Schaffhausen for Newcomers: Switzerland's Northernmost City District by District

The Federal Statistical Office divides Schaffhausen into seven districts: Rhein with the old town, Breite and Hochstrasse as the largest, each with around 7,900 inhabitants (end of 2015), Gruben, Herblingen, part of the city since 1964, Buchthalen, incorporated in 1947, and small Hemmental, which only joined in 2009. The old town, with its Renaissance buildings and around 300 oriel windows, is less practical for families with a car.

We deliberately do not give reliable current rent figures here; compare offers yourself. For registration, the residents' office requires a tenancy or purchase agreement or a confirmation from the property management – according to the city, it does not accept subletting agreements.

For more than 150 years, Georg Fischer (GF), which grew out of a foundry founded in the Mühlental in 1802, was the city's largest employer. Today, companies such as ABB, Cilag, Garmin, Georg Fischer, IWC and Urban Games have a headquarters or branch here; the economy has shifted from heavy industry to services.

South-west of the city, but already in Neuhausen, the Rhine Falls, Europe's largest waterfall, plunge into the depths; the Rhyfall-Express runs there from the Schifflände (boat landing). For day trips, the Randenbus serves the Randen hiking area, and boats run on the Rhine towards the Untersee. This is how Schaffhausen combines small-town life with plenty of nature.

All figures are starting prices. For a personal quote, book a free survey.

First, the volume of your belongings is determined, then the distance (from €4.20/km) is calculated. After that, the floor and lift situation are factored into the price. A parking restriction zone and additional services such as a shared load round off the calculation.

From planning to the last box – our services at a glance.

• Part load – transport cleverly combined.
• Home move – your move into the new flat, worry-free.
• Furniture transport – fast and safe transport.
• Clearance – clearing of flats, cellars and attics.
• Company move – your office moves without standstill.
• Move with assembly – furniture take-down and set-up included.

We come from Berlin-Moabit and handle moves within Germany and abroad, including to Switzerland. For long routes, we carefully plan driving time, breaks and the border crossing. Destinations with their own page are shown in the locations overview, and more information is available under long-distance moves.

According to the city of Schaffhausen, under the Municipalities Act, a move to the city must be reported to the residents' office “innert 14 Tagen” (within 14 days). According to its own information, the residents' office (Stadthausgasse 12) serves around 39,000 residents. The counter is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8.00 to 11.30 am and 2 to 5 pm, on Thursdays until 6 pm, and on Mondays only in the afternoon from 2 to 5 pm. You can reach it by phone on +41 52 632 52 75; counter appointments can be reserved online.

• Documents: passport or identity card, proof of Swiss health insurance, tenancy or purchase agreement or confirmation from the property management (no subletting agreements); for children of unmarried or single parents, proof of custody.
• Moving from abroad: eUmzug is not possible; registration takes place exclusively in person at the counter after entering the country. Since 1 January 2026, the residents' office reports the move to the cantonal migration office, for which additional documents are needed (including a birth certificate and, for married people, a marriage certificate).
• Health insurance: according to the city, when moving from abroad, proof must be provided no later than three months after taking up residence in Switzerland.
• Fee: the city states 30 francs per adult or family for notifications via eUmzug.

So plan your visit to the office so that you bring complete documents. More on process and costs in the guide to moving to Schaffhausen.

The city of Schaffhausen describes a range of mobility options that can be used without a car of your own: city buses of the Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen (vbsh), SBB trains for the surrounding area and destinations near the border, bike and e-scooter sharing, and boats of the Schweizerische Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Untersee und Rhein. The Rhyfall-Express connects the Schifflände with the Rhine Falls, and the Randenbus serves the Randen hiking and excursion area.

The municipal waste disposal service is responsible for disposal (Schweizersbildstrasse 69, phone +41 52 632 53 29). According to the city, the collection points are staffed daily; recyclables such as glass, waste oil and aluminium can be handed in there. The overview page does not say exactly where and at what times – ask by phone before you dispose of your moving boxes and used glass.

The city's neighbourhood development unit (Stabsstelle Quartierentwicklung, part of the social and security department) works for child-, family- and age-friendly districts, promotes meeting places and supports voluntary engagement in the districts. If you are new to a district, you can make contacts there and reach the unit at Kirchhofplatz 19 or on +41 52 632 56 91.

For a comparison with the region, read our article Living in Basel, and for the journey by removal van, our long-distance moving guide for Schaffhausen.