Moving to Switzerland checklist

Moving to Switzerland in 2026: The Ultimate Administrative and Customs Checklist

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By Brice DELHOME

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📌 In short: moving to Switzerland, the deadlines to meet
  • Moving to Switzerland starts at customs: to import your belongings free of VAT and customs duties, declare them as relocation goods with FOCBS form 18.44; you must have used them personally for at least 6 months abroad and continue to use them in Switzerland. Customs clearance takes place in principle Monday to Friday, during the opening hours of customs offices intended for commercial goods traffic (on Saturday mornings only at certain large offices).
  • 14 days after arrival to register with the municipality: registering with the residents' registration office validates your address and starts the issuing of your residence permit.
  • 3 months after registering with the municipality to join a KVG/LAMal health insurer: basic health insurance is mandatory; if you join within this period, cover starts on the date of your registration and premiums are due from that day.
  • Housing and vehicle: the rental deposit, up to 3 months' rent, is paid into a blocked account in your name. A car imported as relocation goods must get Swiss license plates within 12 months, a deadline that also applies to exchanging your driver's license.
  • Converting your funds at the right rate: a home bank often applies an exchange margin of 1.5% to 3% on a transfer to Switzerland. A currency exchange specialist such as ibani adds to the market rate a margin published on its rates page.

Moving to Switzerland to work or retire is an exciting project, but one that often confronts newcomers with precise and highly decentralized bureaucracy (cantonal and communal). To succeed in your integration, anticipation is key.

Here is the comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the administrative, customs, cantonal, and financial procedures you need to complete for a smooth relocation to Switzerland.

Table of Contents

  1. What does the rejection of the "10 million Switzerland" initiative change in 2026?
  2. What should you prepare before leaving: housing and customs?
  3. Which cantonal specificities should you know?
  4. What should you do during the first week: municipality and bank?
  5. What should you settle in the first three months: KVG/LAMal, vehicle and insurance?
  6. How can you pay your deposit while keeping exchange costs down?

1. What does the rejection of the "10 million Switzerland" initiative change in 2026?

Before turning to customs matters, a word on the 2026 political context on migration.

The federal popular initiative "No to a Switzerland with 10 million! (Sustainability Initiative)", launched by the SVP/UDC, demanded that the permanent resident population not exceed 10 million people before 2050, with mandatory measures (notably on asylum and family reunification) from a threshold of 9.5 million inhabitants. Put to the vote on 14 June 2026, it was rejected with 54.8% voting no and by a majority of the cantons.

Expert Advice: The rejection of the initiative does not change the steps described in this guide. For EU/EFTA nationals, a residence permit still depends on an employment contract or sufficient financial means. Planning your move early remains the best way to meet the deadlines that follow.

2. What should you prepare before leaving: housing and customs?

Proving your right to reside

Thanks to bilateral agreements, settling is easy for EU/EFTA nationals, provided they prove their means of subsistence. The fundamental document is your Swiss employment contract. If it is open-ended or for at least 12 months (365 days), you will obtain a B Permit (residence). For shorter contracts, it will be an L Permit. For persons without gainful employment (retirees, pensioners), proof of sufficient capital is required by the Cantonal Population Office.

Housing search and rental guarantee

The Swiss rental market is extremely competitive. Your application must absolutely contain your employment contract, your ID, and a certificate of solvency from your country of origin.

The rental guarantee (Deposit): In Switzerland, the deposit for a home cannot legally exceed 3 months' rent (art. 257e CO). It must be deposited into a blocked bank account in your name. If you do not have this amount in cash, surety companies can act as guarantors for an annual premium.

Customs formalities (The opening-hours trap)

Unlike a simple tourist crossing, moving involves legally transforming your belongings (furniture, vehicles) into "relocation goods" to avoid paying Swiss VAT (8.1%) on their value.

The 4 mandatory documents to gather:

  1. Form 18.44: To be downloaded from the FOCBS website, filled out, and signed in duplicate.
  2. Inventory of your goods: A detailed list (in duplicate) of the imported objects.
  3. Proof of transfer of domicile: Your Swiss employment contract or your lease.
  4. Proof of original domicile: A departure certificate from your foreign municipality.

The strict 6-month rule: To benefit from the duty-free allowance, you must have personally used the objects for at least 6 months abroad and continue to use them in Switzerland.

Beware of opening hours: Customs clearance of household effects can only be carried out during the opening hours of customs offices intended for commercial goods traffic (in principle Monday to Friday; on Saturday mornings, only certain large customs offices clear household effects). Turning up at the weekend without checking the opening hours of your chosen office can leave you stuck at the border.

3. Which cantonal specificities should you know?

Switzerland is a federal state made up of 26 cantons, which enjoy very strong autonomy. Your place of residence will have a direct and massive impact on your budget and your daily life:

  • Taxation: Income tax varies by a factor of two depending on the canton and municipality. The cantons of Zug or Schwyz offer the lowest rates, while Geneva, Vaud, or Neuchâtel are among the most taxed.
  • Health insurance: The cost of basic insurance (KVG/LAMal) depends on your place of residence. Settling in the canton of Vaud or Geneva will often cost you much more in monthly premiums than living in Valais or Uri.
  • The school system: Although intercantonal agreements have harmonized much of compulsory schooling, education remains a cantonal competence (school holiday dates, class schedules).

