GUIDE

Registering after arriving in Switzerland.

Registering your residence is one of your first tasks after moving. Which authority handles it, how you submit it and how quickly you must act depend on your canton and your residence situation.

This guide explains the main stages of registering after a move to Switzerland. For tasks relevant to your answers, answer three questions about your passport group, work situation and household. Get your free personalised checklist.

Last reviewed: 9 October 2026

Step 1

Who this guide is for

This guide covers people moving to Switzerland to establish residence. Visitors and certain short-term workers follow different procedures.

Registration is not always a simple visit to a municipal counter. Depending on the canton, the responsible authority may be the municipality, a city office or a cantonal migration office, and you may submit in person, by appointment or online.

Step 2

Your registration deadline

SEM's standard guidance for EU/EFTA employees staying longer than three months is to register and apply for a residence permit within 14 days of arrival and before starting work.

Source: SEM, EU/EFTA free movement FAQ

Local deadlines can be shorter. Always check the deadline published by your destination authority.

Local example: Vaud currently requires foreign residents to register within eight days.

Source: Canton of Vaud, foreign residents' registration

Step 3

Where and how you register

Find the authority responsible for your new address and follow its instructions for submitting your registration. Whether every family member must attend depends on the authority. Registration and a later biometric appointment for your permit card are separate stages.

Example: City of Zurich

Arrivals from abroad currently attend Personenmeldeamt Zürich Süd, with an appointment.

Source: City of Zurich, moving from abroad

Example: Geneva

Foreign arrivals are handled by the cantonal OCPM, with online application routes available.

Source: Canton of Geneva, arrival registration

If no appointment is available before your deadline

Contact the authority promptly and ask how to comply. Booking an appointment does not by itself fulfil the registration requirement.

Zurich example: book the next available appointment and request a deadline extension through the city's contact form.

Source: City of Zurich, moving from abroad

Step 4

Documents to prepare

The list below helps you prepare. The official checklist of your local authority determines what you must actually submit.

For everyone

A valid passport, or a national identity card where accepted for your nationality
Proof of your address, such as a lease or lodging confirmation
Passport photos if your authority asks for them

Third-country nationals

Bring the immigration approval documents relevant to your case and any required entry visa. A visa and an approval notice are not interchangeable. A preliminary work-permit approval is also not the same as completing the applicable authorisation process.

Source: SEM, third-country employment procedure

Employees

Employment evidence, such as your contract, including its duration and working hours where required.

Students

Admission evidence, proof of financial means and applicable insurance evidence.

Residents without employment

The documents relevant to your specific residence route. For third-country nationals, financial means and insurance alone do not create a right to reside.

Accompanying family

Marriage, birth and parental-authority documents where required. A child moving with one parent may need consent from the other parent and supporting identity or custody documents.

Before paying for translations, apostilles or legalisation, confirm with your authority which languages it accepts and what it requires. Acceptance of English documents is not guaranteed everywhere.

Step 5

Temporary accommodation

Temporary accommodation may be usable for registration, depending on the authority, your residence situation and your supporting documents. Confirm acceptance before relying on it.

A host's written permission alone does not guarantee acceptance. The authority may require its own lodging form and additional evidence.

Step 6

Fees and confirmations

Registration, immigration processing, card issuance and optional certificates may each involve charges. Check the official fee schedule of the relevant authority.

Local example: Zurich currently lists CHF 40 per adult for registration, with additional migration fees depending on the permit.

Source: City of Zurich, moving from abroad

A registration certificate is not issued automatically everywhere. Keep these apart:

Confirmation of registration
Confirmation that a permit application is pending
The actual residence or work authorisation

Only the last one is your authorisation. Geneva, for example, states that its pending-application certificate does not make the stay legal. Banks and other providers decide which supporting documents they accept.

Source: Canton of Geneva, pending-permit certificate

Step 7

Your permit card

EU/EFTA residence cards ordinarily involve a facial photograph and signature. Third-country biometric residence cards also involve fingerprints, subject to applicable exceptions.

Permit assessment, appointment availability and card delivery times vary. Check the processing information of your local authority.

