How to Move to Geneva or Lausanne Step by Step?
In Geneva, the canton of Vaud and Lausanne, you must register within 14 days. Learn the key steps for administrative procedures, documents and Geneva withholding tax.
How long do I have to register my address in Genève or Lausanne?
In Canton of Genève, Canton of Vaud and the City of Lausanne, you have 14 days to register your address. The deadline is linked to your arrival or move-in date, so it is advisable to arrange your housing documents before moving.
The French-language term for address registration is annonce d’arrivée or déclaration de domicile. In German-speaking cantons, the same procedure is often referred to as Anmeldung or Zuzugsmeldung. In French-speaking Switzerland, however, the French terms are generally used on official administrative platforms.
Area | Competent authority | Registration deadline | Official starting point |
|---|---|---|---|
Canton of Genève | Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM) | Within 14 days of arrival | Canton of Genève OCPM page |
Canton of Vaud | Local Contrôle des habitants | Within 14 days of moving in | Residence registration information from the Canton of Vaud |
City of Lausanne | Lausanne Contrôle des habitants | Within 14 days of arrival | City of Lausanne arrival and registration page |
In Geneva, the person moving in must notify the OCPM of their arrival. The OCPM is Geneva’s Cantonal Migration Office, whose French name is Office cantonal de la population et des migrations. The name of the authority is important because, in Geneva, arrival registration and residence-related administrative matters may be handled by the same cantonal institution.
In the Canton of Vaud, the 14-day rule is linked to the local Contrôle des habitants office. This is the residence registration office, broadly equivalent to the Einwohnerkontrolle in German-speaking areas. In the Canton of Vaud, not all address-related matters are handled by a central authority: the specific administrative office is determined by the municipality of residence.
Lausanne is part of the Canton of Vaud but has its own municipal Contrôle des habitants services. Therefore, anyone moving to Lausanne should not only consult the Canton of Vaud’s general information, but also the arrival page for the City of Lausanne.
Why is it risky to wait until the end of the 14-day period?
The 14-day deadline is short, and missing housing or employment documents may delay the process. It is advisable to start organising the documents and checking the applicable procedure on the day of moving in.
In practice, several matters run in parallel around the day of the move: the rental agreement, starting work, address registration, any residence-related procedure, and tax administration. These should not automatically be treated as a single registration.
For a Hungarian citizen, it is particularly important that the documented date of moving to a Swiss address and the handling of matters in Hungary are aligned. The detailed rules for settling Hungarian social security, tax or family matters do not automatically follow from registering an address in Geneva or Lausanne.
What are the options for registering in Geneva and Lausanne?
In Lausanne, the eDéménagementCH online moving notification platform or the city’s online form can be used. In Geneva, official information indicates that online and postal procedures are also available for registering Swiss nationals arriving in Geneva; for foreign nationals, the current OCPM procedure must be checked separately.
In Lausanne, the eDéménagementCH digital moving notification system may be one option. On German-language interfaces, the system is often referred to as eUmzugCH. However, whether eDéménagementCH can be used also depends on whether the previous Swiss municipality of residence is connected to the system.
If eDéménagementCH cannot be used, the City of Lausanne’s online form may provide another option. Lausanne provides separate information for EU/EFTA nationals registering their arrival. A Hungarian citizen should therefore use the relevant Lausanne page for EU/EFTA arrivals as a starting point.
In Geneva, it is especially important not to assume that the digital route available in Lausanne works in the same way. The official website of the Canton of Geneva regulates arrival registration with the OCPM. The online and postal options included in the dossier can specifically be substantiated by the page concerning the registration of Swiss nationals arriving in Geneva.
How should you prepare for online or postal procedures?
Regardless of the method used, the first step is to establish whether the residence is in the Canton of Geneva, another municipality in Vaud, or the City of Lausanne. This determines whether to contact the OCPM, the local Contrôle des habitants office, or the City of Lausanne office.
The following order may help reduce errors:
Identify precisely the authority responsible for the place of residence. In the Canton of Geneva, this may be the OCPM; in Lausanne, the municipal Contrôle des habitants, and in other municipalities in Vaud, the relevant municipal residents’ registration office.
Check the applicable service channel. In Lausanne, both eDéménagementCH and the city’s online form may be relevant; for Genève, the current OCPM requirements applicable to foreign nationals should be checked.
Prepare documents proving your accommodation. A rental agreement or confirmation from the accommodation provider may serve as proof of the actual use of the residential address.
Keep documents related to the employment relationship separate. An employment contract may be a document requested during foreign national registration in Lausanne, and may also be relevant in Genève for the withholding tax declaration.
Keep copies of submitted documents and confirmations. The dates relating to the residential address, start of employment and tax matters may be relevant in several procedures.
