Moving to Switzerland: settling into your first home in Geneva

Emma has taken a job at an international organisation in Geneva. She arrives with two suitcases; the rest of her London life is travelling in a container due in ten days. The flat is empty, the rules are new, and she starts on Monday.

Week one: the admin essentials

• ✓Register with the local population office within 14 days of arrival: many other formalities depend on it.
• ✓At the move-in inspection, photograph every room and report any defects to the letting agency in writing, quickly.
• ✓Learn the building rules: laundry-room schedule, waste sorting, bike storage. In the canton of Vaud, household rubbish goes in taxed bags; in Geneva, sorting is done at neighbourhood collection points.

Before the container arrives: decide where everything goes

Emma used the empty flat to sketch a simple plan: where the furniture goes, which cupboard holds what. When the movers arrived, every box was already labelled with its room. Unpacking took three days instead of three weeks.

Organising for a new life

1. 01An admin "command centre"One binder or digital folder for your permit, lease, insurance and official letters — which often arrive in French.
2. 02Storage that follows the seasonsBetween winter weekends skiing and summers by the lake, plan a rotation: next season's gear within easy reach, the rest in the basement.
3. 03One corner that feels like homeUnpacking the things that matter first (photos, books, a familiar lamp) helps you feel at home before everything is put away.

"On the second weekend I invited colleagues for dinner. The flat was ready, and so was I." — Emma

Support in your language

We help newcomers settle in: layout planning, organised unpacking and practical tips for life in French-speaking Switzerland — in English, French or Italian, across Geneva, Vaud and Valais.