GUIDE
Moving to Switzerland: from planning to your first 90 days.
Moving to Switzerland is not one single administrative process. What you need to do, and when, depends on where you come from, why you are moving and who is moving with you.
Step 1
Start with your personal situation
Before you book movers or compare bank accounts, establish the basics that determine your relocation path. Almost every later step follows from them.
- Your nationality or citizenship
- Whether you already have a Swiss job or a concrete job offer
- Whether you are looking for work, self-employed or moving for another reason
- Whether a spouse, registered partner or unmarried partner is moving with you
- Whether children are moving with you
- Where in Switzerland you plan to live
EU/EFTA citizens and citizens of other countries follow substantially different immigration processes, and requirements also depend on your employment and family circumstances. No single permit sequence fits everyone.
Step 2
Get the important things in motion early
Roughly two to three months before the move is a suggested starting point for the items that take longest. Some moves, particularly for third-country nationals or with pets, need considerably more time.
Your right to live and work
EU/EFTA citizens can normally complete residence-permit formalities after arrival, subject to the registration and employment rules that apply. For third-country nationals recruited from abroad, the employer normally needs to apply for and obtain work authorisation before you relocate, followed by entry authorisation or a visa where required. Visa-free entry does not by itself allow you to live or work in Switzerland.
Source: SEM, EU/EFTA free movement
Your partner and family
Spouses and registered partners do not follow the same immigration route as unmarried partners. An unmarried partner may need their own residence basis, or approval under specific conditions. Moving together does not on its own establish a right to family reunification.
Children and school
If your children are of compulsory-school age, contact the local school authority before you move where possible, so enrolment can be arranged immediately after arrival. Plan childcare separately, as it is organised differently from compulsory schooling.
Pets
Check pet-import requirements early. Some routes, particularly from countries with a high rabies risk, require antibody testing and long waiting periods before entry.
Your document folder
Housing strategy
Household goods and customs
Household goods can generally be imported duty-free when you transfer your domicile to Switzerland, have personally used the goods abroad for at least six months and continue to use them here. They are declared with form 18.44.
Bringing a vehicle
A vehicle brought as part of your move must be declared to Swiss customs at its first border crossing connected with the move. Registration and insurance come later, but customs clearance cannot wait until then.
Step 3
Prepare for arrival, not just moving day
The last weeks are usually spent on logistics. It is worth reserving some attention for what happens after you land.
Know where you will register
Prepare for initial costs
Think about transport
Confirm family arrangements
Step 4
Your first days: deal with the essentials
Some things genuinely cannot wait. Others can, and it helps to know the difference.
Complete municipal registration
EU/EFTA citizens taking up employment for more than three months must register with their municipality and apply for a residence permit within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. Other immigration situations can follow different procedures. Booking an appointment does not by itself complete the obligation, so check your municipality's documents and requirements.
Enrol your children in school
Residence documentation
A bank account and Swiss mobile number
Because procedures and documents differ by canton and municipality, confirm the details with the responsible authority rather than relying on general descriptions.
Step 5
Set up everyday life
Your first three months are where a move stops being logistics and starts being daily life.
Health insurance
Residents subject to compulsory basic health insurance must enrol within three months of taking up residence. Each family member, including children, needs individual cover. If you enrol on time, cover and premiums generally apply retrospectively from the start of residence. Exceptions exist, so check your position with the competent authority.
Accident cover
Employees working at least eight hours a week for the same Swiss employer are generally insured against occupational and non-occupational accidents through that employer. People without equivalent accident cover generally need it included in their basic health insurance. Accompanying family members need their own arrangements.
Liability and household insurance
Internet and utilities
Driving licence
To continue ordinary private driving, you generally need to exchange your valid foreign driving licence within 12 months of taking up residence. Requirements depend on the issuing country, and additional rules apply to professional driving. Contact your cantonal road traffic office.
Vehicle registration
Tax and social security
Childcare
Step 6
What depends on your move
Your nationality
Your work situation
Your household
Your destination
That is why a generic checklist can only take you so far.
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Answer three questions about your passport, work situation and who is moving with you. You get the tasks that are relevant to your move.
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A compact reminder list
Before you move
- Clarify your right to live and work in Switzerland
- Collect your essential documents
- Contact the school authority if you have school-age children
- Check pet-import requirements early
- Decide on temporary or permanent accommodation
- Prepare customs declarations for household goods and any vehicle
Shortly after arrival
- Complete municipal registration
- Complete any outstanding residence formalities
- Enrol children of compulsory-school age
- Organise banking and a Swiss phone number
- Finalise your housing setup
During your first months
- Enrol in health insurance within three months
- Check your accident cover
- Exchange your driving licence within 12 months
- Register any imported vehicle
- Arrange childcare where relevant
- Review tax and social-security implications
Step 8
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to move to Switzerland?
It depends mainly on your citizenship, your reason for moving and how long you intend to stay. Visa-free entry does not by itself give you permission to live or work in Switzerland. Check the current rules for your nationality with the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) or the Swiss representation responsible for your country.
Can I move to Switzerland without a job?
For EU/EFTA citizens, it is generally possible to look for work during an initial three-month period without a permit; longer job searches require a permit and conditions apply. Living in Switzerland without employment generally requires sufficient financial resources and adequate health and accident insurance. These routes are generally not available in the same way to citizens of other countries, whose options are much more limited.
What should I organise before moving to Switzerland?
Your right to live and work in Switzerland, your key documents, accommodation, the physical move including customs, and any arrangements for children, pets or a vehicle are sensible starting points. If you have school-age children, contact the local school authority before you move where possible.
What should I do first after arriving in Switzerland?
Completing your municipal registration is one of the first steps. EU/EFTA citizens taking up employment for more than three months must register with their municipality and apply for a residence permit within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. Other immigration situations can follow different procedures, so check the documents and requirements of your municipality.
Do I need Swiss health insurance?
Residents subject to compulsory basic health insurance must take out cover within three months of taking up residence, and each family member, including children, needs individual cover. If you enrol on time, cover and premiums generally apply retrospectively from the start of your residence. Exceptions exist, so check your position with the competent authority.
Is moving to Switzerland different with children?
Yes. Children of compulsory-school age should be enrolled immediately after arrival, so contact the local school authority before you move where possible. Childcare is organised separately. Each child also needs individual health insurance, and residence documentation may involve extra steps.
Get your personalised Switzerland checklist
Answer three questions about your passport, work situation and who is moving with you. You get the tasks that are relevant to your move.
Free · No account · No email
Create my checklistThis guide is general information, not legal, tax, immigration or insurance advice. Requirements can change and individual circumstances differ, so confirm important requirements and deadlines with the responsible authority or a qualified adviser. See our Terms of Use.