Picture a couple from Toronto with two school-age children. They have a job offer in Basel, and within a week they are reading letters that mention a Gemeinde, a Franchise and a Mietzinsdepot. None of it is hard once the words are clear. This glossary is built for that moment: short definitions, grouped by the stage of your move, with the original Swiss term in brackets when it will appear on a form.
Use it as a reference. Read the section that matches where you are today, and come back when a new letter arrives. If a term raises a question about your own situation, the request at the bottom of the page lets a specialist look at your case.
Permits and residence
- Residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung / permis de séjour): the card that shows you may live in Switzerland. Authorities, not this site, decide who receives one.
- Permit B: a residence permit for a set period, usually tied to a job, family or another reason for staying.
- Permit C: a settlement permit, which gives a more stable status. It also matters for property rules (see the housing section).
- Permit L: a short-stay permit for limited assignments.
- Permit G: a cross-border permit. It is not for people who move to Switzerland, so you can skip it.
- EU/EFTA national: a citizen of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or, under a separate agreement, Switzerland itself. These nationals follow free movement rules.
- Third-country national (Drittstaat): anyone outside the EU and EFTA, such as most arrivals from the UK, the US, India, Singapore or Japan. Admission follows stricter rules and annual limits.
- Quota / contingent (Kontingent): a yearly cap on certain permits for third-country nationals.
- Cantonal migration office (Migrationsamt / service de la population): the local office that handles your permit file.
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM): the federal body that sets the national rules and approves some cases.
- Entry visa: a document some nationalities need before arriving, separate from the residence permit.
- Work permit: the right to work, usually combined with your residence permit.
- Family reunification (Familiennachzug): the process of bringing a spouse and children to live with you. See immigration support for how it fits together.
- Biometric card: the credit-card-sized permit with your photo and fingerprints on file.
- Registration appointment: the visit where your biometric data is taken.
- Employer sponsorship: when a company files the permit request for a new hire. More on this in the guide for people with a Swiss job offer.
- Self-employment: working for yourself, which follows its own admission rules.
- Naturalization (Einbürgerung): becoming a Swiss citizen. It is a long separate path, decided by the authorities.
Not sure which category you fall into? The permit finder asks four questions and points you to the right section.
Arrival and registration
- Municipality (Gemeinde / commune): your local town hall, where you register after arriving.
- Registration (Anmeldung): the official notice of your arrival. Announcing your arrival to the commune is due within 14 days (ch.ch), although the exact rule can vary by commune and canton.
- Residents' registration office (Einwohnerkontrolle / contrôle des habitants): the counter that handles that registration.
- Proof of identity: the passport or ID card the commune asks for.
- Proof of health insurance: the certificate that shows your basic cover, requested on site together with your permit documents (ch.ch).
- Deregistration (Abmeldung): the notice you give when you leave a commune or the country.
- Domicile (Wohnsitz): the place where you live with the intention to stay.
- Canton: one of the 26 member states of the Swiss federation, each with its own rules. Read the cantons guide before choosing where to live.
- Postal code (NPA / PLZ): the four-digit code used in every address.
- Household goods (Umzugsgut): the belongings you ship, which may need a customs form.
- Customs declaration: the form for importing goods at the border.
- Registered letter (Einschreiben): mail that must be signed for. Many official letters arrive this way.
- Civil status: single, married, registered partnership and so on, recorded on your file.
For a week-by-week order of tasks, see the first weeks checklist and the sample timeline.
Housing and rent
- Rental contract (Mietvertrag / bail): the lease. The lease guide goes through it clause by clause.
- Landlord (Vermieter / bailleur): the owner who rents the home out.
- Property agency (Verwaltung / régie): the firm that manages a building and handles applications for the owner.
- Net rent (Nettomiete): rent without service charges.
- Service charges (Nebenkosten / charges): heating, water and similar costs, billed on top of net rent.
- Rent deposit (Mietzinsdepot / garantie de loyer): money placed in a blocked bank account in your name as security for the landlord.
- Rental application file (Dossier): the set of documents you submit when you apply for a flat.
- Debt collection extract (Betreibungsregisterauszug): an official statement showing whether debt proceedings exist against you. Landlords often ask for it. Check the rental file check before applying.
- Handover protocol (Übergabeprotokoll / état des lieux): the written record of the flat's condition when you move in or out.
