Registering at your Swiss commune (Anmeldung)
What the 14-day rule really says, what to bring, and what happens after you leave the residents’ office.
In short
Register in person at the residents’ office of the commune where you live within 14 days of arriving, and before your first day at work. Bring your passport, your lease and your employment contract. Some places are stricter: Vaud allows 8 days, and Zurich city sees arrivals from abroad by appointment only.
What is commune registration, and why does it matter?
Registration puts you on your commune’s residents’ register. For foreign nationals it is also where the residence permit application starts, and the register is the address list Serafe uses to bill the radio and TV fee. Until you are registered, you may not start work in Switzerland.
Every commune keeps a residents’ register, and federal law obliges the cantons to make everyone report a move within 14 days (RHG Art. 11, checked ). The office has different names by language region: Einwohnerkontrolle or Einwohnermeldeamt in German, contrôle des habitants in French, controllo abitanti in Italian. In Zurich city it is the Personenmeldeamt (City of Zurich, checked ); in Geneva a cantonal office, the OCPM, takes all arrivals (ge.ch, checked ).
For foreign nationals, registration does double duty. Anyone who needs an L, B or C permit must register before their permit-free stay runs out or before they start work (AIG Art. 12, 13, 120, checked ). The permit itself is decided by the cantonal migration authority (ch.ch, checked ), and your household joins the list Serafe uses for the radio and TV fee (OFCOM, checked ).
Registration is the first stop on the admin journey. Our first 90 days guide covers the rest, in order.
Diagram: The admin journey after you arrive. A winding path with five stops. Step 1: register at the commune, within 14 days and before you start work. Step 2: the canton issues your residence permit card after you register. Step 3: take out basic health insurance within 3 months; cover is backdated to your arrival. Step 4: open a bank account for your salary, rent and rental deposit. Step 5: tax at source is deducted from your salary. Then you are settled in.
How long do you have to register?
Federal law sets a maximum of 14 days from arrival, and you must register before your first working day, whatever your nationality. Cantons can be stricter: Vaud gives you 8 days to tell your commune. Geneva keeps 14 days but registers newcomers at its cantonal office rather than at the commune.
The federal rules
- EU/EFTA nationals register within 14 days of arriving and before actually taking up work, and apply for the residence permit at the same time (SEM, checked ).
- Non-EU/EFTA nationals coming for a job of more than four months may start work once registered, unless the authority rules otherwise; those staying over three months without work register within 14 days of entry (VZAE Art. 10–17, checked ).
- Everyone, Swiss citizens included, must report a move to the residents’ register within 14 days (RHG Art. 11, checked ).
Short EU/EFTA jobs are the exception: work for a Swiss employer of up to three months needs no permit, only a notification by the employer at least one day before you start (ch.ch, checked ).
Cantons that differ
Each canton decides which office takes registrations (VZAE Art. 10–17, checked ), and some set shorter windows. Vaud asks you to announce your arrival in a commune within 8 days (vd.ch, checked ). Geneva’s OCPM expects arrivals within 14 days (ge.ch, checked ). Check your own commune’s website on day one, not day thirteen.
-
Deadline
14 days
at most after arriving, and before you start work.
Source SEM (opens in a new tab) ↗
-
Vaud
8 days
to announce your arrival in a commune.
Source vd.ch (opens in a new tab) ↗
-
Leaving
14 days before
you move abroad, deregister at your commune.
Where do you register in Zurich, Geneva and Vaud?
Usually at the residents’ office of the commune where you live, in person. The big cities differ: Zurich city handles arrivals from abroad at one office, the Personenmeldeamt, by appointment only, and Geneva sends everyone moving to the canton to its cantonal population office, the OCPM.
Smaller communes often run the office from the town hall. Online services such as eMovingCH are built for moves inside Switzerland, within a commune or from one commune to another (ch.ch, checked ). Arriving from abroad, plan to go in person; in Zurich city every family member must attend the appointment (City of Zurich, checked ).
Three cantons compared
| Zurich city | Geneva | Vaud (e.g. Lausanne) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Personenmeldeamt (city office) | OCPM (cantonal office) | The commune’s contrôle des habitants |
| Deadline | 14 days | 14 days | 8 days |
| Arrivals from abroad | Appointment required; whole family attends | Procedure depends on nationality | Check your commune’s website |
| Main language | German | French | French |
As published by the city and cantons, checked 24 Sep 2026.
What documents do you need to register?
Bring a valid passport or ID card for everyone registering, your lease or the landlord’s confirmation, and your employment contract or proof of study. Add original marriage and birth certificates if family moves with you, any permit assurance or visa authorisation, and the means to pay the fees.
The legal minimum is a valid identity document. The authority may also ask for a criminal record extract from your home country and any other document it needs, and may refuse to register you until the file is complete (AIG Art. 12, 13, 120, checked ). The checklist below follows Zurich city’s arrival page (City of Zurich, checked ) and SEM’s rules for EU/EFTA workers (SEM, checked ).
Health insurance: the canton of Zurich asks for proof of cover when you register, but if you don’t have it yet you can hand in a copy of the policy within three months (zh.ch, checked ). That matches the national three-month deadline to join a Swiss insurer (FOPH, checked ); see our health insurance guide.
Fees are set by the commune and canton and depend on the permit, so there is no national price. Zurich city lists migration fees that vary with the type of permit (City of Zurich, checked ).
No flat yet? A sublease counts as proof of address in Zurich (City of Zurich, checked ). See finding an apartment in Zurich and how the rental deposit works.
Registration checklist
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What happens after you register?
The commune passes your file to the cantonal migration office, which decides your permit. Non-EU/EFTA nationals give two fingerprints and a photo for a biometric permit card. The card comes later, so keep the confirmation the office gives you. Your household also joins Serafe’s list for the radio and TV fee.
