Moving to Switzerland: checklist for expats

If you plan to stay in Switzerland for more than three months, you must have a valid residence permit. Citizens of EU-25/EFTA states benefit from a simplified permit procedure.

Where can I get a work or residence permit?

You apply for the permit at the residents’ registration office in your commune or city. It’s important that you apply for your work or residence permit within 14 days of arrival, and before your first working day with your new Swiss employer.

What documents do I need?

To obtain a residence permit or work permit, you need valid ID as well as a written letter of confirmation of employment from your employer. This can be an employment contract, for example, that states the duration of your employment.

You can use Switzerland’s largest property marketplace to search for an apartment or house. Once you've found somewhere, you usually need the following documents to conclude a tenancy agreement:

• Copy of your residence permit.

• Valid ID or passport.

• Copy of your employment contract.

• Contact details of your previous landlord.

• An extract from the debt collection register (information on your credit standing). However, you can only apply for this with your previous Swiss residence at the debt enforcement office in your commune.
  Tip: apply for an equivalent document in your home country.

Some landlords also require an application letter, in which you briefly introduce yourself (and your family). It’s best to draft this letter before you move to Switzerland. You can then take it to apartment viewings or enclose it with your application.

It is compulsory to take out basic health insurance in Switzerland. You must register with a Swiss health insurer within three months of entering the country.

It’s worth comparing health insurance premiums before you move to Switzerland. The reason: premium prices for compulsory basic insurance vary significantly – even though the benefits are defined by law and are therefore the same whichever insurer you choose.

Phone calls made using your mobile phone contract from your home country can be expensive, even if you move to Switzerland from the EU. To avoid paying unnecessary charges after moving to Switzerland, you should terminate your contract in good time.

Check your current mobile phone and internet contracts for details of how to cancel. You can compare low-cost mobile phone contracts in Switzerland here.

Check who needs to be notified of your change of address. It’s a good idea to create your own checklist for this.

Even if you are well-organized in this respect, some post may still be sent to your old home address. To ensure you don't miss any important communications, it is best to arrange to have your mail forwarded. As a rule, three months is sufficient. This will give you enough time to notify all important businesses and organizations of your new address after your move to Switzerland.

Once the date for your move to Switzerland is set, you should inform the relevant authorities that you are leaving in good time. This ensures, for example, that you will no longer be subject to taxes in your home country. 

Important: if you want to keep your current home when you move to Switzerland, you should take into account the regulations for second homes and the tax situation in your home country. 

Before moving to Switzerland, you should read up on customs regulations on the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security website.

For customs purposes, you should draw up a list of the household contents you are bringing into the country. You submit the list together with the completed application form for household effects (form 18.44).

If you are using a removal company, they can also help you with customs formalities.

Moving to Switzerland with your pet

Do you want to take your pet with you when you move to Switzerland? Additional rules may then apply. Find out more about import procedures on the website of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. 

As soon as you are hired by a Swiss employer for at least eight hours per week, you are automatically covered by accident insurance.

Self-employed people must arrange their own accident insurance. It’s best to compare different insurers before you move to Switzerland.

Find out in your home country about how best to deal with the matter of pensions, whether you are working abroad or emigrating.

For example, ask specifically what happens to your occupational pension contributions when you switch to a Swiss employer.

Register your address at the residents' registration office in your commune within 14 days after arrival and before starting work. You can find the address on the website of your local commune.

When you register, you can apply for your residence permit at the same time. When registering and applying, have the following documents to hand:

• Valid official ID for every family member moving to Switzerland.

• Proof of residence, e.g. a rental contract or purchase agreement.

• Employment contract or confirmation of acceptance at a university.

• Original marriage certificate if you are married.

• Original birth certificate and proof of custody if you have children.

• Proof of mandatory basic insurance with a Swiss health insurer (can be submitted up to three months after arrival).

• For visa requirements: entry visa or foreign residence permit.

You should convert your driving licence to a Swiss one within 12 months of arriving in Switzerland and register your car. The deadlines for registration are as follows:

• 12 months if you are importing a used car

• One month if you are importing a new car

Please contact the relevant Road Traffic Office to register your vehicle. 

Here is a list of the Road Traffic Offices in Switzerland, with contact details.

To exchange your driving license, you need the following documents:

• Application form: you can usually find this on the website of the responsible Road Traffic Office.

• Biometric passport photograph.

• Eye test: you take the test at an optician’s. Take the application form with you to the eye test. The person doing the test will write the results directly on the form.

• Residence permit: a copy is usually sufficient.

• Foreign driving licence.

Depending on the canton, you must bring the documents in person or you can send them by post to the responsible Road Traffic Office. Find out more on the relevant website.

Before you open an account with a Swiss bank, you should compare a range of financial services providers, because they usually charge high fees for non-Swiss nationals. However, you will always need the following in order to open an account:

• Residence permit/valid ID. If have not yet received your residence permit, a residence certificate and proof that you have applied for the permit are usually sufficient.

• If available: employment contract.

To register your car in Switzerland, you need proof of insurance with a Swiss insurer. In Switzerland, liability insurance is compulsory. Compare premiums with our car insurance comparison tool.

Switzerland is not part of the EU. If you move to Switzerland from an EU country, it can therefore be expensive to make phone calls using your previous mobile phone contract. You’ll also need an internet connection at home for streaming and web browsing.

You can compare the current prices of Swiss telephone and internet deals here.

You need to pay a licence fee for radio and TV. To do so, you register with Serafe, the Swiss collection agency for radio and TV fees.

Home contents and personal liability insurance are only mandatory in a few cantons. However, they are worth taking out, even if they are not obligatory in your canton of residence. For example, home contents insurance can cover your bicycle against theft. You can save a lot of money by comparing home contents and personal liability insurance premiums.