Moving to Basel: Costs Process & Districts

The city of Basel is divided into 19 residential districts. In Grossbasel, on the left of the Rhine, lie the old town with the Minster, the St. Alban quarter with the valley of the old paper mills and densely built residential districts such as Gundeldingen, Bachletten, Iselin, Gotthelf and St. Johann. On the southern edge of the city lies green Bruderholz with many detached houses.

Kleinbasel on the right bank includes the Kleinbasel old town, Clara, Matthäus, Rosental, Wettstein, Hirzbrunnen as well as Klybeck and Kleinhüningen with their former industrial sites. The municipalities of Riehen and Bettingen belong to the canton of Basel-Stadt but are separate municipalities with their own residents' registration. Which district suits you depends on your commute, budget and type of housing.

Basel is a centre of the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry: Novartis and Roche have their headquarters here and attract skilled workers from many countries. Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland. The housing market is considered tight and central locations are correspondingly sought after; plan your flat search before the moving date.

In everyday life the city is shaped by short distances, the tram network and the Rhine, in which many people swim in summer. On the cultural calendar are the Art Basel art fair, numerous museums and the Basel Fasnacht carnival – during Fasnacht week the city centre is not well suited for a move. Around 40 per cent of residents do not hold a Swiss passport; moving here from abroad is an everyday occurrence.

• For a 1-room flat, prices start at €344.
• A 2-room flat costs from €609.
• For 3 rooms, costs start at €879.
• 4-room flats are moved from €1,289.
• Houses and villas receive an individual quote.
• We charge long-distance moves from €4.25/km.

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The moving price depends mainly on the volume of your household goods and the distance between your old and new home – the route is charged from €4.25/km. The floor, an existing lift and any required parking restriction zone also affect the price. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a shared load can also influence the final price.

From the first consultation to the last screw – we offer everything from a single source.

We plan moves from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21), including over long distances. More on this under long-distance moves; places with their own pages are shown in the locations overview.

In Basel the cantonal police speak of "no-parking signs for moving" (Parkverbotsschilder zum Zügeln). According to bs.ch, you order them online at least 8 days in advance; the cantonal police put the signs up at the desired location and collect them again. This costs 5 francs per sign per day plus 50 francs for putting them up and collecting them. At short notice, signs can also be collected at the counter (St. Jakobs-Strasse 200, Güterbahnhof Wolf, Hall 2; Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12:00 to 16:00). You then pay 5 francs per sign per day and a 100-franc deposit per address and put them up yourself 48 hours to 5 days before the move.

According to the cantonal police, the reserved area is 5 to 40 metres long; about three vehicle lengths (around 15 metres) is usual. A reservation can last up to three days and must be justified. Public parking spaces may not be blocked off with chairs or boxes; the police can refuse applications, for example if the space is already taken for events or construction work. Queries go to [email protected] or +41 61 267 71 11.

If your address is in the city-centre core zone, the following also applies: according to bs.ch, loading and unloading is possible Monday to Saturday from 5:00 to 11:00 without a permit. The page does not explicitly mention removal vehicles. For planning in Germany, see parking restriction zone.

According to bs.ch, anyone moving to Basel registers at the residents' office within 14 days (temporarily on Schwarzwaldallee, opposite Badischer Bahnhof). The deadline is based on the date of the online reservation, not the appointment on site; appointments can be booked up to 30 days in advance. The fee is 25 francs per person. For people moving in from abroad, a welcome interview and the recording of biometric data are part of the process. Certificates must be in German; birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates are also accepted in French, Italian or English. For the new address you need the administrative flat number (AWN), which is stated in the tenancy agreement. Because of the refurbishment at Spiegelhof, the counters have been in temporary premises on Schwarzwaldallee since 2 November 2026; the counter can only be visited by appointment.

For customs, the canton lists proof of the change of residence (employment contract, tenancy agreement or deregistration certificate) and an inventory list as the required documents. More on this in Moving to Switzerland: customs, formalities and process.

When sorting things out: the city cleaning service collects larger amounts of bulky waste after registration, by 12:00 the day before via the cleanliness hotline (+41 61 267 10 00) or online. The sticker costs 5 francs – one for up to 10 kg, two for up to 20 kg. Everyday tips: Living in Basel.