Include Relocation

What Include Relocation is and why it exists

Include Relocation is a personal relocation service based in Basel, founded in 2023 by Ute Zweers, who has herself relocated across countries multiple times and understands the emotional weight of uprooting a life. The firm's core mission is explicit: to guide international families and individuals through every step of moving to Switzerland, covering the entire transition from before arrival through long after landing. Unlike bureaucratic agencies that hand out checklists and disappear, Include positions itself as a personal guide designed specifically for one of life's most demanding transitions. Zweers describes her approach as rooted in empathy and personal experience: having moved countries repeatedly, she understands that the hardest part of relocation is not the paperwork but feeling at home in a new country. That philosophy shapes the firm's service model and client interactions. The firm publishes this philosophy openly on its homepage, signaling that human connection and understanding form the foundation of the engagement rather than transactional service delivery.

What it does for someone arriving in Basel

The firm specializes in helping new residents navigate the specific hurdles of moving to Basel without a permit yet and often from abroad, often without prior knowledge of Switzerland's systems or their own legal obligations. A new arrival faces a compressed timeline and simultaneous demands that can feel overwhelming: finding an apartment in what Include describes as a competitive rental market (a reality familiar to anyone who has tried apartment hunting in Switzerland), completing residence registration (Anmeldung at the Einwohnerdienste) within 14 days (a legal deadline the site explicitly flags, emphasizing that missing it creates administrative complications). Alongside that deadline, arrivals must choose the right Swiss health insurance plan from an alphabet of options that look identical to an outsider, understand the difference between obligatory health insurance and supplementary coverage, and enroll children in school mid-year, a challenge in systems that often plan class sizes in spring for the following September. Include's role is to absorb the weight of coordinating these parallel tasks, freeing arrivals to focus on settling into their jobs and their lives rather than drowning in logistics. For families with children, the firm also helps identify which schools are accepting mid-year enrollment, which international daycare options match the family's working hours and budget, and what language programs exist for children transitioning between school systems. The firm offers an initial free 30-minute consultation to discuss a client's specific situation and explore which services make sense, a low-barrier entry point that lets prospects understand the firm's approach before committing.

Services, languages, and what's included in packages

Include's service menu spans seven listed areas. Administration covers municipality registration (the critical Einwohnerdienste deadline and process) and finding medical providers including veterinarians for pets (the firm names this specifically, acknowledging that families often bring animals). Internet and phone includes helping select a mobile provider from Switzerland's competitive telecom market and negotiating the contract. Living focuses on finding a home that suits the family's personal life and preferences in specific Basel neighbourhoods: the site names Kleinbasel, Gundeldingen, and St. Alban as examples of distinct areas with different characters where families might want to land. Doctors and Vets involves locating appropriate medical care for the whole family, a service that goes beyond phone directory surfing since referrals and insurance coverage matter. Insurance means explaining the Swiss insurance system (complex for arrivals unfamiliar with mandatory health insurance, supplementary insurance, household coverage, liability insurance, and the different cantonal regulations) and helping clients choose the right policies from an overwhelming menu of options. Integration includes finding sports clubs and helping make first social contacts, acknowledging that the logistics-and-paperwork phase is only the beginning and that isolation is a real risk for arrivals, especially those whose partners are busy ramping up jobs. Childcare and Schools assistance draws on Include's familiarity with both private and public educational options in the Basel area, including international and bilingual schools. Members gain access to a reserved online area with information for people moving from abroad, a resource that persists after the consultative phase ends. The firm mentions unlimited assistance within all packages until one year after moving, though the definition of "assistance" and whether that support begins before or after arrival is not clarified. Zweers speaks German, English, French, Dutch, and some Italian, making the firm accessible to a broad cross-section of European arrivals and beyond those with particular language needs.

What remains unanswered and pricing opacity

The site does not publish pricing for any service or package (All-in, Admin, Living, Children, or Membership Area alone), making cost comparison impossible without a direct call. It does not specify how long most services take or what clients should expect regarding timeline ("You'll have an apartment identified within three weeks" or "registration typically completes within five business days"). The firm mentions unlimited assistance within packages until one year after moving, but the site does not clarify whether this begins before or after arrival, how often clients can expect contact, or what "assistance" means in practice (is it phone consultation, in-person support, written guidance, or a mixture?). A prospective client cannot gauge what an engagement might cost or what involvement they can expect from Zweers herself versus any team members. The site publishes one testimonial, from a client named Elena, but it is in German and focuses on the apartment search and neighbourhood advice (Ute helped her find apartments and recommend neighbourhoods); it does not reveal what Elena's total package cost or how long the engagement lasted. The testimonial does highlight that Ute supported her "even outside usual working hours to avoid losing time when applying" for apartments, suggesting flexibility around responsiveness that may matter during competitive apartment hunts. Without more client examples or transparency on pricing, prospects cannot easily compare Include to other Basel relocation firms or assess affordability.

Who it suits and who it does not

Include is built for expat families and individuals relocating to Basel with English as at least their working language, or a comfort level in German, French, Dutch, or Italian. The firm is most valuable for arrivals who are overwhelmed by Swiss systems and who benefit from someone else managing the administrative load while they handle their job transition and family settling. The firm's personal, one-on-one model suggests it is most appropriate for people who value bespoke support over a standardized package and who can afford to pay for convenience and expertise. For someone with deep Basel connections already (an expat who has lived in Switzerland before, a person with Swiss family) or for a local Swiss move within the country, Include's services may be unnecessary. The firm's emphasis on personal guidance and the prominence of Ute Zweers herself suggests that as the firm grows, availability and turnaround time may become constraints. The site does not publish how many clients Include takes on per year or whether there are seasonal wait times during peak arrival seasons. For a budget-conscious arrival willing to navigate systems independently or with online resources and community forums, Include does not publish its pricing, which means cost comparison requires a direct consultation. It is a service for those who can afford to buy back time and peace of mind during an already stressful transition.