Move to another canton
8 tasks in suggested order
1. Close out the home, handover, meters and ongoing contracts
Official source: www.post.ch
2. Move or close electricity, gas, internet and other contracts
Official source: www.post.ch
3. Report the move to the old and new municipality
Report the address change to the responsible residents’ registration offices. Where available, eMovingCH can handle departure and arrival notifications online.
No later than 14 days after the date of the address change.
Residents’ registration offices of the old and new municipality; online through eMovingCH where the municipalities participate.
Identity details, old and new address, and any documents required by the municipalities.
eMovingCH is not available in every municipality or every case. Check the requirements of your municipalities.
Official source: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft / Seco Online Services
4. Tell Swiss Post your new address and consider mail forwarding
Tell Swiss Post your new address. If needed, you can also arrange mail forwarding so items sent to the old address are forwarded.
Preferably before moving; for regular forwarding, Swiss Post recommends placing the order no later than four working days before the move.
Online with Swiss Post or at a post office.
Old and new address; depending on the route, a login or valid identity document.
Simply changing your address with Swiss Post is not the same as mail forwarding. Without forwarding, mail sent to the old address may be returned to the sender.
Official source: Die Schweizerische Post
5. Update banks, insurers, health insurer and important service providers
Update your address with organisations and companies that still correspond with you or hold contracts for you. Swiss Post explicitly lists insurers, banks and health insurers among them.
Promptly around the move, especially before important correspondence or bills are sent to the old address.
Directly with each provider; participating companies can also be notified through Swiss Post’s moving notification service.
Customer or contract numbers plus old and new address.
Swiss Post only notifies participating companies. Check your own important organisations and contracts as well.
Official source: Die Schweizerische Post
6. Check the address-change procedure with your cantonal road traffic office
If applicable: If you have a vehicle, driving licence or other canton-managed traffic documents.
Road-traffic documents and vehicle registration are managed by the cantons. After moving, check with the responsible cantonal road traffic office which documents must be updated.
After the move according to the deadline set by the responsible canton; exact deadlines can be cantonal.
Road traffic office of your canton of residence.
Depending on the canton, vehicle registration document, driving-licence/personal details, new address and, for a canton change, possibly proof of insurance.
Procedures and deadlines are cantonal. Do not assume another canton’s deadline; check the official authority for your canton of residence.
Official source: ch.ch
7. Residence permit after canton move
If applicable: If you hold an immigration permit for which a change of canton must be checked.
Residence conditions depend on the purpose of stay; cantons are responsible for issuing permits.
The deadline and type of permit depend on the reason for residence and nationality; check the cantonal procedure.
Cantonal migration/residents' authority.
Passport/ID plus evidence of employment, self-employment, study or sufficient means/insurance depending on status.
EU/EFTA and third-country rules differ significantly.
Official source: Staatssekretariat für Migration
8. Vehicle after canton move
If applicable: If you have a vehicle registered in your name.
Motor vehicles are registered with the competent cantonal road traffic office; procedures and fees are cantonal.
Before using a vehicle that requires registration in Switzerland, register it; imports involve additional customs steps.
Cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt; proof of insurance is required for registration.
Proof of insurance, vehicle documents, identity/residence evidence and, depending on the import, customs/inspection documents.
Fees and motor vehicle tax are cantonal; use specific amounts only from the competent canton.
Official source: ch.ch
