7 Swiss Rules New Residents Always Miss

The most-broken rule of all — and the one that quietly delays everything else. Within 14 days of moving into your new address, you must register at your Gemeinde (municipality). No Anmeldung means no residence permit, no bank account opening, no phone contract, no Krankenkasse admission letter — nothing.

Bring: passport, rental contract, employer letter, marriage/birth certificates for family, and passport photos. Book the slot online the week before your move — walk-ins are rarely accepted in Zurich, Geneva or Basel.

Full walk-through: personalised checklist by canton and the complete moving guide.

Swiss health insurance (KVG) is mandatory — but not automatic. You have exactly 3 months from your date of arrival to sign up with a Krankenkasse of your choice. Miss it and the canton picks one for you at whatever rate it likes, backdated to day one.

The kicker: your travel insurance from home does not count. Neither does your EHIC card (EU expats). Sign up in month one, compare premiums before you commit, and pick a higher deductible if you're young and healthy.

Deep dive: Swiss healthcare explained and Krankenkasse compared.

Switzerland takes quiet seriously. Sundays and public holidays are legally protected rest days. In practice, that means:

• No washing machine, dryer or vacuum cleaner in shared apartment buildings
• No drilling, hammering, DIY or lawn mowing
• No car washing on your driveway
• No recycling glass into public bins (the clinking noise)
• Most shops closed — even supermarkets (except at train stations and airports)

Weekdays also have "quiet hours" — usually 22:00–07:00 and 12:00–13:00 (lunch nap!). Break them repeatedly and expect a formal Abmahnung from your landlord. Two of those and eviction is legally on the table.

Switzerland charges by the bag. Every canton has its own official rubbish sack — Züri-Sack in Zurich, Bâche in Vaud, Bebbi-Sagg in Basel — priced at roughly CHF 2 per 35-litre bag. Using a random plastic bag from Migros? Fine of CHF 100–300, and yes, they open the bag to find your name on an envelope.

PET bottles, glass, aluminium, batteries, cardboard and electronics go to separate free collection points. Learning your commune's recycling calendar in week one saves both money and awkward notes on your door.

Full breakdown by canton: waste and recycling guide.

Every household in Switzerland pays CHF 335/year to Serafe for public broadcasting — whether you own a TV, watch SRF, or have never turned on a Swiss channel in your life. The bill lands automatically the moment you register.

Exemptions exist (for AHV/IV supplementary-benefits recipients, some collective households, deaf-blind persons) but must be actively applied for. Everyone else pays. Not paying triggers debt collection (Betreibung) — which then shows on your credit file and can block future apartment rentals.

Full rules and exemption steps: Serafe tax explained.

Bring a foreign driving licence and you can use it in Switzerland for exactly 12 months from the day you become a resident. On day 366, it's no longer valid — even if the licence itself doesn't expire until 2040.

EU/EFTA, USA, UK, Canada, Australia and ~30 other countries: swap without a test at your cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt. Everyone else: full theory + practical test, in the local language. Miss the deadline and you're back to learner status — expensive lessons, restricted plates, the lot.

Step-by-step: Swiss driving licence exchange.

Moved apartments? You have 14 days to tell your Gemeinde. Moved cantons? Two Gemeindes to notify — the old one (Abmeldung) and the new one (Anmeldung) — plus a new residence permit within 14 days. Skipping it means Serafe, tax bills, health insurance correspondence and your permit renewal all continue landing at the old address.

Also update: employer, Krankenkasse, bank, mobile provider, AHV compensation office (via employer), and your car registration (30 days).

• Greet the shop: "Grüezi" on entering, "Auf Wiederluege" on leaving. Bakeries, tiny boutiques, even doctor's waiting rooms.
• Cash the bike: No vignette on your bike? CHF 100+ fine in some cantons for missing lights or bell.
• Punctuality is a virtue: Not 5 minutes late. Not on time. Two minutes early. Trains leave on the second.
• Personal numbers in public: Swiss privacy runs deep — don't ask salaries, don't shout on trains, don't put out big personal wins on the shared block chat.

• Day 1–14: Anmeldung at Gemeinde
• Day 1–14: SIM card + Swiss bank account
• Day 1–30: Compare and choose a Krankenkasse
• Day 1–30: Learn your commune's rubbish + recycling schedule
• Day 1–90: Sign the Krankenkasse contract
• Day 1–365: Swap your driving licence
• Ongoing: Respect Ruhezeit. Every day. Especially Sundays.