Welcome to the City of Lucerne!

The Residents’ Register Office looks forward to your visit at its counter. You have 14 days to register your arrival. Have you registered your departure from your previous place of residence? You must do so before we can register you here.

Swiss citizens can register online on a provisional basis. A definitive registration requires you to provide us with your certificate of origin (original), tenancy agreement and health insurance policy. We will proceed with the definitive registration once we have sight of all those documents. An acknowledgement of receipt of documents will then be sent to you by post. Registration fee: CHF 35.00.

eMovingCH

Register a change of the place of residence online
www.eumzug.swiss

Registration for foreign nationals: moving to Lucerne from within Switzerland
Registration requires you to present yourself in person  together with all family members  at the Register Office counter. Please bring with you: your passport/ID card, foreign national identity card, tenancy agreement, employment contract and health insurance policy.

Registration for foreign nationals: arriving directly from abroad
Registration requires you to present yourself in person together with all family members at the Register Office counter. Please bring with you: The following documents will be required: passports/ID cards; passport photographs; tenancy agreement; employment contract; plus the fee of CHF 35.00 per single person/family.

The charge for issuing a reminder in respect of one of these documents is CHF 23.00 per reminder.

A definitive registration requires you to provide us with:
Your certificate of origin (original); family record book / family certificate in the case of a married couple and/or birth certificates of any children (copies); residence certificate or tenancy agreement; health insurance policies of all family members.

Radio and television fees

Additional formalities
In addition, you should inform, in a timely manner, the following authorities of your move to Lucerne:

• The military district command of the canton of Lucerne
• Civil Defence authority
• Driver and vehicle licensing office
• Power utility companies
• Postal service
• Health insurer
• Bank
• Employer

Persons in possession of a device capable of receiving radio or television broadcasts are required to pay the applicable fees.

www.serafe.ch

This is where you can register a temporary residency online. Please complete the online form. Applies to Swiss nationals only.


Please send us the following documents so that we can process your definitive registration:

• Interim/definitive certificate of residence from your municipality of residence (original); may be issued for the entire duration of your studies
• Copy of your student ID / training contract or other reason for your temporary stay in Lucerne
• Copy of your tenancy agreement or residence certificate
• Registration fee of CHF 35.00 per person

Postal address: Stadt Luzern, Einwohnerdienste, Obergrundstrasse 1, 6002 Luzern

We will issue the residence permit once we have sight of all those documents.

Change of address / registering a move within the City of Lucerne
You are legally obliged to notify the Residents’ Register Office of your move within the city within 14 days. The same applies to a change of apartment within the same building.

 

eMovingCH

Register a change of the place of residence online
www.eumzug.swiss

 

Or present yourself at the counter

• Present yourself in person at the counter of the Residents’ Register Office, bringing with you the acknowledgement of receipt of documents or ID card, passport or driving licence
• What to bring with you: tenancy agreement or residence certificate
• Sub-tenants: confirmation of place of residence, so that we can identify your apartment precisely

The charge for issuing a reminder to register a change of address is CHF 23.00 per reminder.

Additional formalities
In addition, you should inform, in a timely manner, the following authorities of your change of address:

• The military district command of the canton of residence: your military service record book can be submitted within 14 days to the district command of the canton of residence
• Civil Defence authority: Civil Defence record within 8 days
• Driver and vehicle licensing office: driving licence within 14 days

 

Publications:
Changes of address within the City of Lucerne (PDF)

 

Links:
ewl energie wasser luzern Notifying the ewl utility of a change of address
Municipalities in Canton Lucerne Links to all municipalities in the canton
Main military division (Department of military, civil defence and prison affairs) Changes of address in the military service record book.

Deregistering in a previous municipality / notification of departure
You are legally obliged to notify the Residents’ Register Office of your departure from the city within 14 days. You can do so by presenting yourself in person at the counter of the Residents’ Register Office, Obergrundstrasse 1, 6003 Lucerne. We will need to have sight of the acknowledgement of receipt of documents or official ID (ID card, passport or driving licence).

