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Moving to Switzerland: the complete guide, step by step

Cross-border workers

The ten cross-border worker guides, in the order the questions come up.

Status and permit

• G permit: conditions, going home and changing employer

  Valid for 5 years, with a return home once a week. The permit and your tax status do not use the same presence rule.

• How many days of remote work can I do without losing my cross-border worker status?

  40% for tax, 49.9% for social security. Without an A1 certificate, your real ceiling drops to 25%.

Money and tax

• How much do you take home in Switzerland as a cross-border worker?

  The contributions are only the start. Tax, health insurance, the exchange rate and the commute appear on no payslip.

• Who gets my taxes as a cross-border worker: France or Switzerland?

  Eight cantons tax you in France, Geneva withholds at source. Under the agreement, nothing is deducted: the bill lands a year later.

• Quasi-resident status: who can apply, and by when?

  90% of household income taxable in Switzerland, apply before 31 March. A spouse working in the canton of Vaud breaks the count.

Health and family

• Cross-border workers: LAMal or French cover? The right to choose explained

  Three months to choose, once only, for the whole household. The CMU costs 8% of taxable income, LAMal is paid per person.

• Family allowances for cross-border workers: Switzerland or France?

  Switzerland pays first, unless your spouse works in France. In that case the CAF pays first and Switzerland tops it up.

End of contract and retirement

• Unemployment as a cross-border worker: where to register, who pays and how much?

  France pays the benefit, based on your Swiss salary. And the payment drops by up to 30% from the seventh month.

• What happens to my second pillar when I leave my Swiss job?

  People think they get it all back, and they are wrong. If you stay in the EU, the compulsory part stays locked until retirement.

• Retirement as a cross-border worker: AVS, the second pillar and the second right to choose

  One application opens your rights in both countries. And your health insurance choice comes round again, within three months.

Arriving and settling in

• What do I need to do in my first 14 days in Switzerland?

  The full checklist, before you arrive, during the first two weeks and in the months after. Including the Serafe bill nobody sees coming.

• B, L or C permit: which one applies to me and how do I get it?

  It is the length of your contract that decides, not you. And a break in residence resets the clock on the C permit.

Finding somewhere to live

• What documents does a letting agency ask for to rent a flat in Switzerland?

  The six documents in the file, the one-third rule and the rent deposit. Order your debt enforcement extract before you view, not after.

Health insurance

• How long do I have to join LAMal after arriving in Switzerland?

  Three months, and cover is backdated to the day you arrived. If you are late, it is not backdated — and a surcharge of 30% to 50% is added.

• Can I keep my French health insurance when I move to Switzerland?

  No, unless you get an exemption. The right of option is only for cross-border workers, not for people who move.

• Which deductible should I choose for my Swiss health insurance?

  The one-line sum that settles the choice between 300 and 2,500 francs. The middle deductibles lose out both ways.

• What does LAMal cover, and what does it not cover?

  Twenty benefits in green, amber or red, with their limits. Routine dental care is never reimbursed.

• Am I entitled to a premium subsidy for my health insurance?

  The income limits go higher than people think. But a newcomer will never get anything without asking for it.

Money, tax and pensions

• What does a month of living in Switzerland really cost?

  Three full budgets, from a Geneva studio to a family in Fribourg. And the three layers that separate your gross salary from what is left.

• Do I have to file a tax return in my first year in Switzerland?

  Not on a B permit, unless you earn over 120,000 francs. But without asking for one, your pillar 3a saves you no tax at all.

• How does the Swiss three-pillar pension system work?

  AVS, pension fund and 3a, with the official 2027 amounts. Arriving at 35 costs you about a third of your AVS pension, for good.

Guides written by the Heidi team and updated on 7 November 2026. They are for information and do not replace a decision by the competent authority.