Checklist for moving to Switzerland: the key steps and deadlines

Moving to Switzerland is an administratively demanding undertaking. Several authorities — the network of Swiss representations abroad, the cantonal migration office, the residents' registration office of the municipality of residence — work in concert, and federal law attaches binding deadlines to entry. Anyone who misses one of these deadlines risks delays in the permit procedure or a coverage gap in the mandatory health insurance. This article sets out the steps chronologically: preparation before departure, the first days after arrival, and the longer-term integration steps. It explains the legal situation in general terms and replaces neither the information provided by the competent migration office nor individual legal advice. What is decisive in the individual case is always the rules and the practice of the canton of residence; the deadlines mentioned here are points of reference, not a conclusive assurance.

Phase 1: Before departure

The most consequential decisions are set before the journey even begins. The right permit category, certified documents and — in a tight housing market — accommodation require lead time. Starting early is not a recommendation but a practical necessity.

Clarifying the permit category

Switzerland has two fundamentally different admission systems. Nationals of EU/EFTA states fall under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681) and the associated Ordinance on the Introduction of the Free Movement of Persons (OFMP); they can register with comparatively little paperwork. Third-country nationals are admitted under the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, SR 142.20) — admission for gainful employment is governed in particular by Art. 18 FNIA (employed gainful activity), Art. 19 FNIA (self-employed gainful activity) and Art. 21 FNIA, whereby for an engagement priority must as a rule be demonstrated for domestic as well as EU/EFTA workers (Art. 21 FNIA). The type of permit — usually a B residence permit or an L short-term permit — determines the rights regarding gainful activity, family reunification (Art. 42–47 FNIA) and change of canton (Art. 37 FNIA).

Which category applies to a specific situation depends on nationality, purpose of stay and employment situation and cannot be answered across the board. An overview of the permit types as well as details on the C settlement permit can be found in the further articles.

Obtaining and certifying documents

The Swiss authorities require different documents depending on the type of permit. Originals and certified copies should be ready early, since apostilles and certified translations can take several weeks.

• valid passport or identity card (EU/EFTA)
• biometric passport photos according to the specifications of the issuing body; the format required in each case is to be enquired about at the competent migration office or at the document-issuing office
• employment contract or a binding letter of intent from a Swiss employer
• diplomas and proof of training, with apostille or legalisation where necessary
• civil-status certificates (birth certificate and, where applicable, marriage certificate)
• criminal-record extract from the state of residence; the maximum permitted age of the extract is specified by the competent migration office
• proof of sufficient financial means, where there is no gainful activity (cf. Art. 27 FNIA for educational stays and Art. 30 para. 1 let. b FNIA for hardship cases)
• certified translations into the official language of the canton of residence, where required

States that are party to the Hague Convention of 1961 use the apostille. If a document originates from a non-contracting state, diplomatic legalisation via the competent Swiss representation is required. Which states are party to the Convention is maintained by the Hague Conference on Private International Law; the current status is to be checked against the official list of members before obtaining documents.

Applying for a visa (third-country nationals)

Third-country nationals apply for a national visa (type D) at the Swiss representation abroad in their state of residence. In parallel, the Swiss employer submits the application to the cantonal labour-market authority. The visa is issued only after the canton has given assurance of the permit; for the admission of third-country nationals to gainful employment, maximum numbers (quotas) apply under Art. 19 FNIA and the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Employment (OASA, SR 142.201, in particular Art. 19 OASA and the following provisions). The specific quotas, fees and processing times vary and are to be enquired about at the competent migration office and at the representation abroad.

Nationals of EU/EFTA states do not need a visa for entry. However, they must register on time after arrival (see Phase 2).

Looking for accommodation

The Swiss rental market is tight, especially in the larger agglomerations; the vacancy rate there is very low in many places. The respective current figure for a particular region is published by the Federal Statistical Office. Most landlords require a complete application dossier with proof of income, an extract from the debt-collection register, references and a copy of the employment contract. Residence in the municipality is a prerequisite for registration — no address, no registration.

• research the rent level in the target canton and set the overall budget realistically
• prepare a complete application dossier
• register on the common housing platforms and take up viewing appointments quickly
• budget for the rental deposit; its amount is limited by law and is usually held in a blocked rental-deposit account (cf. Art. 257e of the Code of Obligations (OR), SR 220)

Phase 2: The first 14 days after arrival

The first two weeks are the most administratively intense. Federal law sets the central deadline here, and registration triggers a chain of further obligations.

