Sometimes things happen very quickly. Great, you’ve handed over your apartment. But when removing your name tag from the mailbox, you realize: “Oh no, my favorite magazine doesn’t know about my move yet!” But there’s no need to panic. With Swiss Post you can also redirect your mail, as well as notifying others of your change of address. And public authorities want to know where you live, too. We’ll tell you everything you need to be aware of for changes of address with or without redirection, and when handling re-registration.
How does a change of address with redirection work?
If you organize a change of address with redirection with Swiss Post, letters and parcels will be sent to your new address after the move. That way you don’t have to worry about any of your mail getting lost.
Duration and time limits for redirection orders
The good news is that you can set up the redirection service quite quickly. To avoid unnecessary costs, you should submit the redirection order online to the Swiss Post at least four days before the desired starting date. Anything more urgent counts as an express order for which you will need to pay surcharges. In urgent cases, you can place the order by 11 p.m. and your mail will be sent to your new private letter box the following day. Your redirection order will be valid for twelve months. If you would like to have your letters redirected for a longer period of time or permanently, Swiss Post Customer Service would be happy to assist you
Should you request the redirection order online or offline?
Of course, you can still go to a branch counter and fill in all the documents required for the redirection order. Make sure you bring your ID. However, we recommend that you use the Swiss Post online service at https://www.swisspost.ch/en/receiving-mail/relocation. You’ll save yourself the trip to the nearest branch and will also pay less. Note: you need to register in order to use the online service. The registration normally takes a few days, so be sure to register in good time. Maybe right now?
Prices – here are the costs to expect for the redirection order
As noted above, it is cheaper to file your request online than offline. The basic price (for one person) for a redirection order valid for 12 months is CHF 30, provided that you arrange everything online. At the counter or by telephone, by contrast, you will pay CHF 42. If you move with your family or with flatmates, each additional person will need to pay only another CHF 5. For parcels, you’ll pay for the postage upon receipt, in accordance with the current price list.
💡 Tip: you can even have your mail sent abroad. However, this costs more than redirecting to a domestic address. For the latest prices, always doublecheck the Swiss Post website beforehand.
Which consignments are not redirected as part of a redirection order?
Debt collection documents can only be redirected within the debt collection district.
The following are generally excluded from redirection:
- Domestically and abroad: consignments with a poste restante or military address, Innight consignments to be delivered as part of general area delivery services, PromoPost consignments, as well as free newspapers and consignments from other delivery businesses.
- Abroad: court documents, debt collection documents, parcels, and consignments with military addresses.
Differences between private and business relocations
If you have to change your company’s location, a redirection order is similar to a private move. While private mail is usually delivered with a delay of one day, mail for companies will be delivered on the usual day. This is why costs are calculated differently – they depend on outlay and weight. You will be sent a monthly invoice.
Additional Swiss Post service: notification of move
The notification of move service is a free service from Swiss Post which is used to inform the most important contractual partners such as insurance companies, banks etc. about your move in a way that is both straightforward and rapid. Using a platform that is directly integrated into the process for address changes with or without redirection, specified firms can be selected and Swiss Post authorized to actively pass on address changes.
Additional Swiss Post service: address updates
Amidst all your insurance arrangements and magazine subscriptions, it’s easy to forget to inform someone of the new address. To make sure these letters find their way to you, you can authorize Swiss Post to provide address updates. This means that Swiss Post is allowed to provide companies and institutions with your new address reactively, i.e. upon their request. These companies and institutions can then update your contact details in their own databases.
You might now think: “What? They’re allowed to tell people my address?” But that’s not the case. Swiss Post is only permitted to give your new address to companies who you had contact with before your move. Data protection is therefore guaranteed. The advantage is that you don’t have to worry about informing your correspondence partners yourself. This saves a lot of time and minimizes the stress of the relocation.
And if you don’t want Swiss Post to inform others about your move, it’s not a problem. After the redirection order has expired, the sender will just receive the mail back from Swiss Post with a corresponding remark.
Now everything’s clear
Once you’ve submitted the redirection order, you can leave your old apartment with peace of mind. Don’t forget to remove your name tag from the old mailbox. At your new home, it’s best to make sure that your name is clearly visible on both the doorbell and the private letter box. That way you can ensure that everything runs smoothly with the redirection order. Doing things differently would cause too much confusion.
Authorities also need to know about your relocation
It’s not just your magazine subscriptions that want to know what your new address is. There are a number of formalities to go through in order to take your vehicle with you to your new place of residence. You telephone connection also needs to be re-registered, otherwise, callers won’t be connected to you.
Necessary paperwork to re-register your car
Unfortunately, not everything can be done without paperwork. The re-registration of your car requires some. The procedure differs depending on whether you move within the same canton or relocate to a different canton. In both cases, the address on your driver’s license and registration document need to be adjusted. You’ll receive a new registration document, usually free of charge.
Relocation in the same canton
If you move within a canton, you can inform the traffic office of your change of address by telephone if you have a driver’s license in credit card format. If not, you have to request one. You can download the proper documents on www.strassenverkehrsamt.ch and need to send it to the traffic office with a colour passport photo. You can keep your license plate in the same canton when you move house. Just make sure to re-register your vehicle within 14 days.
Relocation to a different canton
Here, too, you must report to the traffic office at the latest 14 days after your move. Please bring the completed form “Application for registration of a vehicle” with you. You can also insert your current vehicle registration document and a new liability insurance certificate. You can get that from your insurance company on request.
You can then exchange your old license plate for a new one at the traffic office. Just take your license plate and documents with you and speak to them personally at the counter. If you don’t have time to go there, you can also send the documents by post to the traffic office and exchange the number plates at the postal office in your city.
Attention: Prices and fees vary from canton to canton.
Also, re-register your telephone connection
To ensure that potential callers are not disappointed, it is best to re-register your phone in time. It’s not that complicated. Inform your phone company about your new address three to four weeks before the relocation. With some telephone providers you can even do this online. Just keep the last phone bill ready. Ideally, you should have the name and telephone number of the previous tenant of the new apartment at hand. The data can be obtained from your landlord or the property management. In addition, you should be aware of when the new connection is to be activated and when the old connection must be switched off.
Formalities taken care of?
Sure, all this paperwork can get on your nerves. But as long as you stay on top of things, it should all work out. As soon as your move-in date is set, it is best to create a list in which you enter all the important details. Alternatively, you can also download the removal checklist here and check off one task after another. That way you won’t forget anything and you are all set for a smooth relocation.
