Long-distance move Berlin – Liestal: customs route & process
From Berlin to the Baselbiet
Long-distance move to Liestal: customs near Basel, registration within 14 days
Guide
A long-distance move to Liestal leaves the EU: Switzerland is not part of the EU customs union, so your household goods are declared at the border as removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut). They are duty-free if you move your residence to Switzerland and have used the items yourself for at least six months. For this you need form 18.44, an inventory list and proof such as an employment or tenancy contract. Liestal is the capital of the canton of Basel-Landschaft and lies around 15 km south-east of Basel. We handle packing, transport and assembly.
We come from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and drive around 881 km via the A9, the A4 and the A5 to Basel and via the Swiss A2 to Liestal. By lorry that takes about 13 hours including breaks – more than one day's driving time, so with two drivers or an overnight stop. We schedule the border crossing for a weekday during the customs office's opening hours; in Switzerland a night and Sunday driving ban applies to heavy vehicles. We go through the inventory list with you during the survey. More on the route under Moving Berlin – Liestal.
Request a fixed price for your long-distance move to Liestal
Survey first, then a fixed price
Call us on 01625978461 and arrange a survey for your long-distance move to Liestal. We record the volume, go through the inventory list for customs with you and give you a fixed price including the LSVA (heavy vehicle charge), customs clearance and a second driver.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we handle on a long-distance move to Liestal
Transport from Berlin, formalities together
We have no branch in Switzerland; instead we drive by lorry from Berlin-Moabit all the way to Liestal. We handle packing, transport and assembly and plan the border crossing near Basel during the opening hours of the customs office for commercial goods. You sign form 18.44 yourself; we put the inventory list together with you. For your belongings we are liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre, and additional insurance is possible. Registration, the residence permit and health insurance are up to you – we give you the arrival day in writing.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
What should be done before the border
For customs clearance into Switzerland you need an inventory list of your belongings and the signed form 18.44 – together with proof that you are actually moving your residence to Liestal.
Six months of use
Form 18.44
Deregister first
Border near Basel
Health insurer within three months
Registration within 14 days
Move affordably with a part load
A part load shares the transport costs on the long route to Liestal, because your belongings travel with other consignments. For customs you still need your own inventory list and form 18.44; a time window applies to the delivery date.
Everything
for your move
This guide is about what distinguishes a move to Liestal from a move within the EU: customs with form 18.44, clearance on weekdays only, registration with the Einwohnerkontrolle within 14 days, the residence permit, health insurance, the car and pets. Then there is the journey of around 881 km and the access permit for streets such as the Rathausstrasse.
Deadlines around the border crossing
Inventory list and packing
Costs across the border
Common questions
Customs and formalities when moving to Switzerland
For the duty-free import of used household goods you need form 18.44, an inventory list and proof of the change of residence, such as an employment or tenancy contract or your deregistration from Berlin. Anything you have used yourself for at least six months and will continue to use is duty-free; newly purchased items, alcohol and tobacco follow their own rules. Clearance takes place at a customs office for commercial goods, generally from Monday to Friday; according to the BAZG (Federal Office for Customs and Border Security), advance registration is not required. After arrival you register with the Einwohnerkontrolle within 14 days, and as an EU citizen before starting work; the canton then issues the permit. Within three months you take out health insurance under the KVG (Health Insurance Act).
Liestal as a destination: capital of the Baselbiet
Liestal is the capital of the canton of Basel-Landschaft and of the district of Liestal and lies around 15 km south-east of Basel in a Jura valley on the Ergolz. More than half of the municipal area is forest. In the old town around the Rathausstrasse, space for the lorry is tight; according to the town, an access permit is needed for access to the Rathausstrasse, to streets with a driving ban and in the forest area. Costs depend on volume, floors and additional services; after a survey at your flat or by video we give you a fixed price. If the flat in Liestal is not yet free, we store your belongings temporarily in Berlin.
Moving costs at a glance
- 1-room flat: prices start at €339
- 2-room flat: prices start at €599
- 3-room flat: prices start at €899
- 4-room flat: prices start at €1,344
- House/villa: individual pricing
- Long-distance move: from €3.80 per kilometre
Book a free survey now for an exact price calculation.
Factors influencing moving costs
The decisive factors include the volume, the distance (from €3.80 per kilometre), the floor and a possible lift. Organising a parking restriction zone also plays a role. For individual requirements, furniture assembly and part load are available.
Services for your move to Liestal
With us at your side, your move becomes child's play. We offer these services:
Home move (Home move): individual and personal
Company relocation (Company relocation): efficient and professional
Part load (Part load): cost-efficient for small amounts
Clearance (Clearance): fast clearances of all kinds
Furniture transport (Furniture transport): safe transport of single pieces of furniture
Move with assembly (Move with assembly): including assembly and dismantling
More routes from Berlin
We plan long-distance moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21), including to Switzerland; we have no regional contact points there. More under Long-distance moves, and places with their own pages in the locations overview.
Access and parking in Liestal: access permit, parking cards and lorry charge
Whether the removal van may drive right up to the front door in Liestal depends on the street. The town points out that an access permit (Zufahrtsbewilligung) is required for access to the Rathausstrasse, for streets with a driving ban and in the forest area. It also offers residents' or night parking cards, visitor parking cards and a tradesperson's parking card for craft work in the centre; the page does not mention a removal vehicle there. For parking and signage for the removal van, permits and fees, the town refers to its administration: Stadt Liestal, Rathausstrasse 36, 4410 Liestal, telephone 061 927 52 52, email [email protected]. The town does not state a deadline or fee online, so we do not give any figures.
Clarify access as early as possible and let us know the address so that we can plan the vehicle size, carrying distances and approach. For the route from Berlin, the Swiss lorry charge must also be taken into account: the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) points out that goods transport in Switzerland is subject to road charges, in particular the national road charge and the performance-related heavy vehicle charge (LSVA). We take this into account in planning the journey.
If you would like a parking restriction in front of the house, you will find general information on our Parking restriction zone page. Read more background on the neighbourhoods in the Liestal moving guide.
Registering in Liestal: 14 days, Einwohnerkontrolle and eUmzug
After moving in, according to the town you must register in Liestal "within 14 days". Before that, you must deregister in your previous municipality of residence. The responsible office is the Einwohnerkontrolle (residents' registration office), Rathausstrasse 36, 4410 Liestal, telephone 061 927 52 26, email [email protected]. Registration itself is free; a registration certificate (certificate of residence or of stay) costs CHF 20.–. You can register in person at the counter, via eUmzug or, in many cases, by email with attachments. The documents required are listed in the town's checklist, supplemented by the moving-in confirmation (Bestätigung Einzug).
Anyone who misses the deadline risks being registered ex officio by order; according to the town, this is "usually associated with high costs", and fines of up to CHF 5,000 are possible. A change of flat within the same building must also be reported to the Einwohnerkontrolle; this has applied since 1 January 2009. The town's page does not cover residence permits; please check with the Einwohnerkontrolle whether you need one.
On waste disposal, the town lists household waste and bulky waste, among other things, on its disposal page; the fee schedule, collection rounds and collection points are linked there. What everyday life in the cantonal capital looks like is described in the article Living in Liestal.
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