What documents may be requested for residence registration in Lausanne?
In Lausanne, residence registration may require a valid identity document, proof of accommodation, an employment contract for foreign nationals and – if already available – a residence permit. The exact list of documents depends on the individual’s circumstances and the procedure in Lausanne.
Based on the City of Lausanne’s information for arriving EU/EFTA nationals, the following documents may be relevant:
Document that may be requested | What may it be used for? | Note |
|---|---|---|
Valid identity document | Proof of identity | A valid document may be required. |
Rental agreement | Proof of accommodation in Lausanne | It may serve as a basic document relating to the address. |
Accommodation provider's confirmation | Proof of accommodation in the absence of a tenancy agreement | It may be relevant if accommodation is provided by another person. |
Employment contract | Proof of the foreign national's employment status | It may be requested when registering as a foreign national in Lausanne. |
Residence permit | Proof of an existing permit | It can be submitted if it is already available. |
The document list is based on information concerning Lausanne and arrival registration for EU/EFTA citizens. It should not automatically be assumed that exactly the same documents are required in Geneva, or that this list applies unchanged to every case in Lausanne.
What does proof of accommodation mean in the case of subletting or temporary accommodation?
If there is no tenancy agreement in the person's own name, confirmation from the accommodation provider may be a relevant housing document in Lausanne. The content of the confirmation and its acceptable format should be checked against the current guidance of Lausanne's Contrôle des habitants.
This situation may be common when someone initially moves in with a family member or partner, into accommodation arranged by an employer, or into temporary housing. In administrative procedures, it is not advisable to rely solely on a verbal agreement in such cases.
A Hungarian address card or Hungarian tenancy document alone does not replace proof of the right to use an address in Lausanne. A document relating to the Swiss residence may be required for local registration.
How does withholding tax work, and when must I submit a DRIS/TOU application in Geneva?
In Geneva, an employee subject to withholding tax, for example a holder of a B or L permit, must provide the withholding tax declaration to their employer within 14 days of starting work or arriving in the canton. The deadline for a DRIS/TOU application for correction of withholding tax or subsequent ordinary taxation is 31 March of the year following the tax year.
The French name for withholding tax is Impôt à la source, and its German name is Quellensteuer. In Geneva employee matters, the Service de l’impôt à la source,that is, the withholding tax office, is the competent cantonal authority.
The 14-day deadline for the withholding tax declaration is not the same as the 14-day deadline for registering your address. Although both may be connected to Genève and to moving or starting work, they are two separate administrative steps.
DRIS is the French name for a withholding tax correction request: Demande de rectification de l’impôt à la source. In German, you may find a similar procedure under the name Antrag auf Neuveranlagung der Quellensteuer. TOU is the abbreviation for the procedure related to subsequent ordinary taxation.
Why is the 31 March deadline particularly important in Genève?
For a Genève DRIS/TOU request, 31 March of the year following the tax year is a strict deadline. According to information issued by the canton of Genève in March 2022, no extension can be requested, so the current detailed rules for the relevant tax year should always be verified through official sources before submission.
It is not advisable to leave the 31 March date until the last day. The consequences of missing the deadline, the persons concerned and the specific technical method of submission must be determined on the basis of the current DRIS/TOU page of the canton of Genève.
The Genève rule does not automatically mean that the same request, abbreviation or deadline applies in the canton of Vaud or in Lausanne. Withholding tax is a cantonal matter, so official information from the Vaud cantonal tax authority is required in the case of Vaud.
What should I do in Genève if my employment ends or I move away?
If your employment in Genève ends while you are an employee subject to withholding tax in Genève, or if you leave the canton, you must appear in person at the Service de l’impôt à la source office no later than 15 days before departure. This requirement specifically applies to persons subject to withholding tax in Genève.
The end of employment, leaving the canton and changing your address are not merely matters for your employer. There may also be a reporting obligation for the Genève withholding tax register.
Because of the requirement to appear 15 days in advance, it is advisable to set the planned date of moving or ending employment in good time. If the departure becomes known at short notice, the next step should be clarified based on the official Genève guidance.
Which matters need to be kept separate when leaving Genève?
Your Genève address, employment and withholding tax may constitute three separate administrative matters. Reporting one does not automatically confirm that the other two have also been settled.
The pre-departure checklist may include the following items:
Address matters: check which departure or change-of-address notification is required by the competent residents’ registration or migration authority.
Employment: settle in writing with the employer the end date of the employment relationship and the required employment documents.
Source tax: if subject to source tax, review the requirements of the Service de l’impôt à la source at least 15 days before the planned departure.
