Berlin–Lucerne: 907 km one customs stop and four working days' notice for the parking space

Because Switzerland is not part of the EU, your belongings are declared at customs. Household goods that you have used yourself for at least six months and continue to use after moving your residence remain duty-free. You must present the signed form 18.44, an inventory list and proof of the change of residence, such as an employment or tenancy contract; according to the BAZG, EU citizens do not need an assurance of a residence permit.

After moving in, according to the city of Lucerne, you register with the residents' services within 14 days; EU citizens apply for the residence permit at the same time. You need to bring, among other things, your passport or ID, tenancy agreement and proof of health insurance. You sign the customs declaration yourself – we prepare the inventory list with you.

The measured route from Berlin does not go via Basel but via Lake Constance: the A9, A6 and A7 to Memmingen, the A96 to Lindau, through the Pfänder tunnel into the Rhine valley, the A13 to Sargans, the A3 to Wädenswil, over the Hirzel and on the A14 past Zug to the Rotsee interchange. That is around 907 km and about 13.5 hours for a lorry including breaks. In Switzerland, lorries over 3.5 t are subject to a night-time driving ban from 10 pm to 5 am, and the heavy vehicle charge (LSVA) is also due.

The process: survey and fixed-price quote, date, parking space reservation in Lucerne, packing and loading in Berlin, the journey with an overnight stop or a change of drivers, the customs stop on a working day, unloading and furniture assembly. We do not give a cost range without a survey; the starting prices below give you an idea.

Small moves start with us from €344 for a 1-room flat. Somewhat larger moves, such as a 2-room flat, cost from €615. A 3-room flat comes to from €884, a 4-room flat to from €1,344. If you live in a house or villa, you receive an individual quote from us. For long-distance moves a price from €3.90 per kilometre applies. The quickest way is a free survey.

Besides the volume of your belongings, the distance between the two homes plays a major role – here we calculate with €3.90/km. The floor, lift and a possible parking restriction zone also go into the price. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a part load round off the quote.

We come from Berlin-Moabit and drive in both directions, including from Lucerne back to Berlin. The route and kilometres are shown on the page Moving Berlin – Lucerne, further destinations in the locations overview.

If you want to park a removal van directly in front of the building in Lucerne, you reserve the spaces, according to the city of Lucerne, via the online service “Parkplatzreservation (Umzug)” (parking reservation for moves). The application must be received at least four working days in advance. The city's traffic engineering team is responsible ([email protected], +41 41 208 86 86).

The city lists the following fees for the reservation, including VAT: 110 francs for one to three parking spaces on one day, 150 francs for one to three parking spaces on one day at two different locations, and 10 francs for each additional space. This covers coordination as well as putting up and removing the signs. The invoice is sent to the new address after the move. The fee is also charged if the spaces are not used or only partly used.

Two notes from the city are important for planning. If your street is in a residents' parking zone, the spaces may not be free; in that case the Lucerne police can help on +41 41 248 81 17. And for insurance reasons, the city of Lucerne does not move or tow away any vehicles. So speak to your neighbours in good time. At the Berlin move-out address we take care of the space in front of the door; more under Parking restriction zone.

Lucerne's old town is a pedestrian zone, and vehicle traffic is prohibited in principle. According to the city of Lucerne, goods deliveries are allowed from Monday to Saturday between 6 and 10 am; outside these hours an exemption permit is needed. For the period from 10 am to 6 am, the Stadtraum und Veranstaltungen office (Winkelriedstrasse 12a) issues permits; its counter is open Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 12 noon. Since 1 December 2025, access and parking permits have also been available online via parkingpay.ch. It is best to ask the city's mobility team in advance (+41 41 208 86 86) how a removal trip into the old town is classified.

After moving in, according to the city of Lucerne, you must report the change of residence within 14 days, most easily via eUmzugCH or the city's online form. You need your certificate of origin (Heimatschein) or foreign national's ID card, passport or ID, tenancy agreement or flat certificate, and your health insurance card or policy. The residents' services are at Obergrundstrasse 1, 6003 Lucerne; information by phone is available on +41 41 208 83 56.

For entering the country with your belongings, read our guide Long-distance move to Switzerland. If you are weighing up several Swiss destinations, Long-distance move to Montreux offers a comparison on Lake Geneva.