Registering with the residents' registration office

Anyone who requires a permit under the law on foreign nationals must register with the competent authority before the permit-free period expires, but in any case before taking up employment; registration takes place with the residents' registration office (depending on the region also called the residents' services or contrôle des habitants) of the municipality of residence. The federal-law duty to register arises from Art. 12 FNIA; the specific deadline — frequently 14 days from entry — is determined by cantonal implementing law and is to be checked with the canton of residence before entry. What is decisive is always the deadline of the canton of residence. This registration is the legal basis of the stay.

Documents usually to be brought for registration:

• valid passport or identity card (EU/EFTA)
• visa or assurance of the permit (third-country nationals)
• tenancy agreement or confirmation of residence
• passport photos
• civil-status certificates, where family members are registered at the same time
• employment contract

After registration, the foreign nationals' identity card is issued or sent; the processing time varies by canton. The card serves as an identity document within Switzerland.

Obtaining the permit

Nationals of EU/EFTA states with an employment contract of one year or longer as a rule receive a B residence permit, and an L short-term permit for a shorter engagement (AFMP and OFMP). For third-country nationals, the cantonal migration office determines the type of permit on the basis of the visa assurance. The permit is usually produced by the migration office after registration and sent by post.

Bank account and mobile number

A Swiss bank account is needed for receiving salary, paying rent and standing orders. Opening documents are usually a passport, foreign nationals' identity card (or confirmation of registration) and proof of residence. A local mobile number is also needed for two-factor authentication in dealings with banks and authorities; prepaid cards are available immediately, while contracts require an identity check. This article recommends no particular providers and compares no terms.

Phase 3: Within the first three months

After registration comes the second binding time window: joining the mandatory health insurance and the remaining administrative steps.

Health insurance (KVG/LAMal)

Every person resident in Switzerland is obliged to join the mandatory health-care insurance (basic insurance under the Health Insurance Act (KVG), SR 832.10) within three months of taking up residence. Insurance cover applies retroactively from the day residence is taken up. Anyone who misses the deadline is assigned to an insurer by the competent cantonal body.

In the area of basic insurance, insurers are obliged to accept applicants (obligation to admit). The official, cantonally differentiated information on premiums and models is provided by the Confederation at priminfo.admin.ch (https://www.priminfo.admin.ch). This article names no insurers, no premium amounts and makes no price or provider comparison.

AHV/AVS and occupational pension

In the case of an engagement, the employer registers the employed person with the AHV/AVS and — from the statutory thresholds — with the pension fund (occupational pension). The social-security number is assigned in the format 756.XXXX.XXXX.XX and is used throughout dealings with authorities and insurers. Self-employed persons register with the competent compensation fund.

Further steps in the first quarter

• Electricity, internet, reception fee: Supply is organised via the municipality or the local utilities. The device-independent levy for radio and television is invoiced automatically after registration; the current tariff is to be obtained from the competent collection agency.
• Waste disposal: Many municipalities use chargeable refuse sacks; recycling is mostly free of charge. The municipal rules are announced by the municipality.
• Driving licence: Foreign driving licences entitle the holder to drive vehicles only during a limited transitional period after taking up residence; thereafter the licence must be converted with the cantonal road-traffic authority. The applicable deadline and the question of whether a control drive is required are governed by federal road-traffic legislation and are to be checked with the cantonal road-traffic office. From EU/EFTA states and certain recognised states, conversion is as a rule carried out without a test; from other states a control drive may be required. The list of recognised states and the current deadline are to be checked with the competent office before expiry.

Overview: step and deadline

The following table summarises the central steps and their deadlines. The deadlines and consequences mentioned are kept general; what is decisive is always the rules of the canton of residence.

Phase 4: Settling in and integration

Once the immediate obligations are met, the longer-term integration process begins. The FNIA attaches considerable weight to integration: the integration criteria (Art. 58a FNIA) must be taken into account, among other things, when renewing the residence permit (Art. 33 FNIA) and when granting the settlement permit (Art. 34 para. 2 FNIA and Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA). How these criteria are weighted in the individual case lies, within the framework of the law, within the assessment discretion of the competent authority; an entitlement or a particular consequence cannot be derived from them across the board.

Learning the national language

Switzerland has four national languages. Which one takes precedence in everyday life and in dealings with the authorities is determined by the canton of residence. In the German-speaking part, Swiss German is spoken orally, while the written language and formal dealings take place in standard German.

Language skills are of growing importance under the law on foreign nationals. The FNIA names proven language competences as part of the integration criteria (Art. 58a FNIA in conjunction with Art. 77d OASA, SR 142.201, on the recognised proofs of language); the levels expected for renewal or for settlement arise from the federal-law requirements and cantonal practice and are to be clarified with the canton of residence before an application. Many cantons offer language courses as part of their integration programmes. Details on the C settlement permit can be found in the further article.

