Registering with your commune in Bern

The office you need in Bern

In Bern the counter is called the Einwohnerdienste / Contrôle des habitants — residents' registration office. Look for that exact wording on the commune's website and on the door; the sign will be in German or French, not English.

Bern accepts online pre-registration for many communes. The Jura bernois communes work in French — the paperwork is identical, only the forms change language.

Step by step

1. Book an appointment with the Einwohnerdienste / Contrôle des habitants 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 Bern the cantonal migration office issues it after the commune forwards your file.
6. Order a Betreibungsregisterauszug 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.

Ordering your Betreibungsregisterauszug

The debt enforcement register extract is issued by the Office des poursuites 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 Bern

• Bern 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