How do I register my address in Liechtenstein when I move?
You register at the residents' registration office of your commune — and within eight days. Anyone who moves to Liechtenstein, moves within the country or changes address inside the commune reports it to the residents' registration office (Einwohnerkontrolle); when leaving for abroad you deregister about eight days beforehand and hand back any residence permit. For EEA and Swiss citizens the basis is the Free Movement Act (PFZG, LR 152.21), for third-country nationals the Foreign Nationals Act — there is no single „registration act". The myth: „As an EU citizen I just move to Liechtenstein and sort the rest out later." Wrong — unlike the Schengen area, taking up residence is subject to a permit and capped by quotas; no permit, no registration. The registration office sits with the commune as in Switzerland — but the legal basis is EEA free movement, not Swiss immigration law.
📋 The rules
- Eight-day deadline: Moving in, changing address within the commune and moving to another commune must be reported to the residents' registration office within eight days. The same deadline applies, correspondingly, to Liechtenstein nationals.
- The commune is responsible: You register with the residents' registration office of your commune — not with the state. Third-country nationals also register with the Immigration and Passport Office.
- EEA and Switzerland under the PFZG: For nationals of EEA states and Switzerland, residence is governed by the Free Movement Act (LR 152.21). Taking up residence is nonetheless subject to a permit and to quotas.
- Deregister when leaving: Anyone moving abroad deregisters about eight days before departure at the registration office and hands back any residence permit. Without deregistration the tax and population registers keep running.
- No „registration act" as elsewhere: The duty to register is spread across the PFZG, the Foreign Nationals Act and communal practice — not in a single registration statute. That sets Liechtenstein apart from countries with a central registration law.
🔓 Exceptions
- Short stays and tourism: Anyone in the country only temporarily without taking up residence needs no address registration; hotel guests are recorded through the host's visitor tax and reporting system.
- Cross-border commuters: Anyone who works in Liechtenstein but lives abroad takes no residence and registers none — what is needed is the commuter confirmation or permit, not resident registration.
- Weekly residence: A second place of stay may need to be reported as a weekly residence while the main residence stays elsewhere — the commune decides on the classification.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Registration is a duty, not a mere service — putting it off creates knock-on problems. Without proper registration you lack the residence confirmation you constantly need for bank, insurance, tax, health insurer and official business; the register simply stays wrong. For third-country and EEA nationals the residence permit hangs on the registration — failing to register or deregister properly risks queries up to consequences for the permit. Anyone who forgets to deregister when leaving stays in the tax and population registers and keeps receiving bills and reminders. Not obvious: a clean registration history is a precondition for naturalisation and for time limits tied to length of residence — gaps often only surface years later.
📎 Official sources
- LILEX — Free Movement Act (PFZG, LR 152.21) and Foreign Nationals Act (legal register home page) →
- Immigration and Passport Office — reporting duties, registration and deregistration (National Administration, home page) →
- Commune of Schaan — residents' registration office, moving in and out (home page) →
❓ Frequently asked
How long do I have to register?
As a rule eight days from moving in or moving, and you register with the residents' registration office of your commune. The same eight-day deadline applies to a change of address within the commune and, correspondingly, to deregistration before leaving for abroad.
Where do I register — with the commune or the state?
Address registration runs through the residents' registration office of your commune. Third-country nationals and, in part, EEA citizens must also register with the Immigration and Passport Office, because the residence permit is kept there.
Can I as an EU citizen just move to Liechtenstein?
No, unlike in the Schengen area, taking up residence is subject to a permit and capped by quotas. Only with a residence title under the Free Movement Act can you register as a resident of a commune.
Do I have to deregister when I leave?
Yes, anyone moving abroad deregisters about eight days before departure and hands back any residence permit. Without deregistration the population and tax registers keep running, and you keep receiving bills and reminders.
Is there a registration act like in Switzerland?
There is no single registration act; the duty sits in the Free Movement Act (LR 152.21), the Foreign Nationals Act and communal practice. The registration office is with the commune as in Switzerland, but the legal basis is EEA free movement.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “register address liechtenstein”
- “residents registration liechtenstein”
- “report move liechtenstein”
- “moving to liechtenstein registration”
- “deregister leaving liechtenstein”
- “registration deadline liechtenstein”