The most important administrative procedures are notifying your commune of residence of your departure and registering with your new commune of residence. Contact the Residents’ Registration Office to find out about the existing procedures you need to complete. Most communes require that you notify them of your departure or register with them in person.

Moving home for third-country nationals: In addition to the above-mentioned measures, as a third-country national with a residence permit you should find out as soon as possible from the Residents’ registration office of your commune or from the cantonal immigration authorities what additional steps need to be taken when moving. This particularly applies when moving to another canton: a new residence permit is usually required. You must also notify your commune of your departure and register with your new commune within eight days. Further information is also available from the Federal Office for Migration (FOM).

Moving home for EU/EFTA nationals: According to the Agreement on the Free Movement of People, the same rules apply to EU/EFTA nationals as to Swiss citizens. The brochure “European Nationals in Switzerland” provides relevant information.

If you plan to live abroad for an extended period of time or plan to move abroad definitely, you need to give notice of your departure in person at your local authority. The obligation to give notice of departure for shorter periods of times abroad varies depending on the local authority. If you plan to stay abroad for longer than three months, you should also notify the Residents’ registration office. You need to return your settlement permit to the Residents’ registration office before your departure. The Residents’ registration office will deliver your certificate of origin to your commune of residence where it will be kept for the duration of your stay abroad.