At the Swiss Post Office in German: Sending a Parcel and Forwarding Your Mail

The post office is where a lot of Swiss admin actually happens. It's also one of the friendliest places to practise German: the conversations are short, the staff are patient, and there's a counter between you and any real consequences.

Post, Bank und Versicherungen is one of the eleven official FIDE topics, and the post counter is the gentlest entry point. Two things happen here again and again: you compare two options and pick one, and you arrange something for a future date.

Key phrases to know

• Ich möchte dieses Paket nach Deutschland schicken. – I'd like to send this parcel to Germany.
• Standard oder Express? – Standard or express?
• Was kostet der Unterschied? – What's the difference in price?
• Wie lange dauert Standard? – How long does standard take?
• Möchten Sie eine Sendungsverfolgung? – Would you like tracking?
• Ich ziehe um. – I'm moving house.
• Ich brauche einen Nachsendeauftrag. – I need a mail forwarding order.
• Ab wann soll die Post umgeleitet werden? – From when should the mail be redirected?
• Wie lange gilt das? – How long is that valid for?
• Was kostet das? – What does that cost?

How it sounds in practice

Sending a parcel, between a Kunde (K — customer) and a Postangestellter (P — post office employee):

K: Ich möchte dieses Paket nach Deutschland schicken. 
P: Standard oder Express? 
K: Was kostet der Unterschied? 
P: Standard 35 Franken, Express 65 Franken. 
K: Das ist viel… Wie lange dauert Standard? 
P: 3–5 Werktage. Express wäre übermorgen da. 
K: Dann nehme ich Standard. 
P: Möchten Sie eine Sendungsverfolgung?

This is a complete decision made with four short sentences. The customer doesn't know which option he wants, so he gathers two facts first — price, then time — and only then decides: "Dann nehme ich Standard."

That's a pattern worth drilling, because it's what the examiner is listening for. Ask, ask, decide. And "Dann nehme ich…" is the sentence that closes it — one of the most reusable phrases in the whole language.

Useful time words hide in here too: übermorgen (the day after tomorrow), and its partner vorgestern (the day before yesterday). German has single words where English needs four.

When you move house

The second post office conversation, between a Kundin (K) and a Postangestellte (P):

K: Ich ziehe um und brauche einen Nachsendeauftrag. 
P: Ab wann soll die Post umgeleitet werden? 
K: Ab nächstem Monat. Wie lange gilt das? 
P: Sie können zwischen 6 oder 12 Monaten wählen. 
K: Was kostet das? 
P: 6 Monate 35 Franken, 12 Monate 50 Franken. 
K: Dann nehme ich gleich 12 Monate.

Same shape as the first dialogue — two questions, then a decision — but notice the small word gleich in the last line. "Dann nehme ich gleich 12 Monate" means roughly "then I'll just take 12 months right away". It signals you've thought about it and are choosing the sensible option. Tiny word, very natural effect.

And learn ab for future starting points: ab nächstem Monat, ab Montag, ab dem ersten Januar. You'll need it for rental contracts, jobs and courses as well.

Swiss culture note

Swiss letters come in two speeds, and the difference is real money. A-Post arrives the next working day; B-Post takes two to three days and costs noticeably less. For a birthday card, B-Post is fine. For anything with a deadline — a Kündigung, a tax form, a contract — always A-Post, and consider sending it eingeschrieben (registered) so you can prove it arrived.

If a parcel arrives while you're out, you don't miss it: you get an Abholungseinladung in your letterbox, and the parcel waits at your local post office for a limited number of days. Take the slip and your ID.

Common mistake to avoid: moving house without a Nachsendeauftrag. Swiss mail is not forwarded automatically, and the letters that go astray are exactly the ones you can't afford to lose — permit renewals from the Migrationsamt, health insurance bills, tax declarations. Set it up before you move, not after.

One more thing worth knowing: the post office is also a bank. PostFinance accounts are used by a large share of the population, and many Swiss bills are still paid at the counter with a payment slip. If a landlord or an office hands you a slip and says "Sie können das auf der Post einzahlen", that's what they mean.

Try it yourself

You're sending a parcel to Italy and you're not in a hurry, but you do want to be able to track it. Practise saying out loud:

• I'd like to send this parcel to Italy.
• What's the difference in price?
• How long does standard take?
• Then I'll take standard — with tracking, please.

Then the second scene: you're moving on the first of next month and want your post forwarded for a year. Say when it should start, ask how long it's valid, and ask what it costs.

What's next

Once your post is arriving at the right address, the next thing you need is somewhere for your salary to land. The next lesson is opening a Swiss bank account — which documents to bring, how to ask for the cheapest option, and what to do when your e-banking login locks you out.

This lesson is part of Module 4 (Post, Bank und Versicherungen) of the FIDE A1/A2 Exam Prep. The full book covers all 11 FIDE topics with dialogues, vocabulary, and cultural notes. It's available here and as an interactive app with audio practice at app.fide-prep.ch.