From Berlin to the Aare: 919 km to Solothurn customs in Basel

Anyone moving from an EU country to Switzerland imports their household goods duty-free as removal goods (Übersiedlungsgut) if they actually move their residence to Switzerland and have used the items personally for at least six months. At the border you present the signed Form 18.44 and an inventory list. According to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG), no advance notification is needed; clearance takes place during office hours at a customs office for commercial goods.

For vehicles, electrical appliances or valuable household goods, a precise list with estimated values is worthwhile. We draw it up with you while packing, but you have to sign it yourself. The change of residence can be proven, for example, by an employment contract, a tenancy agreement or the deregistration certificate from Berlin. If documents are missing, provisional clearance against a deposit is possible.

Solothurn is the capital of the canton of the same name and lies on the Aare at the southern foot of the Jura. From Berlin it is 919 km: the A9 to the Hermsdorfer Kreuz interchange, the A4 through Thuringia, the A5 through the Rhine valley to Basel and the Swiss A2 and A1 motorways to Solothurn. For a lorry that is a good twelve hours of pure driving time and therefore two driving days. After arrival, according to the city, you register within 14 days, online via eUmzug or at the residents’ services (Einwohnerdienste), and take out health insurance within three months.

According to the city, special times apply in the old town: large parts of the city centre may only be driven into between 11.30 and 19.00 with an exemption permit, and on market days there are additional closure times. We therefore schedule unloading in suitable time windows and register reserved parking spaces with the city police.

Moving costs depend heavily on the size of the flat and the distance. As a rough guide: a 1-room move starts from €375, while a 2-room move is calculated from €579. For a 3-room flat the costs start from €879, for a 4-room flat from €1,269. Houses and villas are calculated individually, as the effort varies greatly here – you receive an individual quote. For long-distance moves we charge from €4.15 per kilometre. The best way is to have an exact quote drawn up as part of a free survey.

First, the volume of your household counts. The distance is charged from €4.15/km. A floor without a lift means more effort, as does a required parking restriction zone. In addition we offer furniture assembly and part load.

We are based in Berlin and plan every stage of your long-distance move to Solothurn ourselves. The page Berlin – Solothurn gives an overview of kilometres and customs, and the locations overview shows further destinations.

Anyone in Solothurn who wants to keep public parking spaces free for the removal van must, according to the City of Solothurn, notify the city police (telephone 032 626 99 11). The signage can be ordered from the city police for a fee; the city does not state the amount on the page, nor any lead time. So ask early.

There is also the day parking permit or tradesperson parking permit, which according to the city also applies to moves. It is valid for up to three consecutive days and, according to the city, costs CHF 7.50 for the whole day, provided it applies for 1.5 hours or longer. It is available online (Twint, credit card, debit card) or at the city police counter.

For the old town, the City of Solothurn lists these rules:

• A general night-time driving ban applies from 19.00 to 06.00.
• Large parts of the city centre may only be driven into from 11.30 to 19.00 with an exemption permit.
• On Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 06.00 to 13.30, part of Gurzelngasse, Marktplatz and Hauptgasse is closed to traffic; a monthly Monday market closes certain streets from 06.00 to 18.00.

We set the moving day and loading window so that market and closure times do not fall during loading. On securing the zone, read Parking restriction zone; we cover customs in the article Moving to Switzerland.

After moving in, according to the city, you register in Solothurn within 14 days, online via eUmzug or in person at the residents’ services (Einwohnerdienste, Baselstrasse 7, 4502 Solothurn). Swiss nationals and EU/EFTA nationals can use the eUmzug service without restriction. Foreign nationals appearing in person present, among other things, these documents:

• passport and completed registration form,
• foreigner’s identity card, assurance from the immigration police or employment contract,
• proof of health insurance,
• proof of tenancy or confirmation of the sublet.

According to the city, additional fees are charged for the foreigner’s identity card.

For customs: Switzerland is not in the EU. For the duty-free import of removal goods, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) requires Form 18.44 and an inventory list; no advance notification is needed. The items must have been used personally by you for at least 6 months, and the removal goods must be imported in connection with the change of residence; according to the BAZG, two years is considered unproblematic. If proof is missing, provisional clearance against a deposit is possible.

Also allow time for the paperwork before the lorry sets off: the inventory list, Form 18.44, proof of tenancy and the deregistration certificate from Berlin should be complete so that clearance at the customs office does not stall. Further routes into north-western Switzerland are shown, for example, in our guide to the long-distance move to Liestal.