- Notice period (Kündigungsfrist): the time between a termination letter and the lease end.
- Termination date (Kündigungstermin): the dates on which a lease may end.
- Sublet (Untermiete): renting out your flat, or part of it, with the landlord's consent.
- Furnished apartment: a flat with furniture, popular for the first months.
- Flatshare (WG): a shared home with separate rooms.
- Room count: Swiss listings count rooms in half steps, and the kitchen is usually not counted.
- Lex Koller (LFAIE / BewG): the federal law limiting property purchases by people abroad. They need a cantonal authorization, with exceptions for permit C holders, EU/EFTA nationals living in Switzerland, and third-country nationals buying their own main residence. Business premises are open to all (Canton of Zurich).
- Owner-occupied home (Eigenheim): a property you live in yourself.
- Mortgage (Hypothek): a loan secured against a property.
Health insurance
- Basic health insurance (LAMal / KVG / LAMal): the compulsory cover for everyone domiciled in Switzerland. It has to be taken out no later than three months after you take up residence, and if you meet that deadline, cover starts back on your arrival date (FOPH). Late joining can mean a premium surcharge.
- Insurer: the private company that sells the basic cover. All offer the same core benefits.
- Premium (Prämie / prime): the monthly price you pay for your policy, which differs by insurer, region and age group.
- Deductible (Franchise): the yearly amount you pay yourself before the insurer reimburses costs. You choose a level when you sign up.
- Excess share (Selbstbehalt / quote-part): the percentage of costs you still pay after the deductible.
- Hospital daily contribution: a small daily charge during a hospital stay.
- Supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung): optional extras such as private rooms or dental cover.
- Family doctor model (Hausarztmodell): a cheaper plan where you see your family doctor first.
- Telemedicine model: a plan where you call a hotline before seeing a doctor.
- Accident insurance (UVG / LAA): cover for accidents, often arranged through the employer.
- Premium reduction (Prämienverbilligung): public help with premiums for households that qualify.
- Cantonal authority: it can assign an insurer to people who miss the deadline.
- Medical certificate: proof of cover from your previous country, useful to bring along.
Money, tax and pensions
- Bank account (Bankkonto / compte bancaire): needed for salary and rent. See the first weeks checklist for timing.
- Debit card (Maestro / Debit): the usual everyday card.
- QR bill (QR-Rechnung): the payment slip with a square code used for most invoices.
- Standing order (Dauerauftrag): a repeating transfer, often used for rent.
- Withholding tax (Quellensteuer / impôt à la source): tax deducted straight from salary for many foreign workers.
- Ordinary tax assessment (ordentliche Veranlagung): the yearly tax return filed by residents who are not taxed at source.
- Tax return (Steuererklärung): the form that reports income and assets.
- Tax rate: it varies by canton and commune, which is why location matters.
- Church tax: a levy in some cantons for registered members of a recognized church.
- Wealth tax (Vermögenssteuer): a yearly tax on net assets, charged by cantons.
- Social security contributions: payments for old-age, disability and unemployment cover, deducted from pay.
- AHV / AVS (old-age and survivors' insurance): the first pillar of the pension system.
- Occupational pension (BVG / LPP, pension fund): the second pillar, run through your employer.
- Private pension (Säule 3a): the optional third pillar, with tax advantages.
- Salary certificate (Lohnausweis): the yearly summary of your pay.
- Thirteenth month salary: an extra monthly payment included in many contracts.
- Double taxation agreement: a treaty that stops the same income being taxed twice by two countries.
Family, school and daily life
- Public school (öffentliche Schule / école publique): the free local school, taught in the local language.
- International school: a private school teaching in English or another language. Choosing between types is easier with the school choice tool.
- Kindergarten: the first compulsory school stage in most cantons.
- Daycare (Kinderkrippe / crèche): childcare for young children, often with waiting lists.
- After-school care (Tagesstruktur / accueil parascolaire): supervised care outside lessons.
- Parent evening (Elternabend): a school meeting for families.
- Driving licence conversion: exchanging a foreign licence for a Swiss one, with rules that depend on the country.
- Halbtax: a half-fare card for public transport.
- General Abonnement (GA): a travel pass for unlimited rides across the network.
