Moving in Geneva, across Switzerland and to Europe

Moving to, from or around Geneva? Here's what usually worries people

1. "Our old lease ends on the 31st, and the régie only gives us the new keys on the 1st."

What it means: in Geneva, flats are let and handed over by the régie, the agency that manages the building. Key dates are fixed by them, not by you, and the old and new leases rarely line up to the day.

What we do: give us both dates first. We fit moving day between them, and we can pack the day before if you hand back the old keys early in the morning.

2. "We have to leave our Geneva flat spotless for the état des lieux."

What it means: when you move out, someone from the régie (the letting agency) walks through the flat with you at the état des lieux (the move-out inspection) and notes anything that isn't right.

What we do: the same team that moves you out cleans the flat you're leaving, so it's ready for the inspection.

3. "Our building is old, the staircase is narrow, and the lift fits two people."

What it means: plenty of older blocks in Geneva and Carouge were built long before corner sofas and double wardrobes, and a tight turn on the third floor can stop a move.

What we do: big pieces are dismantled where they stand and rebuilt in your new rooms. If even that won't get them round the corner, a furniture lift takes them in through the window.

4. "We've just arrived from abroad. What will Swiss customs want from us?"

What it means: your belongings are declared at the Swiss border. Household effects come in duty-free when you move your home here, as long as you have used them yourself for at least six months and keep using them in Switzerland. At the customs office of entry you hand in Form 18.44 with a list of your belongings. Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), "Relocation: import into Switzerland – procedure" and "FAQ: removal goods". Read on 5 October 2026.

What we do: we explain each step before we fix the date, and we build the list of your belongings with you, room by room, so it's ready for the form.

5. "Not everything can come at once. Some boxes are still at my parents'."

What it means: Swiss customs accept household effects that arrive in several loads within two years, provided whatever is coming later goes on its own list, declared with the very first load. Source: FOCBS, "FAQ: removal goods". Read on 5 October 2026.

What we do: we flag what stays behind when we draw up your list together, so the later load is already declared.

6. "We've just arrived, and there's already a pile of paperwork."

What it means: anyone moving to the canton must register with the cantonal population office (OCPM) within 14 days of arriving. Source: République et canton de Genève, "Annoncer mon arrivée à l'OCPM", updated 15 July 2025. Read on 5 October 2026. Basic health insurance must be taken out within three months of settling in Switzerland. Source: Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), compulsory health insurance for people living in Switzerland. Read on 5 October 2026.

What we do: we don't handle permits or insurance, but we fix moving day early on, so the first weeks are for your paperwork, not for carrying boxes.

7. "The lease, the régie's letters and the état des lieux report are all in French."

What it means: French is the official language of the canton, and your lease, the letters from your régie and the état des lieux report you sign when you hand back the keys are almost always written in French. Source: Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Geneva (rsGE A 2 00), art. 5. Read on 8 October 2026.

What we do: everything we write to you is in English, by email or WhatsApp, from the first reply to the written quote.

Moving within Switzerland, or leaving it

A move out of the canton, to Lausanne, Bern or Zurich, is prepared the same way as a move across town. We come and see your home or, if a visit isn't possible, work from your furniture list. Then you get a written quote. Leaving Switzerland? Moving abroad means customs formalities, and we go through them with you before the date is fixed.

Coming to Geneva from abroad

Swiss customs don't ask EU and EFTA citizens for a residence permit to clear household effects. Proof that you've deregistered in your old country, your employment contract and your lease are usually enough to show you're really moving here. Source: FOCBS, "Relocation: import into Switzerland – procedure". Read on 5 October 2026. Coming from the UK? Since Brexit the rules for British citizens are different: our UK page explains them.

Household effects are cleared on weekdays, during the customs offices' opening hours. Source: FOCBS, "FAQ: removal goods". Read on 5 October 2026. We plan the border crossing with that in mind.

Where we go

All forty-five communes of the canton of Geneva. And from Geneva, the rest of Switzerland and anywhere in Europe: Lausanne, Bern, Zurich, Annecy, Lyon, Milan or Paris, to name just a few. Our own team drives every route, across town or across Europe. The written quote takes into account the distance, the volume, the floors and access at both addresses and, for a move abroad, the border crossing.

How it works

1. You tell us where. Both addresses and the size of your home, ideally with your furniture list.
2. We see what needs moving. We come and see it. If a home visit isn't possible, we work from your furniture list, room by room.
3. You get the quote. In writing, dated, with what's included and what isn't.
4. We move you in and clean the old flat, ready for you to hand back the keys. Furniture reassembled, boxes in the right room, and the flat you left cleaned by the same team.

What we do, and who does it

• Home moves. From a studio to a family house, with one contact from the first call to the last box.
• Office moves. Offices and shops moved in the evening or on a Saturday, so you don't have to close.
• Packing. Boxes, bubble wrap and wardrobe boxes for your clothes. We do it all, or you do some of it yourself.
• Dismantling and reassembly. Beds, wardrobes and desks taken apart and put back together.
• Furniture lift. For tight stairwells and small lifts where the sofa won't go.
• End-of-tenancy cleaning in Geneva. The flat handed back clean, ready for the état des lieux. More about move-out cleaning (page in French).
• Free quote. A written, dated quote that says what's included and what isn't.

Swiss Pro Moving is a new company. Our team brings 13 years in the trade and more than 400 customers served at the companies our movers worked for before. That experience has taught us what fits up a staircase and what gets stuck.

Questions expats ask us

Do you speak English?

Yes. Email us or message us on WhatsApp in English: we reply in writing within one working day, and your quote is in English too. On the phone, we speak French or English.

Can you move us out of our Geneva flat and clean it too?

Yes. The same team moves you out and cleans the flat you're leaving, so it's ready for the état des lieux with your régie.

Can you help us with Swiss customs?

We explain the formalities and prepare the list of your belongings with you. Household effects enter duty-free when you move your home to Switzerland, provided you've used them for at least six months and keep using them in Switzerland, and you hand in Form 18.44 at the customs office of entry (FOCBS).

Our shipment from abroad is in two parts. Is that allowed?

Yes. Customs accept household effects that arrive within two years, provided the second part is put on a separate list and declared when the first part enters Switzerland (FOCBS).

Can you move our office without closing?

Yes. We move offices and shops in the evening or on a Saturday, so you can stay open.

How much does it cost?

It depends on your move: the distance, the volume and access at both addresses all count. We set the price in a free written quote, after a home visit or from your furniture list.

Tell us about your move

Tell us where you're moving from and when, and we'll get back to you. We'll ask where you're going and how big your home is, then arrange a visit or ask for your furniture list. In Geneva, end-of-month Saturdays tend to book up first, so if you know your date, tell us now.

• For a detailed quote, with your furniture list: Get your free quote online
• Phone: +41 76 581 55 61
• WhatsApp: message us on WhatsApp
• Email: contact@swisspromoving.com

Or just leave us the essentials in the quick request below: where you're moving from, when, and how to reach you. We'll sort out the rest with you.

Quick quote request

A few details are all we need to get started. We reply in English within one working day.