RelokeaMoving to Switzerland: decide, then settle in
Moving your life to Switzerland isn’t shifting boxes: it’s shifting a future. This hub covers the decision (cross-border or resident? which canton?) and settling in (permit, housing, insurance, bank) — verified 2026 figures.
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First: resident or cross-border?
It’s THE structuring decision, and it can be calculated. Resident: ordinary Swiss tax (canton + municipality + federal), compulsory LAMal, Swiss rents. Cross-border: tax regime by canton and country, often lower rent near the border, daily commutes. The right choice depends on your salary, your family, your canton — not on a forum’s generalities.
Before leaving: your profession and your file
What is your profession worth in Switzerland?
Real salary by canton, documented demand (SECO index), recognition of your diploma (CRS, SERI) — the three questions to settle before applying.
The Swiss CV
Nine codes separate the French CV from the Swiss CV — photo, permit, references, CEFR. The format that gets your file read.
The settling-in path
1. Residence permit
EU/EFTA citizens: Permit L (short stay) or B (residence), initiated with the employment contract. Registration with the municipality is done within 14 days of arrival.
2. Housing
The Swiss rental application file is demanding: debt-collection extract, certificates, guarantees. A complete, clean file makes the difference in a tight market.
3. Insurance
LAMal compulsory within 3 months (retroactive to the day of arrival), liability/home insurance strongly expected by letting agencies, 2nd pillar automatic via the employer.
4. Banking and budget
Swiss account from hiring, a real budget: the salary impresses, so does the cost of living — calculate what’s left to live on, not the gross.
Relokea supports you from decision to settling in: the Decision Engine compares your scenarios (cross-border vs resident, canton by canton) on the 2026 rates, and the Swiss Dossier prepares each document.
Official sources
- SEM — Permit B/L, arrival registration (accessed 16.07.2026)
- FOPH — LAMal premiums 2026 (accessed 16.07.2026)
- AVS/AI — employee contributions 2026 (accessed 16.07.2026)
- ch.ch — settling-in procedures (accessed 16.07.2026)
All the guides in this path
Swiss permits: which one, and what it costs (2026)
The eight Swiss permits, who may work on each, the C permit at five or ten years, and the real five-year cost for a family.
2nd pillar (LPP): your pension when you leave Switzerland
Leaving Switzerland: to the EU/EFTA, your 2nd pillar's mandatory part stays locked; outside the EU/EFTA, full withdrawal is possible. Steps and tax (2026).
Working in Switzerland with a non-EU passport: quotas (2026)
Non-European passport: your access to the Swiss labour market is capped. B and L permits by canton, federal reserve, quarterly release. 2026 edition.
Moving to Switzerland: registration and the first 14 days
Register with your commune within 14 days, B/L permit, health insurance within 3 months and backdated, liability cover, transport: the exact sequence.
Swiss rental file: the documents that win a flat (2026)
The Swiss rental market is won on paperwork: debt-enforcement extract, rent guarantee with or without a deposit, and the disqualifying mistakes.