Buying a home · Bern, Switzerland
A clear plan.
A well-informed purchase.
Buying real estate in Bern starts with three questions: are you eligible to buy, what can you comfortably finance, and does the property stand up to a closer look? This English-language guide takes you from the first checks to the handover.
01 · Start with your situation
Can foreign nationals buy a home in Bern?
Swiss property ownership is subject to rules commonly known as Lex Koller. Holding a residence permit and actually being domiciled in Switzerland are not the same thing. Clarify your position before paying a reservation deposit.
Special situations, including certain UK nationals’ acquired rights, need individual checking. The cantonal authority decides where authorisation is in question. Buying property does not itself give you a Swiss residence permit.
Official guidance: Federal Office of Justice: Lex Koller questions and answers and its detailed acquisition guidelines (English PDF).
02 · Know your budget
Equity and affordability are two different tests.
For a typical owner-occupied home, lenders commonly expect around 20% equity. They also assess whether your income can support the mortgage over time. An initial budget indication is not a final loan commitment for a specific property.
What counts towards your equity?
Savings, eligible securities, gifts and pillar 3a assets may be accepted. Under the mortgage minimum standards, at least 10% of the lending value must come from sources other than a withdrawal or pledge of pillar 2 assets. Any gap between a higher purchase price and a lower lending value must be covered by additional equity that does not come from pillar 2. Ask your lender to confirm the recognised value and acceptable sources in writing.
Pension money needs a separate decision.
Pillar 2 home-ownership funding is intended for your own principal home, not a buy-to-let or holiday property. Withdrawal and pledging work differently. A withdrawal reduces retirement assets and triggers tax; the effect on risk benefits depends on your pension scheme. Check available amounts, conditions, timing and your retirement position with the pension institution.
The 10% non-pillar-2 requirement is not a universal cap limiting every pillar 2 withdrawal to 10% of a property’s value. The permitted withdrawal and the bank’s financing conditions must both be checked.
How does the affordability check work?
Banks generally use a stress-test interest rate rather than only the rate you would initially pay. A common illustration uses 5% interest, a maintenance allowance and required repayments, compared with roughly one-third of gross household income. Policies vary by lender and situation.
Illustration · Not a mortgage offer
A CHF 1,000,000 home
Assume the purchase price equals the bank’s lending value, with CHF 200,000 equity and a CHF 800,000 mortgage.
- Stress-test interest: 5% of CHF 800,000
- CHF 40,000 / year
- Maintenance allowance: 1% of property value
- CHF 10,000 / year
- Illustrative repayment to two-thirds over 15 years
- About CHF 8,889 / year
- Total assessed housing costs
- About CHF 58,889 / year
At a one-third limit, this implies gross household income of about CHF 176,667 a year. This is a planning illustration, not your actual annual interest bill. Retirement timing, other commitments and the lender’s policy can change the result. Purchase costs and a cash reserve are additional.
Sources: UBS mortgage and affordability guidance, Swiss Bankers Association mortgage standards (German PDF) and Federal Social Insurance Office: pension funding for a home (German).
03 · Canton-specific costs
What do buyers pay in the Canton of Bern?
Ask the notary for an itemised estimate covering transfer tax, notarial work, land-register charges and any mortgage-note work. Check how the purchase contract allocates these costs. An existing mortgage note may be usable; a new note is not automatically necessary in every purchase.
Transfer tax: 1.8%, with conditional relief
Bern generally charges 1.8% of the consideration, often the purchase price. The buyer is liable. The first CHF 800,000 may qualify for relief when the home becomes the buyer’s principal residence and the statutory conditions are met. This is not an automatic exemption for every residential purchase.
The main-residence conditions matter.
For an existing dwelling, the principal residence normally has to be established within one year of acquisition; if it still has to be built, within two years. Personal, uninterrupted and exclusive residential use must continue for at least two years. The land registry can extend the move-in deadline in justified exceptional cases.
Discuss the deferral application with your notary at the purchase stage. Evidence and the subsequent exemption application are required; the latter is due within 30 days after the deferral period ends. If the conditions are not met, the deferred tax and interest can become payable.