School and childcare

In the case of a move with children, enrolment in school is as a rule handled via the municipality of residence. School attendance is compulsory and free of charge at the public school; the school system is organised cantonally, which is why curricula and structures differ from canton to canton. Supplementary childcare (day-care centre) is subject to charges and in many places associated with waiting lists; early registration is advisable. Specific tariffs and availabilities are announced by the municipality or the competent cantonal body.

Taxes: the essentials

In Switzerland, taxes are levied at three levels (Confederation, canton, municipality). Gainfully employed persons without a settlement permit — typically holders of a B or L permit — are in principle subject to withholding tax on their employment income, which is deducted directly from the salary by the employer and remitted to the competent cantonal tax authority. The withholding taxation is levied and administered cantonally; it is based on the federal tax harmonisation and on cantonal tax legislation. Above a certain threshold or upon application, a subsequent ordinary assessment with a tax return is carried out; in the case of settlement, ordinary assessment applies. The relevant threshold and the modalities arise from the applicable law and the practice of the cantonal tax authority and are to be enquired about there. This article explains only the system; it makes no comparison of the tax burden and gives no recommendation on tax planning or on the choice of canton or municipality.

Participating in community life

Integration goes beyond the administrative fulfilment of obligations. Associations play an important role in social life, and many municipalities organise welcome events for newcomers. Taking part in local life can ease the transition; participation in economic, social and cultural life is one of the integration criteria named in the law (Art. 58a FNIA).

Notes on special situations

Not every stay proceeds along the gainful-employment track. Family reunification is subject to its own conditions and deadlines (Art. 42–47 FNIA); for spouses of persons holding a settlement permit, Art. 43 FNIA is relevant, and on dissolution of the family unit Art. 50 FNIA may come into play. Whether an entitlement exists in the specific case is assessed by the competent authority.

Persons from the asylum sphere (N, F, S permits) are subject to the Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31) — for example the assignment to a canton (Art. 27 AsylA) — as well as to the special provisions of the FNIA. A change of canton is governed by Art. 37 FNIA. The revocation and the lapsing of permits are regulated in Art. 61 FNIA, Art. 62 FNIA and Art. 63 FNIA; these provisions cover in particular grounds for revocation such as serious breaches of public security and order. Debts or open debt-collection proceedings do not on their own lead to revocation; they may at most have an indirect effect via the assessment of the integration criteria. These provisions are merely named here; their application to an individual case is a matter for the competent migration office.

Anyone who later seeks naturalisation finds the federal-law conditions in the Swiss Citizenship Act (BüG, SR 141.0) — in particular the duration of residence (Art. 9 SCA), the integration requirements (Art. 11 SCA), the grounds for exclusion relating to internal or external security (Art. 12 SCA) as well as facilitated naturalisation (Art. 20 SCA and Art. 21 SCA) — and in the Citizenship Ordinance (BüV, SR 141.01), which specifies, for example, the required proofs of language (Art. 6 (SR 141.01) BüV). The Swiss Citizenship Act and the Citizenship Ordinance are separate enactments: the duration of residence and integration are regulated by the Act (SR 141.0), the language requirement by the Ordinance (SR 141.01). The cantonal and communal criteria — including in part their own residence deadlines — are additional and are to be enquired about with the canton of residence or with the municipality of residence.

Consolidated checklist

• determine the permit category (B, L, C or EU/EFTA registration)
• obtain, translate and certify documents
• apply for a national visa (type D), where required
• secure accommodation and conclude a tenancy agreement
• register with the residents' registration office on time and before taking up employment (deadline under cantonal law)
• open a bank account and set up salary payments
• join the basic insurance (KVG/LAMal) within three months — information at priminfo.admin.ch
• ensure AHV/AVS registration (employer) or, as a self-employed person, carry it out yourself
• organise supply and the reception fee
• convert the driving licence on time (check the deadline with the cantonal road-traffic office)
• enrol children in school or childcare
• begin a language course in the official language of the canton
• clarify the tax system (withholding tax or ordinary assessment)
• take part in community life

Every move to Switzerland proceeds differently. Nationality, employment situation, family constellation and canton of residence determine which steps apply in which order. What is binding in the individual case is always the information provided by the competent cantonal migration office.

Note: This article explains the legal situation in general terms and is not individual legal advice within the meaning of the Federal Act on the Freedom of Movement of Lawyers (Lawyers Act, BGFA, SR 935.61).