Relocating to French-speaking Switzerland from abroad means dealing with several formalities in a set order: finding a home, bringing over your belongings, registering your arrival with the commune, then sorting out health insurance, a bank account, your vehicle and the children’s school. Several of these steps have a short deadline after arrival, which is why it pays to prepare them before you leave. This guide takes them one by one.
The steps in order
This is the sequence that causes the fewest hold-ups.
- Before you leave: look for a home, check your residence status (free movement or a work-related permit) and prepare an inventory of your belongings.
- On arrival: register your arrival with the commune within 14 days and apply for your residence permit.
- Within three months: take out Swiss health insurance.
- Soon after: open a bank account and enrol the children at the commune’s school.
- Within the year: register your vehicle; within twelve months, exchange your driving licence.
The deadlines run from the date of your arrival. Meeting them avoids administrative complications, while the rest can be done at your own pace.
Finding a home from abroad
This is often the hardest step, because many formalities (commune registration, school, bank) require an address. A complete rental application usually includes proof of identity, proof of income and an extract from the debt enforcement register. That extract is hard to obtain when you do not yet live in Switzerland.
A few ways to make up for it:
- a letter from your employer (employment contract, confirmation of salary) to reassure the letting agency (régie);
- a covering letter explaining your situation and your planned arrival date;
- proof of income and creditworthiness from your country of departure.
When you sign, the rental deposit cannot exceed three months’ rent for a home (art. 257e of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO); it is paid into a blocked account in your name. To put together a strong application, the guide to putting together a rental application in Switzerland details the documents to gather.
If your home is not ready when you arrive, storage lets you keep your belongings safe while you find something better, rather than accepting a lease in a rush.
Bringing your belongings
An international move has a logistical side (packing, transport, delivery) and a customs side. To import your removal goods, you fill in form 18.44. The goods must have been used by you for at least six months to qualify for this procedure.
Prepare from the outset:
- a detailed inventory of your belongings, room by room;
- proof of your settling in Switzerland (lease, certificate from the commune);
- a list of anything new or recently bought, to be handled separately.
An international removal company handles the logistics and, often, the customs formalities. The guide on customs clearance when moving to Switzerland explains the procedure in detail. Also have your fragile items packed properly: good packing limits damage on a long journey.
Registering your arrival and getting your residence permit
Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants). For an arrival from abroad, you must register within 14 days with the commune where you live. In many communes this can be done online via eMoving (eUmzugCH), but an arrival from abroad often means going to the counter with your documents. Check with your commune before you travel.
What follows depends on your nationality:
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| EU/EFTA national | Free movement: you apply for your residence permit after registering with the commune |
| Other country | Work-related permit: the procedures are carried out before arrival, usually by the employer |
The documents required (employment contract, passport, photos, lease) vary by canton and commune. The guide to registering with the commune helps you avoid forgetting anything.
Health insurance, bank, vehicle and school
Once your address and status are sorted, the rest of the list is simpler.
- Health insurance: you must take out Swiss health insurance within three months of arriving. Compare offers and deductibles before choosing, and check with the commune or the insurer whether an exemption applies to your situation.
- Bank account: it is used to receive your salary, pay the rent and settle the rental deposit. Have your proof of identity and a certificate of residence ready.
- Vehicle: it must be registered within a year of arrival, which requires a technical inspection and insurance. Ask the competent cantonal office.
- Driving licence: to be exchanged within twelve months.
- School: children are enrolled at the school of the commune of residence. Contact the commune’s administration as soon as you have an address, as the arrangements vary from one commune to another.
In French-speaking Switzerland: what changes by place
The six French-speaking cantons (Geneva, Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Jura) apply the same federal law, but practical organisation differs: counters, registration deadlines, online procedures, and the permit to use the public highway for the removal lorry. Always check with the commune or canton.
The housing market weighs more heavily on some towns:
- Geneva and Lausanne are very international, with many new arrivals from abroad and a tight housing market. There are plenty of resources for newcomers, but homes go quickly. See the pages on moving to Geneva and moving to Lausanne.
- Outlying communes are quieter and often more affordable, with transport links to the centres.
- In the mountains (Valais in particular), access to chalets and narrow roads changes the logistics for the lorry.
- Near the border, daily commuting to neighbouring France or cross-border worker formalities come into play.
Occupying the public highway with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior permission from the commune or the police: apply a few days or weeks in advance.
Doing it yourself or getting help
The administrative steps (registration, insurance, bank, school) can be done on your own with a little method. For the move itself, it all depends on the distance: an international journey, customs formalities and bulky furniture generally justify using professional removal companies.
This site is a neutral matching service: you describe your move, and your request is passed on to removal companies in the region, who provide a free, no-obligation quote. You can request a quote stating your country of departure and your planned arrival date.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions: relocating to French-speaking Switzerland from abroad
You must register within 14 days of arriving, with the commune where you live. The documents required vary by commune, so check before you travel. This is also when you apply for your residence permit.
This extract is hard to obtain when you arrive from abroad. A letter from your employer, proof of income and supporting documents from your country of departure help reassure the letting agency (régie). Explain your situation in a letter accompanying the application.
You must take out Swiss health insurance within three months of arriving. Compare offers before choosing. If you are unsure about your situation, contact your commune or an insurer.
The vehicle must be registered within a year of arrival, and the driving licence exchanged within twelve months. The procedures go through the competent cantonal office, whose requirements may vary.
It is the form used to import removal goods into Switzerland. The goods must have been used by you for at least six months. An international removal company will often guide you through this customs formality.