Canton Aargau
Living in Aarau as an expat
5 providers in and around Aarau, by category and language. Every listing is checked by hand.
In short
Aarau is the German-speaking capital of the canton of Aargau, with 22,932 residents at the end of 2025, 23.5% of them foreign nationals. On 1 June 2026, 0.45% of dwellings were empty. The municipal tax multiplier is 96% in 2026. Register within 14 days and before starting work; Zurich is 25 to 29 minutes away by train.
More services nearby: living in Zurich.
Aarau in figures
Checked
- Residents
- 22,932
- permanent resident population
- 31 Dec 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (opens in a new tab)
- Foreign residents
- 23.5%
- 5,383 people; canton of Aargau 28.1%
- 31 Dec 2025 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (opens in a new tab)
- Municipal tax multiplier
- 96%
- of the simple tax, without church tax; canton rate 103%
- 2026 · Kanton Aargau, Kantonales Steueramt (opens in a new tab)
- Vacancy rate
- 0.45%
- 56 empty dwellings; canton of Aargau 1.05%
- 1 June 2026 · Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (opens in a new tab)
- A-Welle pass, 1–2 zones
- CHF 95 a month
- personal, adult, 2nd class; CHF 855 a year
- 2026 · Tarifverbund A-Welle (opens in a new tab)
- Registration deadline
- 14 days
- after arrival and before starting work (cantonal rule)
- 2026 · Kanton Aargau, Amt für Migration und Integration (MIKA) (opens in a new tab)
- Train to Zurich
- 25–29 minutes
- direct trains to Zurich main station, weekday morning
- 2026 timetable · Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) (opens in a new tab)
Services in Aarau
5 providers in 3 categories
Relocation agencies
- Destination services (1)
Immigration & permits
Movers & storage
Doctors & dentists
- Dentists (1)
Tax & finance
Insurance advisors
Lawyers & notaries
Schools & childcare
- German (2)
- Several languages (1)
How do you register when you move to Aarau?
EU/EFTA citizens starting a job register in person with the residents' services (Einwohnerdienste) of their Aargau municipality within 14 days of arrival, and before starting work. The municipality passes the permit application to the cantonal migration office (MIKA), which then invites them to have their data recorded at the Aargau ID centre (Ausweiszentrum).
The canton of Aargau's migration office describes the procedure for EU/EFTA citizens taking up a job of more than four months: you report in person to the Einwohnerdienste of your new municipality within 14 days, and before your first working day(MIKA Aargau, checked ). Work can start once you have registered, without waiting for the permit card(MIKA Aargau, checked ).
- Bring a valid passport or identity card and a copy of the employment contract or a confirmation of employment no older than one month.
- The permit costs CHF 65 plus postage.
- The card is sent to the municipality, where you collect and pay for it.
The general steps are in our guide to registering at your commune, and permit types are explained in Swiss permits B, L and C. Basic health insurance must be taken out within three months of taking up residence and is then backdated to your arrival(FOPH, checked ); see Swiss health insurance for expats.
What is Aarau like to live in?
Aarau is the capital of the canton of Aargau, with 22,932 residents at the end of 2025. Its foreign share of 23.5% is below the cantonal 28.1%. The housing market is tighter than in the canton as a whole: 0.45% of dwellings were empty on 1 June 2026, against 1.05%.
The official language is German. Of the canton's municipalities, only Baden had more residents at the end of 2025, with 24,012(FSO STATPOP, checked ). The 56 empty dwellings counted in Aarau on 1 June 2026 compare with a national vacancy rate of 0.93%(FSO vacancy count, checked ).
Tax. In 2026 the simple tax is multiplied by the canton's rate of 103% and the town's rate of 96%, before church tax(Kantonales Steueramt Aargau, checked ).
Getting around. Aarau belongs to the A-Welle fare network. The smallest personal pass, for 1–2 zones, costs CHF 95 a month or CHF 855 a year for an adult in 2nd class; these prices have applied since 10 December 2023(A-Welle, checked ). A-Welle fares rise by an average of 3.6% on 13 December 2026(A-Welle, checked ).
Zurich. On a weekday morning in the 2026 timetable, direct trains reach Zurich main station in 25 minutes (IC 5) to 29 minutes (IR 37)(SBB timetable, checked ). For the city itself, see living in Zurich.
What else do people ask about living in Aarau?
When do I have to register in Aarau?
Within 14 days of arrival and before you start work, in person at the town's residents' services (Einwohnerdienste). This is the cantonal rule published by the Aargau migration office.
How long is the train from Aarau to Zurich?
25 to 29 minutes on direct trains to Zurich main station, according to the SBB timetable for a weekday morning in October 2026.
Sources
Last checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO) Permanent resident population by institutional units, citizenship (category), place of birth and sex (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO) Vacant dwellings by region, canton, district, commune, number of rooms and type of vacant dwelling (opens in a new tab)
- Kanton Aargau, Kantonales Steueramt Verzeichnis der Gemeinde- und Kirchensteuerfüsse für das Jahr 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Tarifverbund A-Welle Erwachsenen-Abo (opens in a new tab)
- Tarifverbund A-Welle Preisanpassungen per Fahrplanwechsel 2026/27 (opens in a new tab)
- Kanton Aargau, Amt für Migration und Integration (MIKA) Arbeitnehmende EU/EFTA mehr als 4 Monate/unbefristet (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) Health insurance: Requirement to obtain insurance for persons resident in Switzerland (opens in a new tab)
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) SBB timetable: Aarau to Zürich HB, Tuesday 27 October 2026, from 08:00 (opens in a new tab)
Guides for this
Moving to Aarau
The first steps, deadlines and offices anywhere in Switzerland.
Checklist
Your first 90 days in Switzerland
Register within 14 days, get health insurance within 3 months, then deposit, tax at source and Serafe: a sourced checklist for your first 90 days.
How it works
B permit in Switzerland: requirements, fees and processing times by canton
How to get a Swiss B permit: EU/EFTA and non-EU rules, steps, documents, and the fees and processing times in seven cantons, from the migration offices.
How to choose
How to choose a Swiss health insurer
Choose your Swiss health insurance deductible (franchise), model and supplementary cover with a clear framework, the legal limits and switching deadlines.