You land with two suitcases, a rental contract and a long list. The good news about moving to Switzerland as a citizen of the EU or EFTA is that the sequence is short and well defined. The surprise is that almost everything runs through your canton and your commune, not through one national office, so the names of the counters change between Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich while the logic stays the same.
This guide gives you the order of the first months. Each step links to a deeper article when the topic deserves one.
What should you do before moving to Switzerland?
Three things save time later. Keep a list of your documents: valid passport or ID card, your employment contract or proof of funds, and a rental contract or an address where you will live. If you will work, ask your employer for the contract or a work certificate, because that is what the canton asks for. Bring your European Health Insurance Card for the first weeks. It covers necessary care during a temporary stay, not an installation.
Finally, remember that Switzerland is not in the EU. Its relations with the EU run through bilateral agreements, so some European protections you take for granted, such as the right to a basic bank account, do not apply here. We come back to that in bank account in Switzerland.
How do you register in Switzerland?
Register at the contrôle des habitants (the residents' registration office, called Einwohnerkontrolle in German-speaking Switzerland) of your commune, or at your cantonal population office. In Geneva this is the OCPM, in Vaud the Service de la population, in Zurich the Migrationsamt for foreign nationals.
The SEM gives the rule for EU and EFTA nationals: if you will work for more than three months, register within 14 days of arriving and before you start work. Self-employed people must also register within 14 days and cannot start their activity before the required documents are filed. For a short job of up to three months in a calendar year, there is no residence permit, but your employer has to notify your stay online by the day before you start.
One trap: the canton of Geneva's own pages do not match the federal rule. The SEM gives 14 days after arrival for EU and EFTA nationals, with or without a job. Geneva's OCPM page for EU and EFTA nationals says instead that a stay of more than three months requires a permit application filed before any activity begins, and does not mention 14 days, while the canton's newcomer page speaks of three months. Follow the SEM's 14 days and register as soon as you arrive, and the question disappears.
Which permit will you get?
The canton issues it, and it is valid across Switzerland. For employees:
- L permit: a contract of three months to under a year, valid for the length of the contract.
- B permit: a contract of a year or more, an open-ended contract, or proven self-employment. It is valid five years and can be extended.
- C permit: settlement, in principle after five years for nationals of the older EU member states and EFTA, ten years for the others, with a check within five years.
If you do not work (retirees, students), you ask for a B permit, provided you have enough money and insurance covering all risks. The fee for the whole procedure is capped by the Confederation at CHF 65 for EU or EFTA citizens; your commune gives you the exact amount. Our dedicated article, Swiss residence permit for EU citizens, covers each permit in detail.
Many readers hesitate at this point: which permit applies to a mix of freelance work and a part-time contract, or how a spouse and children are treated. Moovy can walk you through your own situation and tell you which official page to check, but the canton remains the authority that decides.
When do you need health insurance?
Within three months of taking up residence. The law (LAMal, article 3) makes basic insurance compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. If you sign up within the deadline, cover starts on the day you arrive, or on the day you start work. After the deadline it starts only on the date you join, and you can be charged a supplement. Compare the funds on the official site priminfo.ch, then read health insurance in Switzerland before you choose a deductible.
What about your number, your tax and your bank?
- AHV number: your 13-digit social security number, starting with 756, is normally assigned automatically when you settle. You find it on your health insurance card. See AHV number in Switzerland.
- Tax: with an L or B permit and a salary, your employer normally deducts tax at source and pays the canton. With a C permit you file an annual return. Your canton's tax office tells you the rate and the deadlines.
- Bank: most banks want your residence permit and an address before they open a current account in Swiss francs.
What about your car, your children and daily admin?
Your foreign driving licence is valid for 12 months after you take up residence, after which it must be exchanged at your canton's vehicle office. Your car must be cleared through customs and registered, and motorway driving needs the CHF 40 vignette. Check the steps with the customs authority and your cantonal vehicle office.
School is a cantonal matter: ages, calendar and language of instruction depend on where you live. Public school is free. Read schools in Switzerland for expat children before you pick a commune.
A federal electronic ID (e-ID, with the swiyu app) is planned for residents with a valid permit, but on 30 June 2026 the Confederation postponed its launch without a new date, so do not count on it for now.
What does a move to Switzerland checklist look like?
Here is the order that works for most EU and EFTA newcomers. Treat it as a skeleton and adjust it to your canton.
Before you arrive
- Gather your passport or ID card, contract or proof of funds, and proof of an address.
- Ask your pension body for form S1 if you are a retiree who receives a pension from an EU country but none from Switzerland; it can exempt you from the Swiss insurance obligation.
- Keep your European Health Insurance Card in your bag for the first weeks.
In the first two weeks
- Register at the commune or cantonal population office, before you start work.
- Collect your permit application documents and ask which counter handles fees.
- Start comparing health funds on priminfo.ch.
Within three months
- Take out basic health insurance, and add accident cover if your employer does not provide it. Employees who work at least eight hours a week for one employer are covered against accidents through that employer, in which case the official guidance suggests you can exclude accident cover from your health policy.
- Open a bank account once you have your permit and an address.
- Find out whether your employer deducts tax at source and what the rate is in your canton.
Within the first year
- Exchange your driving licence at the cantonal vehicle office, within 12 months of taking up residence.
- Register your car with Swiss plates no later than one year after you move, once the customs formalities are done.
- Ask your commune about local rules on rubbish bags, quiet hours and the school calendar.
None of this requires a lawyer. It does require patience with forms, and a habit of keeping every certificate in one folder. Your commune is usually friendlier than its website suggests, and many offices have an English-speaking counter in the big cities.
What are the mistakes to avoid when moving to Switzerland?
- Starting work before registering. The registration must come first.
- Missing the health insurance deadline. You lose the backdating and may pay a supplement.
- Assuming one rule for the whole country. Procedures, office names, fees, tax and school calendars change between cantons.
- Waiting for a reform. The SEM mentions an updated free movement agreement that is not yet in force. Check the current rules before you leave.
In an emergency, dial 144 (ambulance), 118 (fire), 117 (police) or 112 (international number).