Destination services in Zürich

Three timetables apply in the first weeks. Registration is due within 14 days, although the city says appointments can fall after that date, and it then asks newcomers to book the next free slot and request an extension through its contact form (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026). Basic health insurance follows within three months of registering; cover then runs from the registration date and premiums are owed back to that day, while joining later starts cover on the joining date and adds a charge (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026). The canton’s average adult premium is CHF 477.00 a month (2027) (FOPH, checked 21 Oct 2026).

Utilities are separate: the electricity supplier ewz and the water supply have to be told before the move-in so that the meters are read (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026). A monthly ZVV NetworkPass for city zone 110 costs CHF 88 (2026 (fares from 14 Dec 2025)) (ZVV, checked 21 Oct 2026) for an adult in second class.

For children, kindergarten registration runs on a yearly timetable: parents receive a letter from mid-November and register through the city’s “Meine Kinder” service, and in 2027/28 the first day is 23 August 2027 (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026).

Arrivals from abroad register in person at the Personenmeldeamt Zürich Süd in the Stadthaus, Stadthausquai 17, with a booked appointment, and only once they actually live in the city (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026). The deadline is 14 days (2026) (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026); the fee is CHF 40 per adult, plus the cantonal migration office’s permit fees for foreign nationals (City of Zurich, checked 21 Oct 2026). More in our guide to registering at your commune.