Andorra
ANG – Angola
AUS – Australia
AZ – Azerbaijan

B
B – Belgium
BD – Bangladesh
BDS – Barbados
BF – Burkina Faso
BG – Bulgaria
BHT – Bhutan
BIH – Bosnia-Herzegovina
BOL – Bolivia
BR – Brazil
BRN – Bahrain
BRU – Brunei Darussalam
BS – Bahamas
BW – Botswana
BY – Belarus
BZ – Belize

C
C – Cuba
CAM – Cameroon
CDN – Canada
CGO – Democratic Republic of the Congo
CH – Switzerland
CI – Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
CL – Sri Lanka
CO – Colombia 
CR – Costa Rica
CV – Cape Verde
CY – Cyprus
CZ – Czech Republic

D
D – Germany
DJI – Djibouti
DK – Denmark
DOM – Dominican Republic
DZ – Algeria

E
E – Spain
EAK – Kenya
EAT – Tanzania
EAU – Uganda
EC – Ecuador
ER – Eritrea
ES – El Salvador
EST – Estonia
ET – Egypt
ETH – Ethiopia

F
F – France
FIN – Finland
FJI – Fiji
FL – Principality of Liechtenstein
FO – Faroe Islands
FSM – Micronesia

G
G – Gabon
GB – Great Britain
GBA – Alderney
GBG – Guernsey
GBJ – Jersey
GBM – Isle of Man
GBZ – Gibraltar
GCA – Guatemala
GE – Georgia
GH – Ghana
GR – Greece
GUB – Guinea-Bissau
GUY – Guyana

H
H – Hungary
HK – Hong Kong
HN – Honduras
HR – Croatia

I
I – Italy
IL – Israel
IND – India
IR – Iran
IRL – Ireland
IRQ – Iraq
IS – Iceland

J
J – Japan
JA – Jamaica
JOR – Jordan

K
K – Cambodia
KG – Kyrgyzstan
KIR – Kiribati
KN – Greenland
KP – North Korea
KSA – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
KWT – Kuwait
KZ – Kazakhstan

L
L – Luxembourg
LAO – Laos
LAR – Libya
LB – Liberia
LS – Lesotho
LT – Lithuania
LV – Latvia

M
M – Malta
MA – Morocco
MAL – Malaysia
MC – Monaco
MD – Moldova
MEX – Mexico
MGL – Mongolia
MH – Marshall Islands
MK – Macedonia
MNE – Montenegro
MOC – Mozambique
MS – Mauritius
MW – Malawi
MYA – Myanmar

N
N – Norway
NA – Netherlands Antilles
NAM – Namibia
NAU – Nauru
NCL – New Caledonia
NEP – Nepal
NGR – Nigeria
NI – Northern Ireland
NIC – Nicaragua
NL – Netherlands
NZ – New Zealand

O
OM – Oman

P
P – Portugal
PA – Panama
PAL – Palau
PE – Peru
PMR – Transnistria
PK – Pakistan
PL – Poland
PNG – Papua New Guinea
PRI – Puerto Rico
PY – Paraguay

Q
Q – Qatar

R
RA – Argentina
RB – Botswana
RC – China and Taiwan
RCA – Central African Republic
RCB – Congo
RCH – Chile
RG – Guinea
RH – Haiti
RI – Indonesia
RIM – Mauritania
RKS – Kosovo
RL – Lebanon
RM – Madagascar
RMM – Mali
RN – Niger
RO – Romania
ROK – South Korea
ROU – Uruguay
RP – Philippines
RSM – San Marino
RT – Togo
RU – Burundi
RUM – Romania
RUS – Russia
RWA – Rwanda

S
S – Sweden
SD – Swaziland
SGP – Singapore
SK – Slovakia
SLE – Sierra Leone
SLO – Slovenia
SME – Suriname
SN – Senegal
SO – Somalia
SRB – Serbia
SSD – South Sudan
STP – São Tomé Príncipe
SUD – Sudan
SY – Seychelles
SYR – Syria

T
T – Thailand
TD – Chad
TJ – Tajikistan
TM – Turkmenistan
TN – Tunisia
TON – Tonga
TR – Turkey
TT – Trinidad and Tobago
TUV – Tuvalu

U
UA – Ukraine
UAE – United Arab Emirates
USA – United States of America
UZ – Uzbekistan

V
V – Vatican City
VAN – Vanuatu
VG – British Virgin Islands
VN – Vietnam

W
WAG – Gambia
WB – West Bank
WD – Dominica
WG – Grenada
WL – St. Lucia
WS – Samoa
WV – St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Y
YEM – Yemen

V
V – Venezuela

Z
Z – Zambia
ZA – South Africa
ZW – Zimbabwe

Country symbols follow the system of the ISO 3166 standard. Two letters are used in the alpha-2 code to identify countries. An example of this is France with the country symbol "FR." Three letters are used in the alpha-3 code.

An example of this is the country code "USA" for the United States of America. These codes are often based on the English or French country names and are used to uniquely identify countries in connection with trade, communication or travel.