Clear, sourced guides to understand Swiss administrative procedures and prepare the right documents.
27 articles
Capital gains, dividends, wealth: how stock market gains are really taxed in Switzerland, why private capital gains are exempt and when you risk being reclassified as a professional securities dealer.
Application fees, dossier fees, lease set-up fees: what Swiss law says, what is contestable and how to push back without losing the flat.
The SERAFE licence fee in Switzerland: who has to pay (even without a TV), the amount, how billing works, exemption cases and who to contact if something is wrong.
Permanently leaving Switzerland: deregistering with your commune, ending health insurance, AHV and 2nd/3rd pillar, taxes for the year of departure, and registering with the Swiss mission abroad.
Preparing your civil marriage in Switzerland: requirements, marriage preparation procedure, documents for Swiss and foreign nationals, witnesses, costs and timelines.
Practical guide to preparing your Swiss tax return: documents to gather, deadlines to know, mistakes to avoid and a method to stop scrambling for papers at the last minute.
What a payment order (Zahlungsbefehl) means in Switzerland, how to respond, how to file an objection within 10 days, and where to find free help if the situation becomes complex.
Everything you need to know to switch health insurance in Switzerland: the 30 November cancellation deadline, a template letter, documents to keep, and the difference between basic and supplementary cover.
Everything you need to do when moving in Switzerland: deregistration and registration, change of address, lease, insurance, cantonal deadlines and mistakes to avoid.
How to register as unemployed in Switzerland step by step: the unemployment office (RAV), the unemployment fund, documents to prepare, deadlines to meet and job applications to record.
The essential administrative steps when you arrive in Switzerland: residence permit, registering with your municipality, health insurance, opening a bank account, enrolling children in school.
All the administrative steps after the birth of a child in Switzerland: registering the birth with the civil registry, health insurance, family allowances, parental authority, maternity and paternity leave.
How to become self-employed in Switzerland: AHV registration, commercial register, VAT, pension provision, insurance and documents to prepare for your trustee.
What to do after the death of a loved one in Switzerland: declaration to the civil registry, succession, insurance, banks, lease termination, inheritance and deadlines to respect.
Which documents to centralise when living together as an unmarried couple in Switzerland: lease, insurance, banking, taxes, pension, succession. The legal points you need to know.
Everything about pillar 3a in Switzerland: annual cap, tax deduction, early withdrawal cases, deadlines and key habits before 31 December.
How to handle a move-in and move-out inspection in Switzerland: deadlines for reporting defects, rental deposit, hidden defects, and what to do in a dispute.
How to terminate a lease early in Switzerland: the solvent replacement tenant rule, template letter, notice periods, landlord rights, and options if refused.
How to request a debt register extract (Betreibungsregisterauszug) in Switzerland: where to apply, cost, processing time, validity period and what to do if an unjustified entry appears.
How to apply for a health insurance premium reduction in Switzerland: cantonal income thresholds, process, documents and deadlines. A quarter of Swiss residents are eligible without knowing it.
How to choose your health insurance deductible in Switzerland: calculating the break-even point, alternative insurance models, the annual switch deadline and advice based on your health profile.
Full list of tax deductions in the Swiss tax return: work expenses, pillar 3a, insurance premiums, medical costs, donations, continuing education, and mistakes to avoid.
How to prepare for retirement in Switzerland: applying for your AHV pension, choosing between BVG capital or annuity, withdrawing pillar 3a, early or deferred retirement, and documents to gather.
Everything about withholding tax in Switzerland: cross-border commuters, B and L permits, subsequent ordinary assessment, correction requests and available deductions.
How to finance a property purchase in Switzerland using your pillar 3a and occupational pension (BVG): withdrawal or pledge, conditions, taxation, equity and timelines.
Everything you need to request, renew or replace a Swiss identity card or passport: where to go, costs, processing times, compliant photos, urgent applications and validity rules.
How to become Swiss through naturalisation: residence requirements, integration, language level, costs, commune-canton-federal steps and timelines.
