Moving to Switzerland: Money Basics for Expats and Cross-Border Workers

Withholding tax, banking, insurance deadlines and what happens to your pensions when you move.

6 min read · Salary & Tax

Life situations: Moving to Switzerland

Moving to or working in Switzerland involves many administrative deadlines in the first weeks.

First steps

• Register with your municipality within 14 days of arrival.
• Take out basic health insurance within three months (it is back-dated).
• Open a Swiss bank account for salary, rent and local payments.

Taxes

Foreign nationals without a C permit generally pay tax at source (Quellensteuer), deducted from the payslip. If income exceeds CHF 120,000 or in certain situations, an ordinary assessment follows. You can also request a subsequent ordinary assessment to claim deductions such as pillar 3a and wealth-related items. Rules vary by canton and your marital situation.

Cross-border commuters

Commuters from Germany, France, Italy and Austria usually pay tax in Switzerland at source and then follow a home-country regime; special agreements apply to specific cantons and countries. Salaries are paid in CHF, so exchange rate swings matter. Compare real purchasing power with the salary comparison calculator.

Pensions

Contributions to AHV and pension fund are mandatory. When you leave Switzerland, vested benefits can be paid out in cash in some cases (not for EU/EFTA countries for the mandatory part) – check before leaving.

Always verify details with your cantonal tax office; this is general education.