Moving to Switzerland goes more smoothly when you do things in the right order. This checklist covers the main steps, and each one links to a fuller guide.
Step 1: Sort out your right to live and work here
Your nationality decides the route. EU/EFTA citizens can generally move with a work contract and register with the cantonal office. Non-EU/EFTA citizens usually need an employer to apply for a permit on their behalf, with priority given to the Swiss and EU/EFTA workforce and annual quotas. Permits are handled by the cantonal migration offices, so check the rules for the canton where you plan to live.
Our Residence Permits guide explains the permit types (L, B, and C), and our Working in Switzerland guide covers job hunting and workplace culture.
Step 2: Plan your budget
Switzerland has some of the highest consumer prices in the world, and housing and mandatory health insurance are the biggest items. Costs also vary a lot between cities and smaller towns. Our Cost of Living guide explains what to budget for, and the Switzerland travel costs guide is useful if you are visiting before you move.
Step 3: Your first weeks, in order
- Register your address at the local residents’ registration office (Einwohnerkontrolle or Contrôle des habitants). Deadlines are set by the municipality or canton and are commonly around 14 days, so check yours as soon as you arrive. Bring your passport, your permit or work contract, and your rental agreement. The registration confirmation unlocks the next steps.
- Take out basic health insurance within three months of arriving. Coverage is backdated to your arrival date. See our Healthcare guide.
- Open a bank account. Most banks ask for your registration confirmation and residence permit, and digital banks such as Neon and Zak require a B or C permit. See our bank account guide.
- Set up utilities and a phone plan. Providers usually ask for your permit and a Swiss bank account for billing.
The Swiss authorities’ portal, ch.ch, and your canton’s website are the best places to confirm current rules and forms.
Step 4: Find a home
The rental market is tight, especially in Zürich and Geneva, so prepare a complete application file (a Mieterdossier) before you start viewing. It usually includes:
- A short cover letter and the agency’s application form.
- Proof of income, such as recent payslips or your employment contract. Landlords commonly look for rent of no more than about one third of gross income.
- A debt collection register extract (Betreibungsauszug), which you request from the local debt enforcement office (Betreibungsamt) once you are registered in your area.
- A copy of your residence permit.
The security deposit (Mietkaution) is usually up to three months’ rent, paid into a blocked bank account in your name. Notice periods and official moving dates can be restrictive, so read the contract carefully. Shared flats (WGs) and corporate apartments are common temporary options. Our Finding Accommodation guide covers the search in more detail.
Step 5: Settle in
Switzerland has four national languages, and which one you need depends on where you live. In German-speaking areas, many people will switch to standard German if you are learning, and English works in most big cities, but effort in the local language makes a real difference. See our Languages guide and our Culture and Etiquette guide.
Quiet hours are taken seriously in apartment buildings, and Sunday laundry and vacuuming are generally frowned upon. A friendly “Grüezi” in the hallway helps. Joining a local club (a Verein) for hiking, music, or sport is one of the best ways to meet people.
A simple timeline
- 1 to 3 months before you go: confirm your permit, gather and certify your documents, book flights, and get shipping quotes, since international moves can be expensive.
- First week: register your address, then start on insurance, the bank account, and housing.
- First three months: make sure health insurance is in place, collect your permit, and start building a social circle.
I’m Laura, a travel writer based in Zürich, and Switzerland is the place I know better than anywhere else. I moved here 9 years ago and haven’t stopped exploring it since.
Over the past 9 years I’ve made 40+ trips across every Swiss canton — from the Italian-speaking south of Ticino to the remote valleys of Graubünden to the lake towns of Romandy. I speak German, French and English fluently, which means I can read the local newspapers, argue with train conductors, and actually understand what the mountain guide is telling you when the weather turns.
Switzerland is a deceptively complex destination: four languages, 26 cantons, wildly different regional cultures, and a transport network so intricate it takes years to properly understand. I write to demystify all of it — whether you’re planning your first visit to Zermatt, deciding between Zürich and Geneva for a city break, or figuring out how to live here as a digital nomad or remote worker.
I also cover Central Europe for travellers who want to venture beyond the obvious — particularly the Czech Republic, Austria and the Alpine arc connecting Switzerland to its neighbours.
All About Swiss is my home base, where I publish in-depth guides to Swiss travel, life and culture. If it involves Switzerland, I’ve probably written about it, or I’m about to.