Moving to Switzerland: The Complete Expat Checklist (2026)
Switzerland has some of the most specific administrative requirements in Europe. Miss a deadline and you face fines, permit complications, or months of back-and-forth with bureaucracy. This checklist covers everything — before you arrive, your first two weeks, and your first three months — in the right order.
Updated May 2026 · 11 min read
In this guide
1. Before you arrive
The weeks before your move are the best time to handle paperwork that is difficult to complete from inside Switzerland without a fixed address or permit. Get these done early.
EU/EFTA nationals can move freely and register on arrival. Non-EU nationals need a work permit issued before entry — your employer typically arranges this. Confirm your permit type (B, L, G, C) in writing before booking your move.
Swiss rental contracts are dense legal documents in German, French, or Italian. Read every clause before signing — especially the notice period (usually 3 months), the Hausordnung (house rules), and the deposit amount (maximum 3 months rent by law).
Finding a permanent apartment in Zurich, Geneva, or Basel can take 2–6 months. Short-term furnished apartments (montage flats) or sublets give you a base while you search. Avoid signing a long lease remotely without seeing the property.
Some banks (PostFinance, Neon, Yuh) allow account opening before you have a Swiss address. Others require an appointment after registration. Having a Swiss IBAN is often required to sign a lease contract and receive salary.
Switzerland requires health insurance within 3 months of arrival. Compare premiums at priminfo.ch (the official federal comparison tool). Coverage is backdated, so research providers before you arrive to avoid rushed decisions.
2. Week 1 — the mandatory steps
These are legally required. Missing the 14-day registration deadline is the most common mistake new arrivals make.
Go to the Einwohnerkontrolle (German cantons) or contrôle des habitants (French cantons) with your passport, lease contract, and work permit. You will receive a confirmation that activates your permit. This is the most time-sensitive step in the entire process.
After commune registration, the cantonal migration office issues your physical permit card (typically within 2–4 weeks). Until it arrives, your commune registration confirmation serves as proof of legal residence.
School attendance is compulsory in Switzerland from age 4 (in most cantons). Contact the commune school administration on arrival — placement is based on age and language assessment.
Swiss mobile contracts are straightforward. Swisscom, Salt, and Sunrise are the main carriers. Prepaid SIMs are available at train stations. A Swiss number is often required for bank account setup and commune registration.
Can’t read your lease contract?
Swiss rental contracts are written in German, French, or Italian. Paste yours into livingease and get a plain-language translation in English or any other language — so you know exactly what you’re signing.
Translate my lease →3. Month 1 — getting settled
You have 3 months from arrival. Use priminfo.ch to compare. Basic insurance (Grundversicherung / assurance de base) is compulsory and covers a standardised set of treatments. Supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) is optional and covers extras like dental, private hospital rooms, and glasses.
Swiss landlords conduct a formal Wohnungsübergabe (handover inspection) when you move in. Document every existing defect — photos and written notes — and have the landlord or concierge sign off. This protects your deposit when you leave.
Foreign driving licences are valid in Switzerland for 12 months for EU/EFTA nationals and 1 year for others. After that, you must exchange for a Swiss licence at the cantonal road traffic office (Strassenverkehrsamt).
Once you have your commune registration confirmation, you can open accounts at any Swiss bank. UBS, Credit Suisse (now UBS), PostFinance, Raiffeisen, and Cantonal Banks are the main options. Digital banks (Neon, Zak, Yuh) have no fees and are popular with expats.
The SBB Half-Fare Card (Halbtax) pays for itself within weeks if you use trains regularly — it halves the price of every ticket. The GA (General Abonnement) gives unlimited travel on all public transport for CHF 3,860/year (2026 price).
4. Month 3 — finishing touches
Employed workers are taxed at source (Quellensteuer). Freelancers and self-employed expats must register with the cantonal tax authority. Switzerland has no national flat tax — rates vary significantly by canton.