Source: Canton of Geneva, biometric appointments

Put your name on your letterbox so your card and letters can be delivered. If you are staying with someone, record an appropriate c/o address where accepted.

Step 8

Practical next steps after arrival

Health insurance

If you are subject to compulsory Swiss insurance, arrange it within three months of taking up residence. Registration or receiving your permit card does not start a new three-month period. When arranged on time, cover and premiums apply retrospectively from the start of residence. Each family member needs individual cover; exceptions can apply.

Source: Federal Office of Public Health

Banking

Requirements for identity, address, tax residency and immigration documents vary by bank and product. Ask your bank which documents it accepts.

Language requirements

These depend on your immigration or family-reunification route. A1 oral competence or enrolment in an initial language course can apply to certain spouses joining B/C permit holders. This is not a general rule for all family members: minor children, spouses of Swiss citizens and family members covered by EU/EFTA free movement are among the exceptions for initial residence. Check your individual requirements with the cantonal authority.

Source: SEM, language requirements

Radio and TV fee (Serafe)

The standard annual private-household fee is CHF 335 in 2026, subject to exemptions, with an approved reduction to CHF 312 in 2027. Separate registration with Serafe is generally unnecessary.

Source: Federal government, Serafe fee reductions

Waste disposal

Waste collection and recycling follow local rules. Ask your municipality how collection, fees and recycling points work where you live.

Step 9

Moving again later

Report moves and address changes within the applicable local deadline. EU/EFTA citizens generally benefit from geographic mobility. Third-country permit holders should check with the destination canton whether advance permission is needed before moving.

Source: Canton of Geneva, changing canton

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Step 10

A compact reminder list

Before you arrive

Find your responsible authority and its deadline
Book an appointment where one is needed
Check the official local document list
Confirm translation and apostille requirements
Confirm whether temporary accommodation is accepted

At registration

Register within your local deadline
Contact the authority if no appointment fits the deadline
Submit your permit application where required
Keep any confirmation you receive
Confirm your permitted work start date

Afterwards

Attend your biometric appointment if invited
Put your name on your letterbox
Arrange health insurance within three months of taking up residence
Report later moves within the local deadline

Step 11

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to register after arriving?

There is no single nationwide deadline. SEM's standard guidance for EU/EFTA employees staying longer than three months is to register and apply for a residence permit within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. Local deadlines can be shorter: Vaud currently requires foreign residents to register within eight days. Check the deadline published by your destination authority.

Can I register using an Airbnb or other temporary address?

Possibly. Whether temporary accommodation is accepted depends on the authority, your residence situation and your supporting documents. A host's written permission alone does not guarantee acceptance, and the authority may ask for its own lodging form or further evidence. Confirm acceptance before relying on it.

Can I start work as soon as I have registered?

For the standard EU/EFTA employment route of more than three months, the required registration and permit application must be completed before you start work. The physical card generally does not need to have arrived, provided the applicable formalities and any professional authorisations are in place. For ordinary third-country recruitment, the final authorisations, entry requirements and registration must all be satisfied; a preliminary decision or registration confirmation alone is not enough. Work rights for family members depend on their admission basis. Confirm your permitted start date with your employer and the competent authority.

Does every family member have to attend in person?

Not necessarily. Submission methods and family-attendance requirements depend on the authority. Registration and a later biometric appointment for the permit card are separate stages, and the second one may require each person to attend.

Does my registration confirmation prove I can live and work here?

No. A confirmation of registration, a confirmation that a permit application is pending and the actual residence or work authorisation are different documents. Geneva, for example, states that its pending-application certificate does not make the stay legal. Banks and other providers decide which documents they accept.

When do I need health insurance?

If you are subject to compulsory Swiss insurance, you must arrange it within three months of taking up residence. Registration or receiving your permit card does not start a new three-month period. When arranged on time, cover and premiums apply retrospectively from the start of residence. Each family member needs individual cover; exceptions can apply.

What if I move within Switzerland later?

Report moves and address changes within the applicable local deadline. EU/EFTA citizens generally benefit from geographic mobility, while third-country permit holders should check with the destination canton whether advance permission is required before moving.

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.

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Create my checklist

This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Requirements change and differ by canton and situation, so confirm them with the responsible authority. See our Terms of Use.