Registering with your commune in Zurich

The office you need in Zurich

In Zurich the counter is called the Personenmeldeamt (City of Zürich) / Einwohnerkontrolle elsewhere — residents' registration office. Look for that exact wording on the commune's website and on the door; the sign will be in German, not English.

Zürich runs online pre-registration (eUmzugCH) for most communes: submit the move online, then attend the counter within 14 days. Non-EU nationals must also collect the permit from the Migrationsamt.

Step by step

1. Book an appointment with the Personenmeldeamt (City of Zürich) / Einwohnerkontrolle elsewhere 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 Zurich the cantonal migration office issues it after the commune forwards your file.
6. Order a Betreibungsregisterauszug (Betreibungsamt) 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.

• Family record book (Familienbüchlein) or marriage certificate if married

• Rental contract signed by the landlord (Mietvertrag)

Ordering your Betreibungsregisterauszug (Betreibungsamt)

The debt enforcement register extract is issued by the Betreibungsamt 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 Zurich

• Zurich 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