If you are employed and earn more than CHF 22,050 per year, you are automatically enrolled in an occupational pension fund (BVG/LPP). Check your employer’s fund and understand your contribution rate.
Haftpflichtversicherung (liability insurance) is strongly recommended and required by many landlords — it covers accidental damage to the apartment. Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) covers your belongings. Both are affordable (≈ CHF 150–300/year combined).
InterNations, Meetup groups, and canton-specific Facebook expat groups are the fastest way to build a local network. Cities like Zurich and Geneva have large, active expat communities with regular events.
5. Job hunting in Switzerland
If you are arriving without a job offer, Switzerland’s job market is competitive but accessible — especially in finance, pharma, tech, and international organisations. The key is adapting your application materials to Swiss conventions immediately.
Swiss CV requirements
- Professional photo (top-right corner, page one)
- Nationality and permit status in personal details
- Written in the language of the canton where the job is located
- Maximum 2 pages — Swiss HR culture values concision
- ATS-compatible: single column, no tables or graphics, standard section headers
- Arbeitszeugnis or reference letters from previous employers
Most expats submit their existing CV without adapting it and get no responses. A single well-formatted Swiss CV converted by livingease takes minutes and significantly improves response rates.
Where to find jobs
- jobs.ch — the largest Swiss job board
- LinkedIn — most active for finance, tech, and international roles
- jobup.ch — strong for French-speaking Switzerland
- jobs.admin.ch — federal and cantonal government roles
- UN Jobs (unjobs.org) — for international organisations in Geneva
- Direct company websites — Novartis, Roche, UBS, ABB, Nestlé all post roles before third-party boards
Adapt your CV to the Swiss market
livingease rewrites your CV to Swiss ATS conventions, adds the correct format for your target canton, and outputs it in German, French, English, or Italian.
Optimise my CV →6. Your lease contract — what to check before signing
Swiss rental contracts (Mietvertrag in German, bail à loyer in French) are legally binding documents that run to 10–15 pages and contain clauses that differ significantly from rental norms in other countries. Many expats sign without fully understanding what they agree to.
Key clauses to check
- Notice period: Standard is 3 months, timed to fixed dates (end of March, June, September, December). Missing the deadline by one day means 3 extra months of rent.
- Deposit (Mietzinsdepot): Legally capped at 3 months’ net rent. Must be held in a blocked bank account in your name, not the landlord’s account.
- Nebenkosten (ancillary costs): Heating, water, and building costs are often listed separately. Confirm what is included in the monthly rent figure.
- Hausordnung: House rules governing noise (typically 10pm–7am), laundry schedules, shared spaces, and guest policies. Violations can result in formal warnings.
- Renovation obligations: Some contracts require you to repaint or restore certain elements on departure. Check what “normal wear and tear” covers under Swiss tenancy law (OR Art. 267).
If your lease is in German or French and you are not fluent, you are signing a legally binding document you may not fully understand. livingease translates your lease into plain English — clause by clause.
FAQ
How long do I have to register with my commune after arriving?
14 days. Registration at the Einwohnerkontrolle (German cantons) or contrôle des habitants (French cantons) is legally required within 14 days of arrival. Bring your passport, lease contract, and work permit.
Is health insurance mandatory in Switzerland?
Yes. Basic health insurance is compulsory for everyone living in Switzerland and must be arranged within 3 months of arrival. Coverage is backdated to your arrival date. Compare providers at priminfo.ch before choosing.
Can I understand my Swiss lease contract in English?
Swiss leases are in German, French, or Italian. livingease translates your lease into plain English or any other language so you know exactly what you are agreeing to before signing.
Do I need a Swiss CV to apply for jobs in Switzerland?
Yes. Swiss CVs follow specific conventions: professional photo, permit status declared, written in the canton language, maximum 2 pages, and ATS-optimised. livingease converts your existing CV to Swiss format automatically.