Next place of residence: if moving to Canton of Vaud or Lausanne, the 14-day registration deadline at the new place of residence must be observed separately.
Administration in Hungary: the change of address in Switzerland does not automatically resolve matters relating to Hungarian social security, taxation or family records.
What else should I check regarding compulsory health insurance?
The exact deadline, available options and procedures in Canton of Genève and Canton of Vaud for arranging compulsory health insurance in Switzerland should be checked directly against the relevant official information. The source material for this article does not include a verified official reference for this purpose.
When moving to Switzerland, the health insurance system is often referred to as Krankenkasse in German, while in French the term for the health insurer may differ. There may be a connection between address registration, the start of employment and health insurance matters, but this should not be handled based on assumptions.
Genève and Vaud are different cantons, and Lausanne is a city in Canton of Vaud. Therefore, health insurance matters should also be based on information applicable to the actual place of residence, rather than on the experience of an acquaintance living in another canton.
The moving plan should include a separate item for checking health insurance. The consequences of missing insurance deadlines, choosing an insurer and any cross-border living situation should be clarified individually, based on official sources.
Sources
Canton of Genève – Annonce d’arrivée à Genève pour les Suisses
Canton of Vaud – Changement d’adresse and Contrôle des habitants
Canton of Vaud – Le canton de Vaud s’associe au projet eDéménagementCH
Canton of Genève – Request for correction of withholding tax or subsequent ordinary assessment
Canton of Genève – Reporting a change in circumstances to the tax authorities
Canton of Genève – Strict 31 March deadline for taxpayers subject to withholding tax
Related Articles
In Brief
In Geneva, the canton of Vaud and Lausanne, you generally need to register your address within 14 days of arrival or moving in, although the responsible authority varies by area. In Geneva, OCPM is the main point of contact; in Lausanne, it is the municipal Contrôle des habitants; and in other municipalities in the canton of Vaud, the local population registration office is the primary starting point. Address registration should be handled separately from employment, withholding tax, health insurance and administrative matters in Hungary.
Key Takeaways
- Identify the authority responsible for your actual place of residence: OCPM in Geneva, the municipal Contrôle des habitants office in Lausanne, and the local office in other municipalities in the canton of Vaud.
- Due to the 14-day deadline for address registration, start checking the required documents and applicable procedure on the day you move.
- In Lausanne, check whether eDéménagementCH or the municipal online form can be used; in Geneva, start with the current OCPM procedure applicable to foreign nationals.
- Prepare a valid identity document, your tenancy agreement or a host's confirmation of accommodation, and, where required, your employment contract and any residence permit already issued.
- Handle address registration separately from employment, withholding tax, health insurance, and Hungarian tax or social security matters.
- As an employee subject to Geneva withholding tax, submit the withholding tax declaration to your employer within 14 days of starting work or arriving in the canton, and check and submit the DRIS/TOU application by 31 March of the year following the tax year, if applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon must I register my address in Geneva or Lausanne?
You have 14 days in the canton of Geneva, the canton of Vaud and the city of Lausanne. In Geneva and Lausanne, the deadline is linked to your arrival, while in the canton of Vaud it is linked to moving in.
Which authority do I need to register with in Geneva and Lausanne?
In the canton of Geneva, the responsible authority is the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM). In Lausanne, you should contact the municipal Contrôle des habitants office; in other municipalities in the canton of Vaud, contact the population registration office of the relevant municipality.
What documents may be required for address registration in Lausanne?
You may be asked for a valid identity document, a tenancy agreement or a host's confirmation of accommodation, an employment contract if you are a foreign national, and any residence permit already available. The precise list of documents depends on the individual's circumstances and the current Lausanne procedure.
Can I register online in Lausanne?
In Lausanne, the eDéménagementCH platform or the municipal online form may be available. Whether eDéménagementCH can be used also depends on whether your previous Swiss place of residence is connected to the system, so it is advisable to check the current municipal guidance.
What happens if I do not have a tenancy agreement in my own name?
In Lausanne, a host's confirmation may be a relevant housing document if accommodation is provided by another person. The required content and accepted format should be checked against the current guidance from the Contrôle des habitants; a Hungarian address card alone does not replace proof of a Swiss address.
How does Geneva address registration differ from Geneva withholding tax administration?
These are two separate administrative steps. Address registration must be handled with OCPM, whereas an employee subject to withholding tax must submit the withholding tax declaration to their employer within 14 days of starting work or arriving in the canton.
Until when can the Geneva DRIS/TOU application be submitted?
The deadline for a DRIS/TOU application for withholding tax correction or subsequent ordinary assessment is 31 March of the year following the tax year. According to the article, this is a strict deadline, so the current Geneva rules for the relevant tax year should be checked before submission.
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