Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken

What Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken does

Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken is the municipal government of Interlaken, a town of approximately 6,000 residents in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, also one of Switzerland's most visited tourism destinations. The municipality provides statutory public services mandated by Swiss cantonal law, including residency registration, tax collection, building permits, civil status documentation, social services, education, public safety, waste management, and urban planning. Governance is exercised through an elected Gemeinderat (executive) and Grosser Gemeinderat (parliament), with direct citizen participation via referendums and initiatives.

The municipality operates a digital service platform called the Online Schalter (Online Counter), which integrates e-government services including eUmzugCH for electronic residency registration (move-in, relocation, move-out) and eBau for digital building-permit applications, both interoperable with cantonal systems. Specialized counters operate at the town hall (General-Guisan-Strasse 43) and the identity document center at Schloss 8, supporting passport and ID applications. The municipality is certified as an Energiestadt (Energy City) and maintains a comprehensive Klimastrategie (climate strategy) with a roadmap to climate neutrality by 2050. Recent regulatory actions include a planning zone restricting conversion of primary residences to second homes (effective March 2026) and implementation of a cantonal solar mandate (effective January 2026).

Revenue is generated primarily through mandatory municipal taxation on residents, supplemented by standardized administrative fees (e.g., CHF 20 per residency registration for Swiss citizens, CHF 15 for an initial local resident card). The 2025 annual accounts showed a general-budget surplus of CHF 5.68 million against a budgeted deficit of CHF 172,800, driven by higher-than-budgeted tax revenues, with net investments of CHF 3.07 million. The municipality holds sister-city partnerships with Otsu, Japan (since 1978, 50th anniversary planned for 2028) and Třeboň, Czech Republic (since 1994, renewed March 2026), and collaborates with BLS AG, Hotel Du Lac AG, and AVAG Umwelt AG on infrastructure and environmental projects.

Name

Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken

Legal name

Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken

Website

https://interlaken-gemeinde.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken is the municipal government of Interlaken, Switzerland, providing statutory public services including residency registration, tax collection, building permits, and social services to approximately 6,000 residents and local businesses through digital (eUmzugCH, eBau, Online Schalter) and in-person channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Interlaken

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Tax Revenue: Primary revenue source from resident taxation. The 2025 annual accounts showed revenue surplus of CHF 5.68 million, driven by higher than budgeted tax revenues.
2. Administrative Service Fees: Fees collected for various administrative services including residency registration, certificates, and permits

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken is a municipal government entity that delivers statutory public services to approximately 6,000 residents of Interlaken in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. Its core offerings include residency registration (eUmzugCH), building permit administration (eBau), issuance of identity documents and certificates (passports, Einheimischenausweis, Leumundszeugnis), tax collection, waste management and recycling, social services, education administration, public safety, cultural and recreational facilities, and tourism management. Services are delivered through a physical town hall, specialized service counters, and the digital Online-Schalter portal.

Product overview

Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken is a municipal government offering administrative services through its Online-Schalter (Online Counter) portal, which provides digital access to core civic services including residence registration via eUmzugCH, building permits via eBau, identity documents, certificates (Einheimischenausweis, Handlungsfähigkeitszeugnis), and weekly residence registration. Additional services include waste management and recycling, the Energiestadt program with climate strategy, voting and elections information, and international sister-city partnerships. The municipality also issues the 'Goldener Schlüssel' (Golden Key) access card and manages parking permits and dog registrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online-Schalter (Online Counter) Digital administrative portal providing various municipal services including residence registration, identity documents, certificates, parking permits, dog registration, business registration, and building permits for residents and local businesses.
• eUmzugCH Electronic service for online registration of arrivals, relocations, and departures. Available for Swiss citizens and foreign nationals to register address changes digitally with the municipality.
• Pass und Identitätskarte (Passport and ID) Service for applying for Swiss passports and identity cards through the cantonal ID center located in Interlaken; appointments must be booked through the cantonal reservation center.
• Einheimischenausweis (Local Resident Card) Identification card for local residents aged 6 and above providing discounted access to mountain railways and Bödelibad Interlaken; first issue costs CHF 15.00, free for children up to age 15.
• Wochenaufenthalt (Weekly Residence Registration) Registration service for weekly commuters who stay in Interlaken for work or education purposes while maintaining their primary residence elsewhere; weekly residence certificate costs CHF 20.00 with CHF 10.00 for extensions.
• Handlungsfähigkeitszeugnis / Leumundszeugnis (Capacity/Good Conduct Certificates) Official certificates confirming legal capacity to act or good conduct, required by banks, authorities, and employers; costs CHF 20.00 plus potential shipping costs.
• eBau (Electronic Building Permit) Digital building permit management system integrated with cantonal systems, used by property owners and developers for construction applications across the Canton of Bern.
• Energiestadt (Energy City Program) Municipal program for sustainable energy management including climate strategy, building regulations, energy consulting, and environmental certifications for the Interlaken community.
• Kehricht und Recycling (Waste and Recycling Services) Waste management services including garbage collection, green waste, recycling, special waste, household electronics, and paper/cardboard collection for residents and businesses in the municipality.
• Fundbüro (Lost and Found) Lost and found office for reporting and retrieving lost items within the municipality, accessible to residents and visitors.
• Abstimmungen und Wahlen (Votes and Elections)

Quantifiable outcome

• Quartly transparency reporting on second home percentage (15.3%) and building enforcement cases (30 active)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major.

