A relocation package to Switzerland is a written set of benefits and responsibilities. It tells your employee what the company pays for, what it arranges and what remains personal. A package that is vague on any of these points produces disputes after arrival. This page lists what a Swiss package should contain, in the order your team will need to decide it.
For a definition of the term, read what a relocation package is. For valuation, see how much a relocation package is worth. This page is about content and structure.
Start with the legal sequence, not the budget
Your package should follow the order in which a transferee meets Swiss rules. Work backwards from that order and you will not omit a step.
- Work authorisation, before departure.
- Housing, ideally secured before arrival.
- Registration with the municipality on arrival.
- Compulsory health insurance after taking up residence.
- Schooling, banking and daily set-up.
Each step carries a decision for the employer: pay, arrange, or leave to the employee. Write that decision down for every step.
Immigration and permits
Switzerland has two admission regimes. One applies to nationals of EU and EFTA states, under the free movement agreement (ALCP). The other applies to nationals of third states, meaning those outside the EU and EFTA. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) describes both on its worker admission page.
Your package should say who files, who pays and who carries the risk of a refusal. The employer usually files for a third-state national. The authorities grant or refuse the permit, so your policy must not promise an outcome.
Specify these points:
- Who instructs the immigration adviser, and who holds the file.
- Whether dependants' applications are covered.
- What happens to the package if a permit is delayed or refused.
- Whether the start date is conditional on the permit.
For the permit routes themselves, see Swiss work permits and the question of minimum salary for a permit. A specialist should examine each transferee's case. Nationality, role and household all change the route.
Housing
Housing is where most packages leak cost and goodwill. Your transferee will arrive without a Swiss rental history, often without a local reference, and sometimes without a permit at the time of application.
Decide the following:
- Whether you fund a temporary stay, and for how long.
- Whether you pay for a home search, and who chooses the area.
- Whether the rental deposit is advanced by the company, and how it is recovered.
- Who handles the handover inspection at the end of a lease.
A home search can be bought as a service, see home search service. Your transferee can also test options with the city comparator. Do not state rent levels in the policy itself. Refer to a benchmark that you review regularly.
Arrival formalities
On arrival, your transferee must register with the commune. Practice indicates a deadline of 14 days, but it can vary by commune and canton, so confirm it for the destination. On site, expect to present an identity document, the residence or work permit and proof of health insurance. See ch.ch and the commune's own page for local rules.
Your package should allocate time and support for this step. An employee who needs to be at work from the first day may have no time to queue at a municipal office. Say whether the company provides paid time off, an escort or a settling-in service. A settling-in service can cover it.
Health insurance
Anyone domiciled in Switzerland must take out basic health insurance. The deadline is three months after taking up residence. If the deadline is met, cover is retroactive to the date of residence, and premiums are due retroactively. If it is missed, cover starts at affiliation, a premium surcharge may apply for an unexcused delay, and the cantonal authority can assign an insurer. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) publishes these rules.
For your package, the question is not whether insurance is compulsory. It is who chooses the insurer, who pays the premium and whether the company tops up cover. State this in the policy. Do not give personalised insurance advice in it.
Schooling and family
A transferee with children needs a school decision early. Public schools depend on the commune and its language. International schools have their own admission calendars and fees. The package should state whether school fees are covered, capped or excluded, and for which children.
Include partner support if your company offers it. Many assignments fail because a spouse cannot work or settle. A package can fund language courses, career coaching or a community introduction. The school choice guide helps a family compare options before departure.
Tax and payroll
Do not put tax advice in the package. State instead that tax treatment depends on the permit, the contract and the canton, and name the adviser the company will use. Specify whether the company covers the cost of a tax adviser and whether any benefit is grossed up. Your payroll team should confirm treatment before the offer letter is issued.
Shipment and travel
State what the company pays for: a household goods move, a partial shipment, storage or none. Decide on the number of home-leave trips and who books them. If your transferee imports a vehicle, say whether the company supports it. Customs rules apply, and they should be checked with the carrier before any promise is made.
Lump sum or managed: the central design choice
Every package turns on one choice. You either give your employee a fixed allowance and let them organise the move, or you appoint providers and manage the process. Many companies mix the two by tier.
