Switzerland
Relocating to Switzerland.
After moving to Switzerland for work, the first weeks are a chain of registrations. In order: register the address, get the AHV number (AHV-Nummer / numéro AVS), collect the residence card, register for health cover, open a bank account. Each step unlocks the next, so the order matters. Settio builds this plan for every person you move, with deadlines and a portal in their language.
After arrival
The registrations, in order
- 1Register the address
- 2Get the AHV number (AHV-Nummer / numéro AVS)
- 3Collect the residence card
- 4Register for health cover
- 5Open a bank account
Authorities
Who does what in Switzerland
Staatssekretariat für Migration (SEM) (State Secretariat for Migration)
Approves the canton's decision on a non-EU/EFTA worker (Zustimmungsverfahren) within the federal admission criteria and quotas
Official websitekantonale Steuerverwaltung (Quellensteuer) (Cantonal tax administration, under the Federal Tax Administration (ESTV))
Income tax; for a worker without a C permit the employer withholds the tax at source (Quellensteuer) and pays it to the canton
Official websiteAHV-Ausgleichskasse (AHV/AVS compensation office)
Old-age and survivors' insurance: the employer registers the employee and pays the contributions
Official websitekantonale Migrations- und Arbeitsmarktbehörde (Cantonal migration and labour market authority)
Receives the employer's application and takes the labour-market preliminary decision, which the SEM then approves
Official websiteOther countries
- Sweden
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Spain
- Belgium
- Norway
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Finland
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Luxembourg
- Liechtenstein
- United Arab Emirates
Official sources
- Fedlex: Ausländer- und Integrationsgesetz (AIG, SR 142.20; art. 12 registration, 18–23 admission, 34 settlement, 40 cantonal preliminary decision, 44 and 46 family, 99 SEM approval)
- Fedlex: Verordnung über Zulassung, Aufenthalt und Erwerbstätigkeit (VZAE, SR 142.201; art. 15 new address within 14 days, 59 renewal, annexes 1 and 2: the 2026 quotas)
- Fedlex: Entsendegesetz (EntsG, SR 823.20) art. 6: notification before the assignment, work no earlier than eight days after it
- Fedlex: Entsendeverordnung (EntsV, SR 823.201) art. 6: assignments over eight days a calendar year, listed sectors from the first day, a contact person
- Fedlex: Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (VwVG, SR 172.021) art. 50: an appeal within 30 days of notification
- Fedlex: Bürgerrechtsgesetz (BüG, SR 141.0) art. 9: the C permit and ten years' residence
- Fedlex: Bundesgesetz über die direkte Bundessteuer (DBG, SR 642.11) art. 83 and 88: tax at source withheld by the employer
- Fedlex: Verordnung über die AHV (AHVV, SR 831.101) art. 133: the 13-digit AHV number beginning 756
- Fedlex: Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU (SR 0.142.112.681)
- SEM: Procedure for non-EU/EFTA nationals (employer files with the canton, SEM approval, visa authorisation, registration within 14 days before work)
- SEM: Basis for admission to the Swiss employment market
- SEM: Cantonal immigration and employment market authorities
- SEM: State Secretariat for Migration
- SEM: FAQ Free Movement of Persons (EU/EFTA nationals register within 14 days of arrival and before taking up work)
- SEM: Notification procedure for short-term work in Switzerland (online, eight days before a posting)
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is the first thing to do after moving to Switzerland?
Register the address. It unlocks the steps after it.
Which relocation management software covers Switzerland?
Settio plans each move to Switzerland in one place: the permit, the registrations after arrival (register the address, get the AHV number (AHV-Nummer / numéro AVS), collect the residence card), housing, school places and the first weeks, with client and employee portals, quotes and milestone invoices. It runs every EU country in the same workspace.
How does Settio help with relocation in Switzerland?
Settio builds the step-by-step plan for each person moving to Switzerland, checks documents before filing, tracks deadlines and gives the person a portal in their own language.
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Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Reviewed by the Settio team. Facts checked 3 October 2026. About this information