4. What should you do during the first week: municipality and bank?

Registering with the residents' control

This is the most critical step. You have a maximum of 14 days after your arrival to register personally at the residents' registration office of your municipality of residence. It is this registration that validates your address and triggers the production of your credit card-format residence permit.

Opening a Swiss bank account

In order to receive your salary, pay your bills (which are settled by "QR-bill"), and your rent, you need an account with a "CH" IBAN. The municipal registration certificate will be required to finalize the opening, whether with a traditional bank (UBS, ZKB, BCGE) or a neobank (Yuh, Neon). Our guide to opening a bank account in Switzerland compares institutions, their fees and the documents required from a new resident.

5. What should you settle in the first three months: KVG/LAMal, vehicle and insurance?

Basic health insurance (KVG/LAMal)

The Swiss healthcare system is managed by private funds. Basic insurance (KVG/LAMal) is mandatory. You have 3 months to affiliate with the fund of your choice; for foreign nationals, this period runs from registration with the residents' registration office. Affiliation has a retroactive effect: if you join within the deadline, cover starts on the date of your registration and premiums are due from that day, even if you subscribe on the last day of the deadline.

The main costs on top of the premium: each year, a deductible of at least 300 CHF for an adult, which you can raise to 2,500 CHF in exchange for a lower premium (for a child, no compulsory deductible, optional deductible up to 600 CHF), then a co-payment of 10% of the costs above the deductible, capped at 700 CHF a year for an adult and 350 CHF for a child (KVG/LAMal, art. 64; KVV/OAMal, art. 93 and 103, French text). To compare the annual cost of each deductible based on the premiums in your offer, use the LAMal deductible calculator.

Importing your vehicle and driver's license

If you imported your car as relocation goods, customs gave you form 13.20 A. You have a period of 12 months to regularize your situation:

  1. Exchange your foreign driver's license for a Swiss license at the cantonal Vehicle Office.
  2. Obtain Swiss license plates. The vehicle must pass a strict technical inspection.
  3. Take out Swiss car insurance.

Summary of the deadlines for settling in:

StepDeadline or conditionBasis
Import your belongings duty-free (form 18.44)No VAT (8.1%) or customs duties, if used personally for at least 6 months abroad; clearance during the opening hours of commercial customs officesFOCBS
Register with the residents' office14 days after arrivalSEM
Take out KVG/LAMal health insurance3 months, retroactive to the date of registrationKVG/LAMal art. 3; KVV/OAMal art. 7
Rent depositAt most 3 months' rent, in a blocked accountCode of Obligations art. 257e
Exchange your driver's license and register your vehicle12 monthsVZV/OAC art. 42; FOCBS (form 13.20 A)

6. How can you pay your deposit while keeping exchange costs down?

Moving to Switzerland involves a significant financial flow. Whether it's paying your rental guarantee (up to 3 months' rent, often between CHF 4,000 and 8,000), buying furniture, or importing your savings to start, you will have to convert foreign currencies (Euros, Dollars) into Swiss Francs.

Beware of the banks' hidden margin (Spread)

If you ask your home bank to make an international transfer to your new Swiss account, it will apply its own exchange rate. This exchange margin (Spread) often varies between 1.5% and 3%. On a transfer of 10,000 euros, this margin amounts to between 150 and 300 euros. This money is lost for your installation.

The Fintech alternative: ibani.com

To transfer your relocation funds to Switzerland (or subsequently repatriate your salaries to the Eurozone), you can use a currency exchange specialist.

By creating a free account on ibani, you benefit from a personal Swiss IBAN. You send your funds to this IBAN, we convert them at the real market rate with a margin published on our rates page, and the money is then paid into your Swiss account.

SELLEUR xxx
xxx BUYEUR
  • Our transfer fees: CHF 0
  • Our exchange margin: 0.40%
  • Final exchange rate: 1.1636
  • You'll save on average now
Transfer my relocation funds

Secure account creation in 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Settling in Switzerland

No. The customs clearance of household effects (form 18.44) can only be done during the opening hours of "commercial" customs offices (in principle Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings only at certain large customs offices). Clearance on a Sunday or at night is therefore not possible.

The "Declaration/Application for clearance of relocation goods" (form 18.44) is the official FOCBS document allowing you to import your furniture, clothing, and personal vehicles duty-free (without paying VAT or customs duties), provided you have used them personally for at least 6 months before the move and continue to use them in Switzerland.

The popular initiative "No to a Switzerland with 10 million! (Sustainability Initiative)" demanded that Switzerland's permanent resident population not exceed 10 million people before 2050. It was rejected in the popular vote of 14 June 2026, with 54.8% voting no, and by a majority of the cantons. For EU/EFTA nationals, residence permits are still granted under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons.

Yes, the system is private but affiliation with basic insurance (KVG/LAMal) is mandatory. You have 3 months to join, counted from the date you take up residence in Switzerland (for foreign nationals, from registration with the residents' registration office); if you join within this period, cover applies retroactively from that date.

Official sources

Need help with your first transfers?

Moving the other way? Our checklist for leaving Switzerland covers the departure notice, pension savings and taxes for the year of departure.

Our Geneva-based team is used to assisting newcomers (individuals, families, and businesses) in optimizing their cross-border financial flows.

We are at your disposal by email or phone from Monday to Friday.

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