• BLS AG and BLS Schifffahrt AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Joint workshop procedure for area development between Interlaken Ost train station and the Aare river. BLS aims to improve transfer connections between station and ship landing, enhance visitor experience with seating, food options, and greenery. The Aare promenade will be redesigned. BLS Schifffahrt will replace the adjacent shipyard, remaining at the current location long-term.
• Hotel Du Lac AGmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Joint area development partner for the Interlaken Ost station area project. Hotel Du Lac AG is convinced that planning and economic requirements can be combined in the further process to establish the foundation for sustainable development of the hotel operation.
• Otsu (Japan)majorOthersSister city partnership since 1978. 50th anniversary celebrations planned for 2028. Visit from Otsu delegation in May 2026 to prepare anniversary events and discuss future partnership development. Includes student exchange and various cultural exchanges.
• Třeboň (Czech Republic)majorOthersSister city partnership since 1994. Partnership agreement renewed and signed in March 2026 by Vice-Mayor Mgr. Aleš Kolář and Mayor Philippe Ritschard. Partnership covers exchange in culture, art, sports, education, and tourism with goal of increased population involvement through associations and professional organizations.
• International Friendship Association Interlaken (IFAI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization coordinating international city partnerships and exchange programs, including management of sister city relationships with Otsu and Třeboň. Participates in delegation visits and partnership activities.
• ecoptima agmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUrban planning consultancy advising on second home planning zone and municipal building regulation revision. Part of working group with municipal council members, building administrator, and building commission members for housing policy development.
• BDO AGmajorOthersExternal auditing firm serving as municipal audit body since 2007. Confirmed as audit organ for annual accounts 2027-2030 by municipal parliament (GGR). Provides financial auditing and regulatory compliance services.
• Tourismusorganisation Interlaken (TOI)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism organization for Interlaken region. Collaborates on events like the flower decoration competition, participates in international partnership discussions, and promotes sustainable tourism.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gemeinde Zermatt: Valais tourism municipality facing the same second-home regulatory regime and tourist-pressure dynamics as Interlaken. Closest behavioral peer on second-home enforcement and tourism-vs-housing trade-offs.
• Stadt Thun: Canton-of-Bern city of comparable population scale (mid-five-figures residents) that delivers the same full stack of Swiss municipal services — residency, building permits, tax, social affairs, e-government portal — and shares a tourist economy anchored on Lake Thun. Closest administrative peer in the same canton.
• Gemeinde Grindelwald: Neighboring Berner Oberland municipality with a similarly tourism-dependent economy, comparable service-delivery scope, and overlapping second-home and short-term-rental regulatory pressures. Direct functional peer in the same regional context as Interlaken.
• Stadt Luzern: Swiss mid-sized tourist city with a comparable service mix (residency, building, social, e-government portal) and a tourism-driven revenue base. Same municipal-service operating model at a slightly larger scale.
• Gemeinde Lauterbrunnen: Adjacent Berner Oberland municipality in the Jungfrau region with a comparable small administrative team, tourism-heavy economy, and similar dependence on cantonal/federal frameworks. Operates an analogous set of municipal services at a similar scale.

Regional players

• Gemeinde Wengen: Smaller Berner Oberland tourism village in the same Jungfrau region with an analogous municipal service footprint, sharing the same cantonal regulatory environment. Comparable on service scope, smaller on population scale.

Broad incumbents

• Stadt Zürich: Largest Swiss municipality with a more extensive e-government offering (eUmzug-like services, online Schalter portal). Sets the benchmark for digital municipal services that smaller peers like Interlaken measure against.
• Stadt Bern: Capital of the Canton of Bern and the canton's administrative authority. Operates the full municipal service portfolio at much larger scale and acts as the regulatory anchor (eBau, cantonal energy law) that Interlaken's services are built on.

Others

• Bedag Informatik AG: Cantonal IT service provider for the Canton of Bern that delivers e-government platforms (including elements underpinning eBau and cantonal citizen services). Adjacent enabling vendor rather than a competitor, but materially shapes Interlaken's digital service stack.
• Abraxas Informatik AG: Swiss e-government software provider serving multiple cantons and municipalities with population registry, permit, and digital counter solutions. Indirectly comparable as the upstream technology ecosystem for Swiss municipal e-government services similar to eUmzugCH and eBau.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/einwohnergemeinde-interlaken

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Einwohnergemeinde Interlaken