TV in Switzerland for newcomers: the fee, the providers and the first steps

SERAFE, the collection agency, says you do not have to register with it: every household automatically receives a bill. It gets the household data from the residents' registers of the cantons and municipalities, so the step that matters is registering with your municipality and telling the residents' register office when you move.

The household fee is a flat amount for each household, and SERAFE's page shows the current figure; by decision of the Federal Council it is lower from 1 January 2027. You can pay quarterly, free if you receive the invoice electronically. The obligation is device-independent: you pay even if you have no TV, so there is nothing to opt out of by not owning one. Collective households such as student hostels pay a separate collective fee. Details, exemptions and what to do if something is wrong are in the radio and TV fee guide.

Most people end up with one of these:

Switzerland broadcasts in German, French and Italian, and the main services carry the three regions' channels. If your language is something else, look at the language packages first, because they are sold per language by Swisscom, Salt and Zattoo: foreign-language TV in Switzerland lists them with prices, and there are pages for English and German viewers.

Operator TV is usually sold with internet and a minimum term, so read the term before you sign. Salt lists its international packages as terminable at the end of the month with one month's notice, and Zattoo advertises a 30-day free trial with monthly cancellation. The comparison of all four services is in Swisscom vs Sunrise vs Salt vs Zattoo, and how to add up the monthly bill is in TV costs in Switzerland.

In order:

Newcomers are a target for sellers of unlicensed channel lists. A deal that looks far below the prices above is a warning sign, not a bargain, and IPTV scams and red flags shows what to check before you pay anyone.

For the whole picture, start from IPTV Switzerland: licensed providers compared.

Also useful: The fee when life changes, SERAFE in a shared flat and The SERAFE invoice.