A lump sum is simple to administer, but it moves risk to the employee. A managed package costs more to run, but it protects your compliance position. Read lump sum or managed for a decision frame and writing a lump-sum policy if you choose the first. To see layouts in practice, read the package examples.
Checklist for the policy document
Use this list when you draft or review a package.
- Define who is eligible and for what type of assignment.
- State the immigration responsibilities and what happens if a permit is refused.
- Set the housing support, temporary stay and deposit arrangements.
- Allocate time and help for municipal registration.
- State who selects and pays for health insurance.
- Define school and partner support.
- Name the tax adviser and the payroll treatment.
- Set shipment, storage and travel entitlements.
- Fix a repayment clause for early departure.
- Name a single point of contact for the transferee.
Common mistakes
Three mistakes recur. The first is a package that mirrors a policy from another country and ignores Swiss rules. The second is silence on what happens if the assignment ends early. The third is a promise that depends on an authority, such as a permit date, written as a commitment.
Review the package before each cohort moves. Rules and prices change. Your policy should name a review owner. For a wider view of design, see designing a relocation policy.
If your team wants a specialist to look at the package, use the request at the foot of the page. The network works with relocation companies in Switzerland and puts you in touch with the one that fits the need. A broader overview of providers is under relocation services in Switzerland.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum content of a relocation package to Switzerland?
Cover immigration, housing, arrival registration, health insurance, schooling, tax support and shipment. For each, state who pays and who acts. Add a repayment clause and a named contact.
Who is responsible for the work permit?
In most third-state cases the employer files. The authorities decide. Your policy should say who instructs the adviser and what happens after a refusal.
Do EU and EFTA nationals need a different package?
The admission regime differs, so the immigration section differs. The other sections are broadly similar. The package should say which regime applies to each transferee.
Does a package need to cover the family?
Only if your policy says so. State clearly whether dependants' permits, schooling and travel are covered. Silence causes disputes.
Should the package include temporary housing?
Many do, because a transferee rarely has a home on arrival. State the maximum period and who pays. Define what happens if the permanent home is delayed.
Who pays the rental deposit?
That is a policy choice. Some employers advance it and recover it later. Write down the mechanism.
How soon must a transferee register on arrival?
The practice indicated is 14 days, but it can vary by commune and canton. Confirm the local rule with the commune.
What does registration require?
Expect an identity document, the permit and proof of health insurance. The commune lists its exact requirements.
Is health insurance compulsory?
Yes. Anyone domiciled in Switzerland must take out basic cover within three months of taking up residence.
Is cover retroactive?
If the deadline is met, cover is retroactive to the date of residence, and premiums are due from then. After the deadline, cover starts at affiliation.
Can the employer choose the insurer?
The policy can set how the choice is made. The legal duty to be insured remains with the individual. Specialists can examine each case.
Should the package pay school fees?
It is a design choice. State which children, which schools and whether there is a cap. Review it with each cohort.
Can a package include partner career support?
Yes. It can fund coaching, language study or an introduction to the community. It improves retention of the assignment.
Should tax advice be in the package?
Not the advice itself. Name the adviser, say who pays, and state whether any benefit is grossed up. Payroll should confirm treatment first.
Is a lump sum cheaper than managed support?
Not necessarily. A lump sum fixes your outlay, but it moves risk to the employee. Managed support costs more to run. Compare them on your own assignments.
Can we mix lump sum and managed support?
Yes. Many companies tier their policy by grade or assignment type. The tiers should be written clearly.
What should the repayment clause say?
It should say when repayment applies, what it covers and how it is calculated. Have employment counsel draft it. This page does not give legal advice.
How early should we start?
Start before the offer letter. Immigration and housing set the timeline. Late decisions delay the start date.
Who should be the single contact?
One named person or provider. The transferee should know who to call at each stage. Avoid splitting contacts between HR and several vendors.
How often should the package be reviewed?
Review it before each cohort and when rules change. Name an owner for the review.
What if the permit is delayed?
The package should say whether the start date, pay and housing commitments move. A provider cannot speed up the authorities.
Can the package promise a permit?
No. The authorities grant permits. Your policy can only promise to file and to support.
Where do we get help drafting the policy?
A relocation specialist can review it. Use the request at the foot of the page, and the network will put you in touch with a suitable company.