- Waste bag (Gebührensack): a taxed bag for household waste, bought locally.
- Quiet hours (Ruhezeit): times when noise is restricted, written into house rules.
- Residents' guide: a welcome booklet many communes publish.
- Language region: the area where German, French, Italian or Romansh is the main language.
Working with relocation providers
- Relocation service: help with tasks such as housing search, registration and settling in. Relocation services explains the range.
- Home search: a service where a provider looks for flats on your behalf.
- Settling-in support: guided help with the first weeks, for example in Zurich or Lucerne.
- Departure service: help closing your life in the old home and country.
- Corporate relocation: a move organized and paid by an employer.
- Matching: how this site works, by connecting you with a relocation company that fits your request.
Moving from further afield? Country pages cover Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to use a Swiss relocation glossary?
Read the section that matches your current stage, then return when a letter or form uses a new word. The order follows a typical move: permits, arrival, housing, insurance, money, family life.
Do I need to know German, French or Italian before I move?
Not for everything. Many offices and employers work in English, but official letters usually come in the local language, so knowing the key terms helps a lot.
What is a Gemeinde?
It is the local municipality, called commune in French. You register there after arriving.
How soon is the arrival notice to the commune due?
Announcing your arrival is generally due within 14 days (ch.ch). The exact rule can differ by commune and canton, so check with the commune you are moving to.
What do I bring to the commune?
Typically an identity document, your residence or work permit, and proof of health insurance (ch.ch). The commune can confirm its own list.
What is the difference between permit B and permit C?
Permit B is a residence permit for a set period, while permit C is a settlement permit with a more stable status. The authorities decide which applies.
Who counts as a third-country national?
Anyone who is not a citizen of an EU or EFTA country. Their admission follows separate rules, including annual limits.
What does canton mean?
A canton is one of the member states of the Swiss federation. Each sets many of its own rules, including taxes, so the canton you choose shapes your daily life.
What is a régie?
A régie, or Verwaltung in German, is a property management firm. It often handles viewings and applications for the landlord.
What is a Mietzinsdepot?
It is a rent deposit held in a blocked account in your name. It protects the landlord and returns to you at the end of the lease, subject to the rules of the contract.
What is a debt collection extract?
It is an official statement showing whether debt proceedings are recorded against you. Landlords often ask for it as part of a rental file.
Why does my rent have two numbers?
Net rent covers the home itself, and service charges cover things like heating and water. Listings show both, and the total is what you pay each month.
Is health insurance optional?
No. Basic health insurance is compulsory for anyone domiciled in Switzerland, and it has to be taken out no later than three months after arrival (FOPH).
What happens if basic insurance starts late?
If the deadline is met, cover is retroactive to the date you took up residence, with premiums owed from then. If it is missed, cover begins at enrollment, a surcharge can apply, and the cantonal authority may assign an insurer (FOPH).
What is a Franchise?
It is the yearly deductible, the amount you pay yourself before the insurer starts reimbursing. A higher deductible usually lowers the monthly premium.
What does Lex Koller mean?
It is the federal law that limits property purchases by people abroad. Exceptions exist for permit C holders, EU/EFTA nationals who live in Switzerland, and third-country nationals buying their own main residence (Canton of Zurich).
Can a foreigner buy a home in Switzerland?
Sometimes, depending on permit, residence and the type of property. A specialist can explain what applies to your case.
What is withholding tax?
It is tax taken directly from your salary at source. Whether it applies to you depends on your permit and situation, and the tax office can confirm.
What is the three-pillar pension system?
The first pillar is the state scheme (AHV/AVS), the second is the occupational pension through your employer, and the third is optional private saving.
What is an NPA or PLZ?
It is the Swiss postal code. It identifies the town in every address and appears on rental listings.
What is a Halbtax?
It is a half-fare card for public transport. Many newcomers consider it once they know their regular routes.
Do children have to attend the local school?
Public school is the default in each commune, taught in the local language. International schools are a private alternative, and the school choice tool helps compare options.
What does a relocation company actually do?
It supports tasks such as housing search, registration and settling in. This site connects you with a company that matches your request, and does not carry out those tasks itself.
Where can I ask about a term that is not listed?
Use the request at the bottom of the page. A specialist can explain the term and how it applies to your move, and the FAQ page covers broader questions. You can also see how it works or start from the home page.