Administrative steps when moving house in Switzerland

Moving house in Switzerland involves many administrative steps, and it is important to plan them in advance. Whether you are moving within the same municipality, to another canton or from abroad, the formalities vary, but some obligations cannot be avoided.

The first mandatory step is to report your departure. You must notify the residents' registration office (contrôle des habitants) of your current municipality, in principle before you move; the procedure varies from one municipality to another. In many municipalities, you can report your departure and arrival online through the eDéménagementCH (eUmzugCH) service. Swiss citizens in principle collect their certificate of origin (acte d'origine) to hand in at the new municipality, but many municipalities forward it directly.

You must register in your new municipality of residence within 14 days of moving in (art. 11 of the Register Harmonisation Act). The documents required vary by municipality; they generally include an identity document, the certificate of origin for Swiss citizens, the lease or title deed, the family record book if applicable and a health insurance certificate. Foreign nationals must also present their residence permit.

Remember to update your address with many organisations: health insurance (your premium is adjusted to your new premium region, but moving does not give you an extraordinary right to change insurer), other insurance policies, your bank, your employer, the road traffic office for your number plates, and the tax administration. Moving to another canton means a change of tax scale and potentially of health insurance premiums.

If you have school-age children, contact the school in your new municipality as early as possible to arrange the transfer. School systems can vary considerably from one canton to another, especially between French-speaking and German-speaking cantons.

SwissDoc helps you prepare the letters you need when moving: a request for a certificate of residence, termination of your lease, and notice of change of address to the tax authorities and your insurers. Your first three documents are free, no credit card required.