Find the EGRID: what the EGRID number is and where to look it up
Short answer: the EGRID is the number that identifies one parcel anywhere in Switzerland. It is made of "CH" and twelve digits, appears on the land-register extract, and can be looked up for any address in the federal map viewer (map.geo.admin.ch). With it you order the PLR extract and the land-register extract for the right parcel. This page walks you through it.
This page explains an identifier and where to find it. It is not legal advice. The entry in your canton's land register and official cadastral survey is what counts.
Why you need the EGRID first
Almost every parcel enquiry starts with the same question: which parcel is meant? An address can touch several parcels, and the parcel number alone is not enough. The EGRID settles it unambiguously, so clear it up before you order anything.
What the EGRID is
The EGRID (federal property identifier, also written E-GRID) is the Switzerland-wide unique identifier of a plot of land. It is 14 characters long: "CH" followed by twelve digits, the last two being a check digit. The "CH" only says that the number comes from the Swiss number pool. The cantons assign it, and it is mandatory for every plot in the official cadastral survey and in the land register.
Source: E-GRID guide (cadastre-manual.admin.ch, German) · Glossary: EGRID
EGRID, parcel number and EGID: three different numbers
The parcel number (plot number) is unique only within one municipality; the same number occurs in other municipalities. The EGRID, by contrast, points to exactly one plot in the whole country. The EGID is something else again: the federal building identifier from the Federal Register of Buildings and Dwellings (GWR). It identifies a building, not a parcel. One parcel can carry several buildings, and one building can stand on several parcels.
Source: Federal Register of Buildings and Dwellings GWR (FSO) · Glossary: EGID
How to find the EGRID in the federal map viewer
Open map.geo.admin.ch and type the address into the search box. Switch on the parcel layer (official cadastral survey) and click the parcel: the object information gives the parcel number and the EGRID. Check that the area you clicked is really the plot you mean, because with condominium ownership or large developments one address can belong to several parcels. On an existing land-register extract the EGRID is printed anyway, often grouped with spaces.
What the EGRID unlocks
With the EGRID you order or open the two documents a parcel check aims at: the PLR extract with the public-law restrictions on ownership, and the land-register extract with ownership, easements and charges. Both hang on the same parcel, and the EGRID makes sure it is the same one.
Source: PLR cadastre (cadastre.ch) · Guide: the PLR cadastre explained · Guide: reading and ordering a land-register extract
What an alpflo report does with it
An alpflo report resolves the address for you: it determines the parcel and its EGRID and states the source of every field. If the address is ambiguous, it shows the possible matches instead of guessing a parcel.
Source: Federal map viewer (map.geo.admin.ch) · See the sample report
The four honesty states
Every field in an alpflo report carries exactly one of these states. A parcel that cannot be pinned down from the address is shown as "Could not resolve", not as a guessed EGRID.
Confirmed in an official Swiss register. Direct source.
Register queried; nothing on this parcel. The absence is documented.
Derived from a model or an API: real, but not directly from the register. Please verify.
Hit an edge case. Stated honestly at the boundary, never silently discarded.
Frequently asked questions about the EGRID
What is an EGRID number?
The Switzerland-wide unique identifier of a plot: "CH" and twelve digits. It is mandatory for every plot in the official cadastral survey and the land register.
Is the EGRID the same as the parcel number?
No. The parcel number is unique only within its municipality; the EGRID is unique across Switzerland.
Is the EGRID the same as the EGID?
No. The EGID identifies a building in the Federal Register of Buildings and Dwellings; the EGRID identifies a plot.
Where do I find the EGRID for an address?
In the federal map viewer (map.geo.admin.ch): search the address, click the parcel, and the object information shows the EGRID. It is also printed on the land-register extract.
Request a report for a Swiss address: you send the address with the form and the report comes back as a PDF by e-mail. It names the parcel with its EGRID and the source of every field.
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