Do you have to register when you move to Switzerland?
Yes. You register with the commune where you now live, in general within 14 days of moving. If you move within Switzerland, you also tell your old commune that you are leaving.
Ep. 9 · This is Ueli · 60 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
In Switzerland your commune, the Gemeinde, keeps the register of who lives where, and it expects to hear from you in general within 14 days of moving. It sounds bureaucratic, but much depends on it, from your permit to your tax. As a newcomer, book the Anmeldung in your first days, and when you move again, deregister at the old commune too.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. True. Register with your new commune, in general within 14 days.
GEMEINDE: literally: “community”; really: your commune Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. Register first. Unpack later.
Learn more: Arrival course, day 2: the Anmeldung
The rule, explained
In Switzerland, the commune, the Gemeinde, keeps the register of who lives where. The federal portal ch.ch says you are generally expected to register with your new commune within 14 days of your move. The city of Zurich sets the same 14 days for people arriving from abroad, at its residents' registration office. Moving within Switzerland works in two steps: notify your old commune of your departure, then register with the new one. Ueli does it on day one. The Gemeinde knows where you live.
Sources: ch.ch, Notification of departure and registration; City of Zurich, Zuzug aus dem Ausland
Questions people ask
How long do you have to register in Switzerland?
In general 14 days after the move (ch.ch); Zurich also says 14 days.
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