Can you recommend the top 2–3 relocation companies in Bern?
Yes. The top 3 in Bern are Auris Relocation, Prime Relocation and Welcome Service, in alphabetical order. They are partner agencies we work with directly, whose client work and response times we know. No agency pays for its position; each agency's rating, review count and ReloFinder score (its Google rating weighted by its number of reviews) are in the list below. If you would rather not choose yourself, get matched and we pass your request to one partner agency that fits.
Do diplomats in Bern need a residence permit?
Not an ordinary one. Staff of embassies and consulates accredited to Switzerland receive a legitimation card from FDFA Protocol; it serves as their residence permit and, where applicable, certifies privileges and immunities. Accompanying family members and private household employees get one too. UPU and OTIF staff receive their cards from the Swiss Mission in Geneva. Staff an embassy recruits locally are a separate case: ask the mission’s administration whether the post comes with a card or needs an ordinary permit under the EU/EFTA or third-country rules. According to a Federal Administrative Court judgment of 29 July 2025, years on a card do not count towards a settlement (C) permit while the special status lasts.
Source: Permanent Mission of Switzerland in Geneva, FDFA Protocol, 4 October 2026Source: Permanent Mission of Switzerland in Geneva, 18 December 2025Source: Federal Administrative Court, 29 July 2025
Can my partner work in Switzerland during my posting?
Yes, with a Ci permit. Family members who live with the main card holder exchange their legitimation card for a Ci permit at the residents’ office of their canton, presenting an employment contract, a job offer or a declaration of self-employment. The permit runs for the length of the contract, at most two years, and never beyond the posting. It does not allow work for an institutional beneficiary. Children qualify up to age 25 if they entered Switzerland and were registered with FDFA Protocol before 21. Ci holders pay OASI, IV, EO and unemployment insurance contributions.
Source: République et canton de Genève, FDFA Protocol, State Secretariat for Migration, 4 October 2026
Do we have to register with the commune of Bern?
It depends on your status. Holders of an FDFA legitimation card do not have to register with the cantonal or communal residents’ office, though they may do so voluntarily; heads of honorary consular posts are the exception. Everyone else registers, including people hired by the Confederation, SBB or Swiss Post. In the city of Bern, the registration form and its attachments go to the Einwohnerdienste, Migration und Fremdenpolizei (EMF), Predigergasse 5, within 14 days of arrival, and the office then invites you in person. If you live in Muri, Köniz or Ostermundigen, you register with that commune instead.
Source: FDFA Protocol, 1 February 2026Source: Einwohnerdienste der Stadt Bern, 4 October 2026
How far from Bern may embassy staff live?
Up to 40 km. FDFA Protocol requires embassy staff who hold a legitimation card to live in the city of Bern or no more than 40 km from it. Nearby communes such as Ostermundigen, Ittigen, Zollikofen, Köniz and Muri bei Bern are 7 to 13 minutes from Bern station by S-Bahn or tram. For towns further out, such as Thun, Fribourg or Biel/Bienne (20 to 26 minutes by train), have the mission confirm the address with Protocol before the lease is signed: the FDFA page does not say how the 40 km are measured. The rule is written for embassy staff; UPU and OTIF staff follow the Swiss Mission in Geneva’s guidelines.
Source: FDFA Protocol, 1 February 2026Source: transport.opendata.ch, 4 October 2026Source: Permanent Mission of Switzerland in Geneva, 18 December 2025
What happens when the posting ends?
For embassy and consular staff, the mission notifies FDFA Protocol at least one week before departure. All legitimation cards go back, including those of family members and household employees, even expired ones; anyone who needs a visa for the next posting may keep the card until arrival and hand it to the Swiss representation there. Number plates go back to the traffic office of the canton before you leave. Staff of international organisations such as the UPU get a two-month courtesy period after service ends, three months for retirees on request, and up to six months for the family on a transfer abroad so children can finish the school year. The lease ends on its own notice terms, so give notice early.
Source: FDFA Protocol, 1 February 2026Source: Permanent Mission of Switzerland in Geneva, 18 December 2025
How much does a relocation agency in Bern cost?
Agencies that publish prices charge CHF 2,500–5,000 for a home search (or about a month's rent on success), CHF 1,950 for a settling-in day and from CHF 5,950 for a full-service package; permits are quoted per case. Of the 11 agencies on this page, 10 offer a free first consultation and 10 price by package, so you see a fixed quote before you commit.
How many relocation agencies work in Bern?
6. 2 have an office in the region and 4 name Bern in their own service area. Just Relocation, Prime Relocation, Rel-Ex (Relocation & Expat Services GmbH), Relonest and Welcome Service, partner agencies based elsewhere, are listed here as Swiss-wide partners. 16 more cover all of Switzerland without a local office; they are on the list of all Swiss agencies, never mixed into this ranking.
Which Bern agencies work in English and German?
Of the 11 agencies on this page, all work in English; 10 of 11 in German. Between them they cover 8 languages, including French (9), Italian (3) and Dutch (1). Each agency's languages are on its row in the ranking.
Which agencies in Bern are taking new clients?
10 of 11 say they are taking new clients. Sterling Lexicon has a waitlist; ask to be matched with a similar agency instead.
Which Bern agencies are SARA or EuRA members?
3 of the 11. 2 belong to SARA (Relonest and Lodge Relocation) and 3 to EuRA (Prime Relocation, Relonest and Lodge Relocation). Membership is shown on each profile and never changes the rank.
How are the Bern rankings decided?
6 agencies have an office in Bern or name it in their coverage. Just Relocation, Prime Relocation, Rel-Ex (Relocation & Expat Services GmbH), Relonest and Welcome Service, partner agencies based elsewhere, are listed here as Swiss-wide partners. 9 of the 11 on this page have at least 5 Google reviews and a ReloFinder score, a Bayesian average of their Google rating that weighs review volume (reviews captured per agency between November 2025 and October 2026). 16 other nationwide agencies without a local office are not in this ranking. No agency can pay for position. The top five are partner agencies we work with directly. All other agencies follow their review score.
