Moving to Glarus

Glarus relocation checklist

Prefer a task list with deadlines? The Glarus 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 Glarus

At an indicative gross salary of CHF 100,000 (single, no kids), the combined federal, cantonal and municipal income tax in Glarus works out to roughly 19.0%. Only 3 municipalities (merged in 2011). Very affordable but remote — the A3 motorway is your lifeline. 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

• GlarusCapital, all services
• Glarus NordClosest to Zurich
• Glarus SüdMountain access

Housing & rent

Glarus has one of the most relaxed rental markets in Switzerland — vacancy is comfortably above the national average. A 1-bedroom in Glarus or Glarus Nord is broadly in line with the cantonal averages shown above, with 3-bedroom flats scaling proportionally — among the most affordable in Switzerland.

Health insurance

Adult standard premiums in canton Glarus on the standard franchise are among the lowest in Switzerland, reflecting the canton's small, alpine, lower-cost population profile. The canton has one premium region.

Local insight: Glarus

Glarus is genuinely small-scale Switzerland. The whole canton fits in one alpine valley (the Linthtal) plus a few side valleys, and after the 2011 reform it has just three communes — Glarus Nord (the wider, flatter northern half closest to the Walensee and Zurich), Glarus (the capital, in the middle), and Glarus Süd (the long alpine southern half running up to the Tödi). Economically the canton is small and specialised — textile printing, niche machinery (Netstal injection-moulding machines were a global name), and a steady alpine-tourism layer around Braunwald and Elm. Most residents who don't work locally commute either north to Linthebene (Ziegelbrücke is the rail gateway to Zurich, 50 minutes by IC) or to SG and GR. Lifestyle is alpine and quiet — Klöntalersee for summer swimming, Braunwald and Elm for skiing, and the Landsgemeinde each May as a genuine civic event rather than a tourist show.

Best for

Watch out for

First-90-days checklist

1. Register at the Einwohnerkontrolle of your commune (Glarus Nord, Glarus or Glarus Süd) within 14 days
2. Apply for your permit at the Hauptabteilung Migration Kanton Glarus
3. Pick a KVG insurer within 3 months — GL has among the lowest premiums in Switzerland
4. Open a Swiss bank account — Glarner Kantonalbank (GLKB) is the local default
5. Get an Ostwind regional abo or a GA if you commute beyond the canton
6. Above CHF 120k gross, file a regular GL tax return — the canton runs its own e-filing
7. If you have school-age kids, the Volksschule of your commune handles placement under Lehrplan 21
8. If you live in the canton on the first Sunday in May, attending the Landsgemeinde in Glarus is genuinely worthwhile — it's the cantonal legislature in open-air session and you can attend even as a non-citizen

Compare Glarus with neighbours

Frequently asked questions

Official links