AForwarding orderforwards your mail to the new address for a set period of time during the move. Online it costs at Swiss PostCHF 45.– for 12 months, alternativelyCHF 35.– for 6 monthsorCHF 55.– for 18 Months.
If you are standing between the boxes, handing over the keys and handing over the apartment, this is exactly one of the points that is quickly forgotten. And then suddenly it's not just any brochure missing, but an invoice, a bank note or a letter from an authority.
TheSwiss postal forwarding orderis therefore not about bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy. It's about securing the transition properly. The new apartment may already be organized. The physical move too. But your address still lives in several places at once. It is precisely in this phase that the forwarding order prevents important shipments from going unnoticed.
Your move is coming up The post office is moving along with you
A lot of things run in parallel on the day of the move. Someone is waiting for the van, there is still no handover protocol in the old apartment, and there is nothing in the new mailbox. It is precisely in this phase that the typical gaps arise. A letter goes to the old address, the sender does not yet know about the change, and you often only notice it when a deadline has already expired.
The forwarding order closes exactly this gap. It bridges the weeks in which your new address exists but is not yet properly recorded in all locations. In practice, this is less of a formality and more of a safeguard for everyday life. Especially if invoices, contract documents or personal shipments do not know the time of your move.
I recommend not treating the forwarding order in isolation. It belongs in the same plan as electricity, internet, resident registration and key delivery. If you need a clear order for this, a Umzugs-Checkliste für die Schweiz will help. This means you don't just have to deal with the mail when the first few items end up at the wrong address.
The why behind it is also important. The forwarding order does not replace a complete change of address at banks, insurance companies, authorities or online shops. It buys you time. And it is precisely this reserve that often decides whether everything goes smoothly when moving or whether you have to chase after individual letters, packages or official letters later.
If you plan early, you save queries, detours and unnecessary effort later.
The forwarding order explains what it can and cannot do
Many people confuse the forwarding order with a complete change of address. That's not him. He is aForwarding solutionfor the transition. This is practical, but not the same as an official notification to authorities, banks or insurance companies.
The basic idea is simple. The post office recognizes shipments to your old address and forwards them to your new address. According to the Post's product descriptionLetters, parcels and addressed newspapersas part of the serviceAdressänderung mit Nachsendung.
What the service covers well in practice
In everyday life, the forwarding order is particularly helpful for shipments for which you cannot control when the sender actually receives the new address takes over.
These often include:
- Invoices and contract documents. Especially in the case of energy, health insurance or administration, mail often still comes to the old address.
- Personal letters and membership mail. Not critical, but annoying if they get stuck at the old address for weeks.
- Practically this means:. This has become more important because e-commerce has remained strong. During the pandemic, the postal service deliveredArea.Forwarding order helpsthe volumes were Not enough on its own. This development shows how important correct address management has become, especially for orders and deliveries in everyday life, as the SPLIT | not replacedGeschichte der Schweizer PostThis is where most misunderstandings happen. The forwarding order ensures that mail continues to flow. It does not ensure that every office automatically adopts your new address as their official address.
Private letters
Yes
No, if senders change permanently should
| Packages | Yes, as part of the service | No, if dealers are still working with the old address |
|---|---|---|
| Authority contacts | Partially for incoming mail | No, official reporting remains your task |
| Contracts and Accounts | Transitionally | No, master data must be changed directly |
| Use the forwarding order as a safety net, not as a replacement for your address list. | Practical rule: | Another point is the yellow redirection sticker. It shows the sender that the shipment has been redirected. This makes sense because it allows the sender to recognize that the address may be out of date. For you, this also means: The forwarding order is clearly intended as a temporary solution, not as a permanent situation. |
| Setting up your forwarding order online Instructions | You are sitting between moving boxes, the internet contract has already been adjusted, the electricity is running from the day you move in, and then the mail is still missing. It is precisely at this point that the forwarding order is often quickly entered in passing. However, the actual problems almost never arise when paying, but rather with small input errors that later have real consequences: a forgotten first name, an incorrect start date, a c/o line that was not copied cleanly. | How to set up the order properly online |
You need a login at the post office to record. This also works with SwissID. It's best to clarify this in advance and not just the evening before the move.The online process is short. Good preparation saves more time than any quick entry.
Create an account or log in
Apply the street, house number, any additional information and c/o data exactly as they appear on your shipments. Especially in the case of multi-family homes, company addresses or subletting, small deviations lead to queries or gaps.
Record the old and new address exactly
The order should be recorded a few working days before the move. I always plan some buffer for this, especially when moving at the end of the month, on holidays or when several people are moving at the same time.
Select start date with reserve
Add people individually
Record each person who receives mail at the old address separately. This includes partners, children, shared apartment members and in some cases also company names or club names.The point at which families and shared apartments most often stumble
This video will help you see the process visually:In practice, these cases are the typical gaps:
The postal service only forwards shipments for the names recorded. If you live with several people, you should therefore invest two minutes before filling out and write down all the names that appear on letters, bills, health insurance mail or orders.Partners with a different last name
Children with their own mail
WG members who rarely receive letter mail
Company or Club names
Shipments with c/o or additional name
In der Praxis sind diese Fälle die typischen Lücken:
- Kinder mit eigener Post
- Partner mit anderem Nachnamen
- WG-Mitglieder, die nur selten Briefpost erhalten
- Firmen- oder Vereinsnamen
- Sendungen mit c/o oder Namenszusatz
The spelling is crucial. If shipments arrive sometimes on "Anna Meier" or sometimes on "Anna Meier-Huber", check carefully which variant is actually used. The forwarding order is only as good as the names you enter.
