Long-distance move Berlin – Lugano: customs route & process
From Berlin to Lugano
Long-distance move to Lugano – customs, route and registration in Ticino
Guide
A move to Lugano needs more preparation than a move within the EU, because Switzerland is not an EU member: your household goods are declared to Swiss customs (BAZG) as removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut). They are duty-free if you transfer your residence to Switzerland and have used the items yourself for at least six months; to do so, you submit form 18.44. What we take care of for private moves is set out under Home move.
We come from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and drive around 960 km to Lugano. By lorry that is about 14.5 hours including breaks – well over one day's driving time, so we plan two to three days with an overnight stop or two drivers. In Switzerland the performance-related heavy vehicle charge (LSVA) is due for the lorry. We give you the fixed price after the survey; the route is described under Moving Berlin – Lugano.
Request a fixed price for your move to Lugano
Survey, fixed price, fixed date
We calculate your move to Lugano by volume, floor, access and the roughly 960 km from Berlin – not by hourly rate. The LSVA, an overnight stop or second driver and the time at the border are included. After the survey or a video appointment we give you a fixed price, recorded in writing, whether you are moving to Pregassona or the old town.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we take care of when you move to Lugano
Planning from Berlin, arrival in Lugano
We have no branch in Lugano; we come by lorry from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21). That is why we ask about access, floor and stairwell in advance – whether a flat in Pregassona or a house in Molino Nuovo. For the parking space outside the new address, Lugano requires a permit from the city police, which is requested online at least 7 days in advance – we plan this with you. We are liable for your household goods under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre, and additional insurance is possible. You will find places with their own pages under Locations.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
Our range of services
We give you the fixed price for your move to Lugano after the survey – with packing, transport, the parking permit and assembly as separate items. The route of around 960 km from Berlin-Moabit is included.
Arrival time set
Floor and lift checked
Parking permit planned
Planned backwards
Interim storage possible
Settle in, not unpack
Move affordably with a part load
For smaller volumes or single items, a part load to Lugano can be cheaper: your belongings share the load space with other consignments on the same route. In return you need some leeway on the delivery day – handy if only a few items are following on or a flatshare room is moving.
Everything
for your move
A move to Switzerland, such as to Lugano, has more steps than a move within the EU: the list of removal goods and form 18.44 for customs, registering at Puntocittà within 8 days, the permit for the parking space and health insurance after moving in. Then there is the route of around 960 km with two to three days of planning. This guide puts the steps in order so that nothing is missing at the border.
Planning safely and calmly
Furniture, boxes, carrying routes
Costs, timing and special cases
Common questions
Removal goods and form 18.44: customs when moving to Switzerland
As Switzerland is not part of the EU, your household goods are declared to customs. You can import them duty-free as removal goods if you transfer your residence to Switzerland and have used the items personally for at least six months. To do so, you submit form 18.44; for the inventory, the BAZG provides a "Liste Übersiedlungsgut" (list of removal goods). According to the BAZG, a preliminary check is only possible at certain customs offices in Ticino, and the documents must then arrive at least two working days in advance.
Your car is cleared at the first border crossing at an office that handles removal goods; as proof you receive an inspection report (form 13.20 A), and registration is handled by the cantonal road traffic office (Strassenverkehrsamt). Separate entry rules apply to pets – check them with the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office. We are happy to go through the list together with you.
Lugano in Ticino: language, registration and arrival
Lugano lies on Lake Lugano where the Cassarate flows into it, and is the largest municipality in the canton of Ticino as well as the largest Italian-speaking municipality outside Italy. The official language is Italian – forms at the city are accordingly in Italian. After Zurich and Geneva, Lugano is Switzerland's third-largest financial centre, and there is also the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), founded in 1996. Many quarters such as Pregassona or Viganello were separate municipalities until 2004.
Puntocittà is responsible for registration; according to the city, you register within 8 days of arrival, with your passport or ID, tenancy agreement and – as a foreign national – your residence permit or substitute confirmation. More about the quarters can be found in the Lugano moving guide.
What does your move really cost?
Moving costs depend heavily on the size of your flat. For a 1-room flat we start from just €349, while a 2-room flat is possible from €589. For a 3-room flat the starting price is €915, and a 4-room flat is available from €1,324. For a house or villa we prepare an individual quote for you. If you are planning a long-distance move, you pay from €4.10/km. Take advantage of our free survey to receive an exact quote.
Transparent pricing – these criteria count
We calculate fairly: the decisive factors are volume, route length (from €4.10/km), floor and lift. Any parking restriction zone needed is also taken into account. Optionally bookable: furniture assembly and a part load.
Moving professionals with a wide range of services
We know what matters in a move – that is why we offer you the following.
- Company relocation – moving logistics for companies of every size.
- House clearance – clearing and disposing of items you no longer need.
- Part load – affordable and flexible.
- Furniture transport – safe transport of single pieces of furniture.
- Private move – your new home, reached stress-free.
- Move with assembly – complete service including assembly and dismantling.
More routes from Berlin
We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) for private and business customers. The locations overview lists places with their own pages, and details on long routes are under long-distance moves. We also plan moves in the opposite direction, to Berlin, with a survey and a fixed price.
Registering in Lugano: Puntocittà Centro and Pregassona
In Lugano, Puntocittà is responsible for residence matters. Puntocittà Lugano Centro is at Via della Posta 8, 6900 Lugano, telephone +41 58 866 60 00. According to the city it is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7.30 am to 12.00 noon and from 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm. The digital counter is open Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 12.00 noon and from 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm. Puntocittà Pregassona is at Via Sala 13, 6963 Lugano-Pregassona, telephone +41 58 866 65 11, with its own hours: Mondays and Fridays 7.30 am to 11.30 am and 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.30 am to 11.30 am, Wednesdays 7.30 am to 11.30 am and 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm, with Wednesdays from 5.00 pm to 6.00 pm by appointment only.
The city lists services there including notification of arrival, change of address, deregistration from the municipality, household declaration and confirmations of residence and stay; several of these can also be done via the online counter. The city does not state deadlines, documents or fees on this page, so please check with Puntocittà in advance.
For the removal van's parking space, the city offers the online application “Occupazione area pubblica per lavori di breve durata o traslochi” on its eGov portal. The permit is issued by the Polizia Città; the application must be submitted at least 7 days before the move. For information, contact the Polizia, Edilizia e cantieri, on +41 58 866 80 34. Read more about the quarters in the Lugano moving guide and in the article Living in Lugano.
Waste in Lugano: bag fee, Ecopunti and Ecocentri after moving in
After moving in, you are left with moving boxes, packaging material and old furniture. In Lugano the bag fee (tassa sul sacco) has applied since 1 January 2020, in addition to a basic fee. According to the city, official bags are used for municipal waste, i.e. non-recyclable waste. For all other waste, according to the city, there are 48 Ecopunti, 6 Ecocentri and many individual containers in the quarters. Volunteer "guardie ecologiche" support the running of the Ecocentri and provide information.
The basis is the waste regulation of 13 May 2019 and the municipal council's waste ordinance of 17 October 2019, which the city links to on its waste page. The page does not give rules on bulky waste, collection, tariffs or booking; for these questions it refers to other pages of the city or to the city itself, telephone +41 58 866 71 11. Check this information before the move so that bulky items do not end up on the pavement.
If you bring your car, note the procedure of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG): the vehicle must be cleared at the first border crossing into Switzerland at an office that handles removal goods; for registration, contact the cantonal road traffic office. As proof of customs clearance, the office issues an inspection report (form 13.20 A). You can compare other destinations in Ticino in the article on the long-distance move to Bellinzona.
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