EU/EFTA workers with a contract of at least a year get a B permit, valid for five years; contracts of up to 364 days lead to an L permit (SEM, checked ) (SEM, checked ). Non-EU/EFTA workers normally have the permit applied for by their employer before they travel (ch.ch, checked ).
Biometric data are taken by the cantonal authority where you live, and the permit fee covers processing, the card and the biometrics (SEM, checked ). Renewals go through your commune or canton: apply no earlier than three months and no later than two weeks before the permit expires (ch.ch, checked ). Our permits guide explains L, B and C.
Two bills follow registration. You need basic health insurance within three months of arriving (FOPH, checked ), and Serafe bills every private household CHF 335 a year, using data from the residents’ register (OFCOM, checked ).
From arrival to permit card
-
Day 0
You arrive
The 14-day and 3-month clocks both start.
-
By day 14
Register in person
Before your first working day.
-
Weeks later
Permit card by post
After biometrics, if the canton needs them.
-
By month 3
Health insurance
Show proof if you couldn’t at registration.
What happens if you register late?
Breaching the duty to register is an offence under federal law, punishable by a fine, and until you register you may not start work. If you have missed the deadline, go anyway as soon as you can and explain the delay. Federal law sets no fixed amount for the fine.
Article 120 of the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act makes breaching the registration and deregistration duties punishable by a fine, whether deliberate or careless (AIG Art. 12, 13, 120, checked ). Registration is also what lets you work: SEM says EU/EFTA nationals must register before actually taking up work (SEM, checked ), and ch.ch tells non-EU/EFTA arrivals they cannot start before then (ch.ch, checked ).
The usual reasons for delay are a missing lease, a temporary flat or documents still in the post. If you are in temporary accommodation, ask your commune what it accepts as proof of address; Zurich city lists a lease, a sublease or a landlord’s confirmation (City of Zurich, checked ).
What changes if you move commune or leave Switzerland?
Moving to another commune means registering at the new one within 14 days and deregistering at the old one within the same period. Leaving Switzerland means deregistering at least 14 days before you depart. A move inside the same commune only needs a change-of-address notice, which you can often send online.
These rules come from the federal ordinance on admission, residence and employment (VZAE Art. 10–17, checked ). For moves inside Switzerland, adults can report the move online through eMovingCH (ch.ch, checked ). Moving to another canton on an L or B permit can also need that canton’s permit, and moving without it is itself an offence (AIG Art. 12, 13, 120, checked ), so ask the migration office before you sign a lease.
Leaving for good? Deregister in time and keep the confirmation of departure: you will need proof of the date when you close Swiss contracts such as insurance.
Who can help with registration and permits?
You can register on your own, and most people do. A relocation agency can book the appointment, prepare documents and come with you, which helps with family moves or a close start date. For a refused permit, family reunification or an unusual case, an immigration specialist or lawyer is the better call.
Browse immigration and permit specialists, lawyers and notaries, or relocation agencies in Zurich and Geneva. Our immigration and permits overview covers the application side, and the first 30 days checklist the week-by-week view.
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Is this your business?What else do people ask about registering?
How many days do I have to register in Switzerland?
At most 14 days from arrival under federal law, and always before your first working day. Some cantons are stricter: Vaud gives 8 days.
Can I start work before I register with the commune?
No. EU/EFTA nationals must register before taking up work, and non-EU/EFTA nationals may start once registered. The exception is EU/EFTA work of up to three months, which needs only an employer notification.
Do I need an appointment to register?
It depends on the commune. Zurich city requires one for arrivals from abroad. Other communes set their own rules, so check the website before you go.
Do I need health insurance before I can register?
Not necessarily. You have three months from arrival to join a Swiss insurer. The canton of Zurich asks for proof at registration but accepts a copy of the policy within three months if you don’t have one yet.
How much does it cost to register at the commune?
There is no national price. Communes and cantons set their own fees, and permit fees depend on the type of permit. Your commune’s website lists them.
Can I register online when moving to Switzerland from abroad?
Usually not. Online services such as eMovingCH are for moves within Switzerland. Arriving from abroad, you register in person, in Zurich city with every family member present.
What happens if I don't register in Switzerland?
It is an offence punishable by a fine under the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act, you can’t legally start work, and the canton cannot issue your permit.
Do I need to deregister when I leave Switzerland?
Yes. Foreign nationals must deregister at their commune at least 14 days before moving abroad. Keep the confirmation of departure.
Sources
Last checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) FAQ – Free movement of persons (register within 14 days and before taking up work; documents; L vs B) (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) B EU/EFTA permit: valid for five years, contract of at least twelve months (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Biometric residence permits for foreign nationals (fingerprints, photo, cantonal capture, fees) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 142.20 Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (AIG), Art. 12 (duty to register), Art. 13 (documents) and Art. 120 (fines; in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 142.201 Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Employment (VZAE), Art. 10, 12, 15 and 17 (14-day deadlines, moving and leaving; in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 431.02 Register Harmonisation Act (RHG), Art. 11: report a move within 14 days (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Working in Switzerland as a foreign national (short-term work, 14-day registration) (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Notifying a change of address: eMovingCH and registering in person (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Swiss residence permits: application and renewal (opens in a new tab)
- City of Zurich Zuzug in die Stadt Zürich (registration from abroad by appointment, documents, fees; in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Zurich Welcome to the Canton of Zurich: when you arrive (registration, health insurance proof) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Geneva Annoncer mon arrivée à l’OCPM (14 days; in French) (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Vaud Changement d’adresse: announce arrival within 8 days (in French) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) Health insurance: requirement to obtain insurance for persons resident in Switzerland (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM/BAKOM) Radio and TV fee: amount and billing (data from residents’ registers) (opens in a new tab)