Registering with your commune in Geneva

The office you need in Geneva

In Geneva the counter is called the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM) — cantonal population and migration office — geneva centralises registration, so you do not go to the commune. Look for that exact wording on the commune's website and on the door; the sign will be in French, not English.

Geneva is centralised: file the arrival announcement with the OCPM within 14 days — the commune does not register you. Appointments are online and slots fill up, so book on day one.

Step by step

1. Book an appointment with the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM) in your commune of residence as soon as your lease is signed.
2. Register within 14 days of moving in — the clock starts on the day you take over the flat, not the day you land.
3. Bring every document on the list below in original form; counters rarely accept photos on a phone.
4. Pay the registration fee (typically CHF 20–100 per person depending on the commune) at the counter.
5. Collect or await your residence permit card — in Geneva the cantonal migration office issues it after the commune forwards your file.
6. Order a Extrait du registre des poursuites (Office des poursuites) once you are registered — landlords ask for it at every viewing.

Documents to bring

• Valid passport or ID for every family member

  EU/EFTA nationals can use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport.

• Signed rental contract (Mietvertrag / bail)

  Or a written attestation of accommodation if you are subletting or staying with family.

• Employment contract or confirmation of employment

  Needed for the permit decision — bring the signed copy, not the offer email.

• Passport photo (35 × 45 mm, biometric)

  For the residence permit card. Photo booths at train stations produce the right format.

• Marriage certificate / family record book

  Only if you are married or registering children with you.

• Proof of health insurance, or note the 3-month window

  You must be insured within 3 months of arrival, backdated to your arrival date.

• Passport photo (35 × 45 mm, biometric standard)

• Employment contract or attestation from your employer

• Proof of health insurance or a request for the 3-month exemption window

Ordering your Extrait du registre des poursuites (Office des poursuites)

The debt enforcement register extract is issued by the Office des poursuites of your district. Order it online or in person, expect a fee of roughly CHF 17, and allow a few working days by post. Landlords treat anything older than three months as expired, so order it when you start viewing flats — not before.

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Keep going in Geneva

• Geneva relocation checklist — the full first 90 days
• Gemeinde registration explained (federal rules, fees, timing)
• The apartment dossier that wins Swiss rentals
• Choosing health insurance within your first 3 months