Zurich relocation checklist
Zürich • German • Updated August 2026
The clock starts the day you move into your Zurich address: you have 14 days to register at the Personenmeldeamt (City of Zürich) / Einwohnerkontrolle elsewhere, and your permit file only moves once that registration exists. This page is the working order of operations — 8 steps, each with the deadline that applies in Zurich, the office that actually handles it, and what it usually costs. Capital: Zürich. Permits are issued by the Migrationsamt des Kantons Zürich.
Zurich · free tool
See what you'd actually pay in tax in Zurich
Tax calculator — pre-filled for Zurich. No signup.
First 90 days in Zurich
- 1
Build your rental dossier before you land: Betreibungsauszug (order from your previous commune or wait until first registration), three payslips, employer reference, permit copy, photo, one-paragraph motivation letter
- Deadline
- Before arrival
- Responsible office
- You / previous commune (Betreibungsregisterauszug (Betreibungsamt))
- Typical fee
- Betreibungsregisterauszug (Betreibungsamt) ~CHF 17
- 2
Register at your local Einwohnerkontrolle within 14 days — Stadt Zürich uses online appointments through stadt-zuerich.ch/persoenliches
- Deadline
- Within 14 days of arrival
- Responsible office
- Personenmeldeamt (City of Zürich) / Einwohnerkontrolle elsewhere
- Typical fee
- ~CHF 20–60, varies by commune
- 3
Apply for your B / L / G permit at the Migrationsamt des Kantons Zürich
- Deadline
- At/around registration
- Responsible office
- Migrationsamt des Kantons Zürich
- Typical fee
- Set by the cantonal migration office — check its website for the current amount
- 4
Pick a health insurer within 3 months (compare on priminfo.admin.ch) — cover backdates to your arrival
- 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
Open a Swiss bank account — ZKB has the densest branch network in the canton; digital options like neon and Yuh open in minutes from your phone
- 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
Get a SBB Halbtax or GA — Zurich commuters almost always come out ahead with a GA if they ride more than ~3× a week
- 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
If your gross is over CHF 120,000 (single) you'll file a regular tax return even on Quellensteuer — keep Pillar 3a, training and commute receipts
- Deadline
- Filed the spring after the tax year (extensions on request)
- Responsible office
- Cantonal tax administration
- Typical fee
- Free to file
- 8
If you have school-age kids, contact the Kreisschulpflege of your commune as soon as registration is done — placement is by Schulkreis, not parental choice
- 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 Zurich
Deadlines that start counting the day you land.
The weeks before your move — paperwork and housing.
Permits, budget and canton choice before you commit.
Schools, family reunification and partner work rights.
Company setup, AHV registration and VAT thresholds.
Student permit, insurance exemptions and part-time work.
Taxes, housing and insurance in Zurich
Budget-wise, Zurich sits at roughly 21.8% combined income tax on CHF 100,000 gross, with adult health insurance averaging about CHF 380/month. The full breakdown — commune-level tax spread, rents, insurance and where to live — is in the Moving to Zurich guide.
Zurich · free tool
Calculate your net salary after Zurich cantonal tax
Salary calculator — pre-filled for Zurich. No signup.
Keep reading
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Zurich is set as your canton, so checklists and tools across HowToSwiss now use its rates.