 

eMovingCH

Register a change of the place of residence online
www.eumzug.swiss

 

Swiss citizens can deregister online. Deregistering because you are moving abroad requires you to present yourself in person at the counter of the Residents’ Register Office with an official ID document.

The charge for sending documents that have not been collected in person (certificate of origin) by registered mail is CHF 23.00 per consignment. There is no charge if deregistration takes place in person at the counter.

Foreign nationals seeking deregistration are required to present themselves in person at the Register Office counter. Please bring your foreign national identity card(s) with you. You will find further information in the publication below.

 

Additional formalities
In addition, you should inform, in a timely manner, the following authorities of your departure:

• Military district command of Canton Lucerne
• Civil Defence authority
• Driver and vehicle licensing office
• Power utility companies
• Postal service
• Health insurer,
• Bank,
• Insurers
• Employer
• etc. 

Foreign nationals seeking deregistration are required to present themselves in person at the Register Office counter. There is no charge if deregistration takes place in person at the counter. The charge for sending the certificate of origin in the case of an online registration is CHF 23.00.

The Residents’ Register Office can confirm your place of residence and the length of time you have been there. You may present yourself in person at the counter or order the confirmation of place of residence using the online form.


Receipt at the counter
If you are collecting the document in person at the counter, please bring the following with you:

• Official identification (ID card, passport, driving licence or foreign national identity card)
• Fee: CHF 12.00 per person / CHF 24.00 per family (parents and children under 18 years of age)

If you are being represented by an authorised representative, we will require in addition:

• The document confirming the status of the authorised representative and a copy of your official identification document (not required for married couples in the same household)
• The official identification of the authorised representative

Confirmation of place of residence for entitlement to purchase GA-Plus Familia or GA-Plus Duo Partner travelcards.
Swiss Federal Railways form

The interim or definitive certificate of residence counts as an identification document for temporary (e.g. studies or nursing home) or permanent residents and must be deposited with the Residents’ Register Office of the municipality of residence.

The interim certificate may be obtained in person at the counter of the Residents’ Register Office or ordered using the online form.


Receipt at the counter
If you are collecting the document in person at the counter, please bring the following with you:

• Official identification (ID card, passport, driving licence or foreign national identity card)
• Fee CHF 23.00 (new issue)

If you are being represented by an authorised representative, we will require in addition:

• The document confirming the status of the authorised representative and a copy of your official identification document (not required for married couples in the same household)
• The official identification of the authorised representative

Fee: CHF 23.00.

A certificate of good conduct is often required for higher education qualifications. It confirms the individual’s good standing.

The certificate of good conduct may be obtained in person at the counter of the Residents’ Register Office or ordered using the online form.


Receipt at the counter
If you are collecting the document in person at the counter, please bring the following with you:

• Official identification (ID card, passport, driving licence or foreign national identity card)

If you are being represented by an authorised representative, we will require in addition:

• The document confirming the status of the authorised representative, and a copy of your official identification document (not required for married couples in the same household)
• The official identification of the authorised representative

Fee: CHF 23.00

Registration and microchipping of dogs
Commencing 4 January 2016, dogs are henceforth registered in the new AMICUS dog database instead of the ANIS animal database. This improvement is intended to provide seamless tracking of the origins of a dog – for the protection of both dog and general public. The change was rendered necessary by a number of amendments to Swiss legislation.

How to register a dog
Dog owners are required to register any dog older than six months with the municipality of residence. The Residents’ Register Office will require sight of:

• The dog’s immunization history
• Your official identification (passport/ID card or driving licence)

Since 1 January 2006 puppies must be microchipped by a vet and registered with the AMICUS database. You must also notify the authorities of any change of address or change of owner and the death of a dog.

Further information:
+ Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office

Fee: CHF 120.00 per year (farm dogs CHF 40.00, guard dogs CHF 60.00, dogs for pensioners CHF 30.00).