Registering with your commune in Basel-Stadt

The office you need in Basel-Stadt

In Basel-Stadt the counter is called the Einwohneramt Basel-Stadt — residents' registration office. Look for that exact wording on the commune's website and on the door; the sign will be in German, not English.

Basel-Stadt has one counter for the whole canton (Riehen and Bettingen have their own). Register within 14 days; non-EU nationals are then invited by the Migrationsamt.

Step by step

1. Book an appointment with the Einwohneramt Basel-Stadt in your commune of residence as soon as your lease is signed.
2. Register within 14 days of moving in — the clock starts on the day you take over the flat, not the day you land.
3. Bring every document on the list below in original form; counters rarely accept photos on a phone.
4. Pay the registration fee (typically CHF 20–100 per person depending on the commune) at the counter.
5. Collect or await your residence permit card — in Basel-Stadt the cantonal migration office issues it after the commune forwards your file.
6. Order a Betreibungsregisterauszug (Betreibungsamt Basel-Stadt) once you are registered — landlords ask for it at every viewing.

Documents to bring

• Valid passport or ID for every family member

  EU/EFTA nationals can use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport.

• Signed rental contract (Mietvertrag / bail)

  Or a written attestation of accommodation if you are subletting or staying with family.

• Employment contract or confirmation of employment

  Needed for the permit decision — bring the signed copy, not the offer email.

• Passport photo (35 × 45 mm, biometric)

  For the residence permit card. Photo booths at train stations produce the right format.

• Marriage certificate / family record book

  Only if you are married or registering children with you.

• Proof of health insurance, or note the 3-month window

  You must be insured within 3 months of arrival, backdated to your arrival date.

• Rental contract

• Passport photo for the permit card

Ordering your Betreibungsregisterauszug (Betreibungsamt Basel-Stadt)

The debt enforcement register extract is issued by the Betreibungsamt of your district. Order it online or in person, expect a fee of roughly CHF 17, and allow a few working days by post. Landlords treat anything older than three months as expired, so order it when you start viewing flats — not before.

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Keep going in Basel-Stadt

• Basel-Stadt relocation checklist — the full first 90 days
• Gemeinde registration explained (federal rules, fees, timing)
• The apartment dossier that wins Swiss rentals
• Choosing health insurance within your first 3 months