Transfer-tax example: CHF 1,000,000
- Without relief: CHF 1,000,000 × 1.8%
- CHF 18,000
- With full relief on the first CHF 800,000: CHF 200,000 × 1.8%
- CHF 3,600
These figures cover transfer tax only. Notary, land-register and financing-related charges remain separate. The example assumes a taxable consideration of CHF 1,000,000 and full eligibility for the relief.
Official Bern guidance: tax rate and liability, exemption conditions and application procedure and deadlines (German).
04 · Look beyond the asking price
What should you check before making an offer?
A price per square metre can help with an initial comparison, but it cannot tell you whether a home is good value. Compare properties with similar locations, condition, rights and consistently measured floor areas. An asking price is not evidence of an achieved sale price.
- Land register and legal rights: request the current extract and explanations of easements, rights of residence, mortgages and any building right.
- Building condition: review roof, windows, heating, damp, electrical installations and previous renovations. Obtain specialist advice where needed.
- Plans and permitted use: check that actual layouts and converted spaces agree with the relevant permissions.
- Energy and running costs: ask for available energy documentation, bills, service records and realistic renewal estimates.
- Condominium ownership: review the regulations, ownership share, accounts, meeting minutes, reserve fund and approved or proposed major works.
- Purchase contract: clarify included fittings, known defects, warranty provisions, payment arrangements and the transfer of benefits and risks.
Separate what is documented from what is still an assumption. For a substantial renovation or an unusual property, allow time for independent technical and legal checks.
05 · From preparation to handover
Your purchase, step by step.
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Clarify eligibility and financing
Prepare identity and residence documents, income evidence, details of existing commitments and proof of equity. Agree a realistic price range with your lender.
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View and investigate
Visit shortlisted properties, request the documents and identify missing information. Build likely work and purchase costs into your budget.
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Agree terms and secure the loan
Obtain property-specific financing approval. Before signing a reservation agreement or paying a deposit, have its terms, payment recipient and refund conditions checked.
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Review and notarise the contract
A Swiss real-estate sale requires a publicly notarised contract. Ask the notary to explain obligations and arrange interpretation if needed. Agree ownership shares if buying together.
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Complete the transfer and handover
Coordinate payment and land-register registration through the agreed process. Ownership is acquired through the land-register entry in an ordinary purchase. Record keys, meter readings, documents and the property’s condition at handover; its date follows the contract.
Legal framework: public notaries’ explanation of notarisation and registration under Swiss law; Canton of Bern land-register FAQ (German).
06 · Find a place that fits
Compare the location as carefully as the home.
Bern city, its surrounding municipalities and Burgdorf offer different everyday settings. Start with your actual commute, public transport, outdoor space, accessibility and local services. Visit at different times to assess traffic, noise and sunlight.
Create a short list of essentials and a separate list of preferences. Record each viewing against the same criteria. Set up listing alerts and tell your agent your budget and requirements, while keeping enough time for proper checks.
There is no reliable blanket discount for every surrounding municipality. Compare current, genuinely comparable properties and ask for an assessment tied to the specific address and condition.
07 · Common questions
Before you take the next step.
Can I buy a home with a B permit?
It depends on nationality, actual domicile and use. EU/EFTA residents and other resident nationals are treated differently. For eligible non-EU/EFTA residents, the main-residence exception may apply. Confirm your situation with the notary or cantonal authority before committing.
Is CHF 200,000 enough to buy a CHF 1 million home?
It may meet a typical 20% equity requirement if the lender accepts the property value and funds. You still need to pass affordability checks and budget separately for purchase costs, work and reserves.
Is the first CHF 800,000 always tax-free in Bern?
No. The relief is conditional on principal-residence requirements and the application and evidence procedure. It does not remove notarial or land-register charges.
Does the notary check the building’s condition?
Do not treat notarisation as a technical building survey. Commission any necessary inspection separately and clarify the results before finalising the contract.
When should I contact a bank?
Before an intensive search, to establish a workable budget. Return with the property documents for a specific decision once you identify a suitable home.
Can I rely on a price per square metre?
Use it as one comparison tool. Floor-area definitions, micro-location, condition, rights and future works can make superficially similar homes very different purchases.
Your next step · Agentur Wyss AG
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Sources and scope
Legal and tax points were checked against the official sources linked beside each section on 19 September 2026. Financing illustrations use published lender guidance and mortgage standards. This guide provides general orientation; your bank, pension institution, notary and the competent authorities must assess your individual case.
