St. Gallen relocation checklist

First 90 days in St. Gallen

1. 1

   Build a rental dossier — St. Gallen is easier than Zurich but landlords still expect Betreibungsauszug, three payslips, references and a copy of your permit

   Deadline

   Before arrival

   Responsible office

   You / previous commune (Betreibungsregisterauszug)

   Typical fee

   Betreibungsregisterauszug ~CHF 17

2. 2

   Register at the Einwohnerkontrolle of your St. Gallen commune within 14 days (Stadt St. Gallen, Rapperswil-Jona, Wil, Gossau, Buchs etc. each have their own counter)

   Deadline

   Within 14 days of arrival

   Responsible office

   Einwohnerkontrolle

   Typical fee

   ~CHF 20–60, varies by commune

3. 3

   Apply for your permit at the Migrationsamt Kanton St. Gallen

   Deadline

   At/around registration

   Responsible office

   Migrationsamt Kanton St. Gallen

   Typical fee

   Set by the cantonal migration office — check its website for the current amount

4. 4

   Pick a KVG insurer within 3 months — St. Gallen premiums are below the national average

   Deadline

   Within 3 months, backdated to arrival

   Responsible office

   Any KVG/LAMal insurer · priminfo.admin.ch

   Typical fee

   Premium varies by insurer, model and franchise

5. 5

   Open a Swiss bank account — St.Galler Kantonalbank (SGKB) is the local default; Raiffeisen's HQ is in St. Gallen if you want to bank with them

   Deadline

   First 2 weeks (needed for salary and rent)

   Responsible office

   Any Swiss bank — cantonal bank, PostFinance or a digital bank

   Typical fee

   CHF 0–5/month account fee

6. 6

   Get an Ostwind abo (canton-wide eastern Switzerland network) or a GA if you commute to Zurich

   Deadline

   Before your first commuting month

   Responsible office

   SBB · regional transport network

   Typical fee

   Halbtax CHF 190/year · GA 2nd class from CHF 3,995/year

7. 7

   Above CHF 120k gross, file a regular tax return — St. Gallen uses eTaxes

   Deadline

   Filed the spring after the tax year (extensions on request)

   Responsible office

   Cantonal tax administration

   Typical fee

   Free to file

8. 8

   If you have school-age kids, the Volksschule of your commune handles placement under Lehrplan 21; HSG-adjacent international schools serve the expat community

   Deadline

   Once your registration is confirmed

   Responsible office

   Your commune / the relevant cantonal office

   Typical fee

   Varies — usually free to enquire

Pick your stage in St. Gallen

Taxes, housing and insurance in St. Gallen

Budget-wise, St. Gallen sits at roughly 23.0% combined income tax on CHF 100,000 gross, with adult health insurance averaging about CHF 310/month. The full breakdown — commune-level tax spread, rents, insurance and where to live — is in the Moving to St. Gallen guide.