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Sebastian Deitert

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Moving to Switzerland – planned step by step

Tell us when you are moving. We will build your personal checklist from it, with every task, deadline and authority – from the employment contract to pillar 3a.

The day you move into your home in Switzerland. An approximate date is enough – you can change it at any time.

Your checklist

Every task with the date by which it should be done. Tick off what is finished – the red line shows where you stand today.

No date chosen yet

Enter your moving date above. The list will then show every task with its date.

Prepare

What needs to be settled before the move takes shape.

  1. 4 months before

    The signed employment contract is the basis for finding a home, the residence permit and health insurance.

  2. 3 months before

    Withholding tax (Quellensteuer) or ordinary assessment? The answer depends on your income, your canton and your family situation.

  3. 3 months before

    Put rent, health insurance and taxes side by side realistically before you commit to a flat.

    Open budget calculator

  4. 3 months before

    Needed for your salary, the rental deposit and standing orders. Sometimes possible even before the move.

  5. 3 months before

    Take it out before the move and bring it along – afterwards the low German premium is no longer available.

  6. 3 months before

    Cancel your German contracts in good time and have the Swiss connection ready for your move-in date – activation takes one to two weeks depending on the provider.

  7. 2 months before

    Both documents should still be valid for at least six months when you register in Switzerland.

  8. 2 months before

    Expect to apply several times. To get an offer you will need your employment contract and a copy of your ID.

Organise

Contracts, deadlines and the logistics of the move.

  1. 7 weeks before

    Check notice periods, service charges and whether a deposit of three months' rent is required.

  2. 6 weeks before

    An alternative to the blocked account: your money stays liquid instead of being tied up for three months' rent.

  3. 5 weeks before

    Cross-border moves are booked out early. Through our partnership with Zenith Umzüge you receive 5 % off your move from Germany to Switzerland – free of charge and without obligation, as a fixed-price quote.

    Request a move

  4. 3 weeks before

    The customs form for household effects, with a complete inventory – without it the import is not duty-free.

  5. 3 weeks before

    Cancel household, liability, motor and health insurance in good time – check your special right of termination.

  6. 2 weeks before

    You must be insured from your very first day, and you have up to three months after registering to sign up – with retroactive cover from your arrival. Decide now what suits you: deductible and model make a difference of several hundred francs a year. Your advisor takes care of the contract.

  7. 7 days before

    Have your Swiss policies start on moving day so that no gap in cover arises.

  8. Your moving date

    Moving to Switzerland

    From today Swiss deadlines apply: registration, residence permit and vehicle import all have fixed dates.

Arrive

Authorities, residence permit and pension planning in Switzerland.

  1. 14 days after

    Register in person within 14 days of arrival – with your employment contract, rental contract and a passport photo.

  2. 14 days after

    The municipality forwards your file to the cantonal migration office. Biometric data is recorded on site.

  3. 1 month after

    Vehicle import and change to Swiss number plates within one month of arrival.

  4. approx. 6–8 weeks

    The residence permit arrives by post. Only then can many contracts and subscriptions be used in full.

  5. 3 months after

    Swiss basic cover is thinner than the German one. Families close the gap privately.

  6. Ongoing

    Look at AHV, your pension fund and your German pension entitlements together – and close the gap with pillar 3a. Up to CHF 7’258 a year is tax-deductible, the biggest lever on your Swiss tax bill.

Save your checklist and continue later

We will send you a link to your checklist. Use it to open it again at any time – on any device, with your date and everything you have already ticked off.

Behind the link there is only your date, your destination and your ticks – no name and no address.

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