Moving to Switzerland: what to arrange, and by when
Enter your arrival date and your situation. The checklist shows each step with its deadline, from the permit to the end of your first year. No account needed; what you tick stays in your browser.
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Enter your arrival date to see each deadline as a date.
Before arrival
Secure housing (permanent or temporary)
Start early: popular areas get many applications. A furnished or temporary flat for the first months is common.
Arrange liability and household contents insurance
Personal liability insurance is voluntary but strongly recommended, and many landlords ask for it when you apply for a flat. Contents insurance covers your belongings. If you are already insured, report your new address to the insurer.
Gather your documents
Passport or ID, employment contract, diplomas and work references, birth or marriage certificates. Some communes want certified copies or translations.
First weeks
Register with your commune
Within 14 days of arriving and before you start work. Bring your passport, contract, rental agreement and a photo; the commune passes on the permit application.
Open a Swiss bank account
Your employer needs it to pay your salary. Compare account fees first.
Get a Swiss mobile number
Banks, the commune and landlords will ask for one.
Take out basic health insurance
Within three months of arriving; cover and premiums are backdated. Compare premiums by deductible and model. If you work at least 8 hours a week for one employer, accidents are covered through work and you can ask your insurer to leave accident cover out.
Within the first year
Pay into pillar 3a (optional)
Payments by 31 December reduce your taxable income: up to CHF 7’258 in 2026 if you have a pension fund.
Decide on a full tax assessment
Taxed at source: apply by 31 March for a full assessment if you want to claim deductions. Above CHF 120’000 gross it is mandatory.
Exchange your driving licence
A foreign licence is valid for 12 months after you move here. EU/EEA licences are exchanged without a test.
Renew your B permit
A B EU/EFTA permit is valid for five years; apply to the canton before it expires. An L permit ends with the contract.
What you can do here
The calculators are open to everyone. A free account keeps your work on every device; the paid products look at your own case.
Without an account
- Every step with its date and the official links
- Ticks kept in this browser
Free account
- Progress kept with your account, on every device
- Calendar files and email reminders for every date
Offer Decision Report and Swiss Year Planner
- Questions answered from official sources (Prepare for this)
- Letters explained and messages drafted (Write & Understand)
- Yearly checks and dates for your household
Your entries and ticks are stored only in this browser, so that you can continue later. Clear your browser data to remove them.
Questions
When do I have to register with the commune?
In general within 14 days of arriving, and before you start work. Bring your passport or ID, the employment contract and the rental agreement; the commune passes on the permit application.
When do I need Swiss health insurance?
Basic health insurance is compulsory. You have three months from your arrival to take it out; cover and premiums are backdated to the day of arrival.
Do I need a permit before I arrive?
EU/EFTA nationals can arrive and register; the permit is issued after registration. UK and other nationals need an approved work permit first: the employer applies to the canton, and you travel only after the approval.
How am I taxed in my first year?
Foreign employees without a C permit are usually taxed at source through the payroll. Above a gross salary of CHF 120’000 a full assessment is mandatory; below it you can apply for one by 31 March of the following year to claim deductions.
General information from official sources, checked in October 2026; not legal or tax advice. Rules can differ by canton and commune; your commune and the cantonal migration office have the final word.