Address updating helps, but does not replace your own list
The optionAddress update often appears in the online process. The function can be useful because it alerts certain senders to the new address. This is a relief when moving, especially for less critical contacts.
Nevertheless, there remains a clear difference between a transitional and a permanent solution.
Continue to re-register authorities, banks, insurance companies, employers, online shops and subscriptions directly. Otherwise it will be difficult. The post office forwards the message temporarily, but the sender's master data remains out of date. For official mail, important deadlines or international shipments, you should never rely on this interim solution alone.
My practical checklist before clicking on "Confirm"
Check these points before sending:
- Are all names completely recorded
- Does the start date really correspond to the handover of the apartment match
- Are the house number, addition and PO box correct
- Is a c/o information missing
- Are there packages, official mail or international shipments that you need to keep an eye on separately
Then check the confirmation immediately. A properly recorded order takes a lot of pressure out of the first few weeks after the move. An inaccurate order produces exactly the type of rework that is least needed in this phase.
Costs, running times and the alternative in the branch
Not everyone wants to enter the order online. Sometimes it's easier to go to the branch, for example if you have questions or feel unsure about the details. Then you should know the price difference.
Online or branch comparison
The online version is cheaper. There will be aSurcharge of CHF 12in the branch, and you will also need ID. Those who are digitally fit usually travel better online. If you want personal support, you can get it at the counter.
| Variation | Terms | Price basis | Special feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | 6, 12 or 18 months | CHF 35.–, CHF 45.–, CHF 55.– | cheaper and directly accessible |
| Branch | 6, 12 or 18 months | Online price plus CHF 12 | ID required |
The practical trade-off is simple. You save money online and often get it done quicker. In the branch you have the chance to address any ambiguities directly.
What works differently when moving abroad
It becomes more confusing when moving across borders. The prices are clear for internal Swiss cases. According to Comparis, when forwarding shipments from abroad, users in forums report possible additional subsequent charges after moving, which can often be In practice, this does not mean that every international forwarding will be expensive. It just means that you shouldn't expect the same level of planning here as with a purely Swiss move. When moving from Germany to Switzerland or back, reporting the address directly to important senders is often the safer way.CHF 5.- to CHF 20.- per shipment.
Common errors and important exceptions when forwarding
The biggest mistake in thinking is: I have a forwarding order. So my change of address is done. That's exactly not true.
Der grösste Denkfehler lautet: Ich habe einen Nachsendeauftrag. Also ist meine Adressänderung erledigt. Genau das stimmt nicht.
The order intercepts mail. It does not replace an official report. If you rely solely on redirection, you'll end up picking up unnecessary work later. Not immediately, but when a place still has your old address as their main address.
You have to inform these places yourself
A clean move almost always requires a separate notification to important contacts.
Typical groups are:
- Authorities. Population control, road traffic office, AHV and other official bodies keep their own registers.
- Financial partner. Banks, leasing providers and credit card companies need the new address directly from you.
- Insurance and health insurance. Otherwise correspondence will continue using old data.
- Employers, schools, clubs and subscriptions. These addresses do not change automatically.
The forwarding order is a safety net. He does not maintain your master data for you.
What often goes wrong in practice
I see three problems again and again when moving:
- The order starts too late. Then exactly the mail falls into the gap that was sent shortly before the moving date.
- Names are incomplete. This particularly affects families with children and shared apartments.
- Online shops remain at the old delivery address. Then the forwarding order only helps to a limited extent because orders are triggered incorrectly at the same time.
The easiest way is to have a small list on paper or on your cell phone. Write down every place that regularly sends mail or has your address stored in a customer account. Once the report is made, check it off. This turns a diffuse risk into a manageable process.
The ultimate checklist for your mail when moving
The forwarding order remains important, even if the mail market has declined. According to the Baloise study on Swiss moving behavior, the letter market fell by around 40% in around 20 years, but There will still be 1.647 billion addressed letters in 2023 were still sent. So there is still enough important mail.
Use this short checklist:
- Enter the forwarding order early. Not on the day of the move, but in advance.
- Enter all household members individually. Don't think about anyone, but record each person specifically.
- Inform important senders directly. Authorities, banks, insurance companies and employers first.
- Check online customer accounts. Check delivery address and billing address separately.
- Check order confirmation for errors. Read the name, start date and address again.
- Checking off address changes systematically. A separateÜbersicht zur Adressänderung bei Umzug.
If you do this, you don't treat the forwarding order as an individual measure, but as part of a complete moving plan.
Frequently asked questions about the forwarding order
Can I make a forwarding order for a subtenant set up
Only if the person concerned is correctly recorded in the order and the information matches the actual reception situation. What is important is not the type of living, but rather that the post office can clearly assign this person as the recipient.
Does the order also apply to my company
In practice, special care is required for company moves. Corporate mail, different name variations and multiple locations make things more prone to errors. Check exactly under which name shipments actually arrive.
What happens to parcels from DHL or DPD
The Swiss Post forwarding order regulates forwarding within its service. You should not rely on other delivery services to follow the same rules. Change the delivery address directly with the retailer and in the respective customer account.
Can I change an existing order or stop it early
If something changes after sending, you should check the adjustment directly at the post office. Especially when it comes to the date, spelling or person registration, this is worth doing immediately before the forwarding starts.
Is the forwarding order enough for the complete address change
No. He is just a part of the whole. A separate list, as described in this guide torichtigen Bekanntgabe der neuen Adresse nach dem Umzug, helps to properly announce your new address.
If you not only want to change the post office cleanly, but also want to do the entire move without coordination chaos,TIXPIwill support you with transport, furniture removal, delivery and organization. You see the price transparently in advance, book without an offer loop and can reliably hand over the physical part of the move while you take care of addresses, contracts and handovers.