Tool · Registration
When must you register?
In Switzerland the deadline to declare your arrival depends on why you are here: it isn't always “14 days”. Pick your situation and get your personal date. The calculation runs entirely in your browser; no data is sent.
This calculation runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent or stored.
The rules at a glance
Four situations, four deadlines
Why “14 days” doesn't apply to everyone, and which deadline is right in your case.
- You're starting a job
Before your first day of work
Anyone taking up gainful work must register before it begins. Third-country nationals need the permit before entry; EU/EFTA nationals register at the commune before starting work.
AIG Art. 12 Abs. 1- You're moving in without working (over 3 months)
Within 14 days
Anyone entering for a stay of more than three months without gainful work, holding an entry authorisation, must register within 14 days of entry.
VZAE Art. 10 Abs. 1- You already live here and you're moving
Within 14 days
When you move to a new commune or canton you must register at your new address, and deregister at your old one, within 14 days; this is a federal deadline (VZAE Art. 15 Abs. 1).
VZAE Art. 15 Abs. 1- Short stay without work (3 months or less)
No registration
Stays of up to three months within any six months, without gainful work, need neither a permit nor registration. If you are a visa-exempt third-country national, the Schengen 90-days-in-180 rule also applies.
VZAE Art. 9
Important for everyone
Your commune always keeps a residents' register
Whatever the federal deadline, every commune keeps a residents' register. Anyone taking up residence must register there: many communes require it within 14 days, some sooner. When in doubt: register as soon as you can at your commune's residents' registration office (contrôle des habitants) and ask for the exact deadline.
Source & last update
Last checked on 09.06.2026
General information, editorially reviewed, not lawyer-reviewed legal advice. Deadlines can vary by canton and commune: confirm your deadline with the competent authority.
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