Change of address in Geneva: the complete list of who to notify
In Geneva, you must register your new address with the OCPM within 14 days (or with your commune if you are Swiss), online or with form C, free of charge. If you own a car, the cantonal vehicle office must also be informed within 14 days. Everything else — Swiss Post, SIG, insurers, bank, school — is done just before or just after the move. Here is the complete list, in order.
Arriving in Geneva from another canton or from abroad? Read our guide Moving to Geneva: the checklist instead. Moving to France? See Moving from Geneva to France.
Before the move
- Swiss Post — mail forwarding. Order it at least 4 working days before the move, for 6, 12 or 18 months. Allow CHF 45 for 12 months online (CHF 57 at the counter). It is the safety net for everything you forget.
- SIG — electricity, water, gas. Report your move-out and move-in online as soon as you know the date.
- Internet, TV and phone. Tell your provider several weeks ahead: a connection can take time, and you will want a network from the first evening.
- Resident parking permit (macaron). If you have one and change zone, the Fondation des Parkings asks for a file (lease, vehicle registration at the new address, landlord’s certificate) and the date you want the change. Since you need the updated registration, do the vehicle office first.
On moving day
- Read the meters (electricity, water, gas) in the old and new home and photograph them: that is your proof if a bill is disputed.
- Keep your documents at hand (ID, lease) in a “do not load” box: you will need them for the formalities that follow.
Within 14 days
- OCPM or commune — the mandatory registration. Deadline: 14 days. Swiss nationals can go to their commune; everyone can use the OCPM, online (e-démarches) or by post. Free. Documents: form C (or a signed letter), a colour copy of a valid ID, a copy of the lease. For a sublet: form AL signed by the main tenant.
- Cantonal vehicle office (OCV). Deadline: 14 days. Online for private individuals, or by post with the form and the original vehicle registration documents.
- Taxes. Registering with the OCPM updates the residents’ register. Check that the new address appears on the next letter from the tax office; if not, report it.
- Serafe (radio and TV fee). Nothing to do: Serafe receives the residents’ register data every month. If the address on the bill is wrong, contact the OCPM or your commune.
In the first month
- Insurance: health insurer, household contents and liability (check the insured amount still fits the new home), vehicle insurance.
- Money and work: bank, employer (payslip, certificates), AVS fund if you are self-employed.
- School and health: school or nursery, doctor, dentist, vet.
- Subscriptions: newspapers, gym, deliveries, online accounts (delivery and billing addresses).
The most common oversights
- Waiting until the end of the 14 days and forgetting it in the rush of boxes.
- Not ordering mail forwarding in time: letters go to the old address.
- Applying for the parking permit before the vehicle registration shows the new address.
- Forgetting the delivery addresses saved on online shops.
Our list, sent to every client
When you confirm your move with DL Company, we send you this list. You handle the formalities, we handle the rest: packing, transport, reassembly and, if needed, end-of-tenancy cleaning and storage.
