Official letters from Switzerland, explained in English

Swiss offices often send letters by registered post (Einschreiben), and some deadlines are only 10 days. Briefly covers German-language letters — rules can differ a little from canton to canton.

Offices that write to you

Kantonales Steueramt / Steuerverwaltung — Cantonal tax office. Works out your income and wealth tax. In Switzerland you pay tax to the federal state, your canton and your town.
Gemeindesteueramt — Town tax office. The tax office of your town. In some cantons it sends you the tax return form and your tax bills.
RAV (Regionales Arbeitsvermittlungszentrum) — Regional employment centre. Helps you find a job when you are unemployed. You must go to its appointments and show that you are looking for work.
Arbeitslosenkasse — Unemployment fund. Pays your unemployment money (Taggeld). You choose a fund when you register as unemployed.
Migrationsamt — Migration office. The office of your canton that handles residence permits for foreigners.
Einwohnerkontrolle / Einwohneramt — Residents’ registration office. Keeps the list of everyone who lives in the town. You register here when you move in or out.
Krankenkasse — Health insurance. Your health insurance company. Basic health insurance is required by law for everyone who lives in Switzerland.
Serafe AG — Radio and TV fee office. Collects the radio and TV fee. Every household in Switzerland pays it, even without a TV or radio.
Betreibungsamt — Debt collection office. A state office that collects debts for creditors. If you don’t react, it can seize part of your wages or things.
Polizei / Statthalteramt / Stadtrichteramt — Police and fines office. Handles fines, for example for speeding or wrong parking, and smaller offences.
AHV-Ausgleichskasse / SVA — Social insurance office (AHV). Runs the state pension (AHV) and disability insurance (IV). It also collects contributions, for example from self-employed people and people who don’t work.
Sozialamt / Sozialdienst — Social services. Gives social help (Sozialhilfe) to people who can’t pay for their basic living costs.
Gemeinde / Gemeindeverwaltung — Town or village administration. Your town or village. It sends bills for waste, water or the dog tax, and handles many local matters.
Vermieter / Liegenschaftsverwaltung — Landlord or property manager. The owner of your flat or the company that manages it.
Elektrizitätswerk / Energieversorger — Energy supplier. The company that supplies your electricity, and sometimes gas, water or heating. Often it belongs to your town or canton.
Inkassobüro — Debt collection agency. A private company that collects money for someone else. It can’t seize anything itself — only the Betreibungsamt can.

Common kinds of letters

Zahlungsbefehl — Payment order (debt collection). Someone has started debt collection (Betreibung) against you. If you don’t owe the money, you must object within 10 days — otherwise they can seize your wages or things.
Pfändungsankündigung / Pfändung — Seizure notice. The Betreibungsamt will seize part of your wages or things to pay a debt. The letter gives the date of the seizure.
Ordnungsbusse — Fixed fine. A fixed fine for a small offence, for example parking or speeding a little. It doesn’t go on your criminal record.
Strafbefehl — Penalty order. A penalty from the prosecutor or a fines office. If you don’t object within 10 days, it becomes final like a court judgment.
Veranlagungsverfügung / Steuerrechnung — Tax assessment. The result of your tax return: how much tax you owe. You can usually object (Einsprache) within 30 days.
Mahnung — Payment reminder. You have not paid something on time. Fees can be added, and the next step is often debt collection (Betreibung).
Prämienrechnung — Health insurance bill. Your health insurance premium. Basic insurance is required by law, so you must pay it even if you don’t see a doctor.
Vorladung — Summons. You must come to the police, the prosecutor or a court, for example for questioning.
Kündigung — Termination notice. A contract is being ended, for example your flat, your job or an insurance.
Nebenkostenabrechnung — Yearly utility bill. Your landlord’s yearly bill for heating, hot water and other shared costs. You may pay extra or get money back.
Einladung / Beratungsgespräch — Appointment. They want you to come to an appointment. If the RAV invites you, you must go.
Unterlagen — Request for documents. They need papers or information from you before they can decide.
Rechtliches Gehör — Chance to explain. They plan to decide something about you and let you give your view first. This often comes from the migration office.
Abweisung / Ablehnung — Rejection. Your request was turned down. You can usually object if you think this is wrong.

German office words

Betreibung, Zahlungsbefehl, Rechtsvorschlag, Betreibungsamt, Betreibungsregisterauszug, Pfändung, Verlustschein, Gläubiger, Verfügung, Rechtsmittelbelehrung, Einsprache, Rekurs, Beschwerde, innert, Frist, Zustellung, Einschreiben, Abholungseinladung — see all 50 words.

Reply templates in German

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in Switzerland?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “Frist”, “bis zum”, “innert” — they mark the deadline. In Switzerland, a legal deadline starts the day after you receive the letter. A registered letter you don’t collect usually counts as delivered on the 7th day after the collection notice (Abholungseinladung). To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“Einsprache”, “Rechtsvorschlag”, “Rekurs”, “Beschwerde”).

Can I understand a German letter without speaking German?

Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It reads the German text on your device, explains it in plain English, finds deadlines and amounts, and can translate the whole letter.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. Briefly runs completely in your browser. The letter never leaves your device, there is no account, and it works offline after the first visit.