Moving to Geneva

Geneva relocation checklist

Prefer a task list with deadlines? The Geneva relocation checklist covers your first 90 days step by step, with separate stages for people who just arrived, are moving soon, are still planning, or are moving with family.

Taxes in Geneva

At an indicative gross salary of CHF 100,000 (single, no kids), the combined federal, cantonal and municipal income tax in Geneva works out to roughly 26.5%. Geneva has the 'splitting familial' system — favourable for couples with one main earner. Wealth tax is also among the highest in CH. Cantonal child deductions and family allowances apply on top of the federal allowance — for an exact figure for your household, use the official cantonal calculator linked above. Your real tax bill depends on the commune (each sets its own Steuerfuss / coefficient), your civil status, Pillar 3a contributions and any BVG buy-ins.

Top communes to consider

• ColognyLakeside, low communal additional cents
• VandœuvresQuiet residential, favourable rates
• CarougeCity alternative with neighbourhood character

Housing & rent

Geneva's rental vacancy rate has hovered near the bottom of any cantonal ranking, the lowest in Romandie. A 1-bedroom in the city is broadly in line with the cantonal averages shown above, with 3-bedroom flats scaling proportionally — comparable to Zurich. Many international staff and frontaliers live across the border in Annemasse, Saint-Julien or the Pays de Gex (lower rent, easier supply) and commute in by tram or Léman Express. Dossier expectations are the same as Zurich.

Health insurance

Canton Geneva has the highest adult basic health insurance premiums in Switzerland on the standard franchise. Subsidies (subsides) are available for lower- and middle-income residents through the SAM (Service de l'assurance-maladie) — many newcomers don't claim them and overpay.

Local insight: Geneva

Geneva's economy splits in two: international organisations and NGOs at one end, private banking and commodity trading at the other, with a thin layer of biotech (Campus Biotech) and Big-4 consulting in between. The city itself is small — under 210,000 inhabitants — so colleagues and neighbours overlap quickly. Families tend toward Carouge, Vandœuvres, Cologny or across the lake in Versoix; people in their twenties cluster in Pâquis, Eaux-Vives and Plainpalais. The TPG network is good inside the canton but anyone south of Carouge or in the Pays de Gex will need either Léman Express or a car. French is essential — Geneva is meaningfully less English-friendly than Zurich once you step outside the IO bubble.

Best for

Watch out for

First-90-days checklist

1. Build a complete dossier before viewings: extrait des poursuites (= Betreibungsauszug), three fiches de salaire, employer attestation, copy of permit, short motivation letter in French
2. Register at your Contrôle des habitants (OCPM for permits) within 14 days of arrival — Geneva uses ge.ch e-démarches for many steps
3. Apply for your permit at the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM)
4. Pick a health insurer within 3 months and check if you qualify for a subside through SAM — Geneva subsidies are generous compared to Zurich
5. Open a Swiss bank account — BCGE (cantonal), UBS, PostFinance, or digital (neon, Yuh, Zak)
6. Get a Léman Pass or unireso annual if you'll use TPG / Léman Express — frontalier-grade season tickets exist if you cross daily
7. Above CHF 120,000 gross you file a regular declaration — Geneva uses GeTax (downloadable software), not the federal online form
8. If you have kids, contact the DIP (Département de l'instruction publique) of your commune — primary school placement is by sectorisation

Compare Geneva with neighbours

Frequently asked questions

Official links