Moving Near Geneva as a Cross-Border Worker: The Complete Checklist
Moving Near Geneva as a Cross-Border Worker: The Complete Checklist
Setting up near Geneva as a cross-border worker takes preparation. It's not just finding a room and signing a lease. There's admin stuff, contracts, organization. Here's the complete checklist so you don't forget anything.
Phase 1: Before You Leave (2-3 Weeks Before)
Document your situation: You'll be asked for an employment contract, pay stubs (last 3), proof of income. Gather that now. Also: valid ID, proof of current address.
Guarantor: If you don't have a known French permanent job, you'll need a guarantor (parent, friend, someone with permanent employment and an apartment). Prepare their documents too.
Transport subscription: You'll pay 200+ CHF/month for LĂ©man Express. That's normal. Check cross-border passes: there's savings depending on your schedule.
Bank: Opening a La Banque Postale or ING France account is easy. In Switzerland, it's more annoying but doable. A debit card is useful (Revolut/Wise for fee-free).
Housing insurance: Before signing the lease, make sure your insurance covers furnished housing in France. Contracts vary.
Phase 2: Find and Sign (2-4 Weeks)
Visit: NEVER sign without visiting. Period. Scammers profit from people signing on photos.
Read the lease: A French furnished lease is about 20-30 pages. Seems weird (at least 3 bizarre clauses), but it's normal. Read it anyway.
Deposit: Prepare the amount. Usually 2x monthly rent. If you're at La Villa for example: 2 x 1380 CHF = 2760 CHF. Often blocked on an account, returned at lease end.
Move-in inventory: Ask for it in advance. You want to know what's already broken before signing.
Phase 3: Admin Before Arrival (1 Week Before)
Electricity/Gas: If you're alone, you must open it. Easy: call or online (EDF, Total Energies, etc.). Allow 15 days for activation.
Internet: Orange, Free, SFR... Best: 25-30 EUR/month with 500+ Mbps. Order 2 weeks before, same activation timeline.
Water: Usually no individual contract in colocation. If yes, same logic.
Tell your employer: You're moving, staying cross-border. Just inform HR about address change for pay/payslip.
Mail address: Do an address change with La Poste (in France). When you arrive in colocation, you're "temporarily" for the post office.
Phase 4: Arrival and Setup (First Days)
Check-in and inventory: Prepare a list of photos/videos. Official inventory is good, but photos are your legal proof.
Activate all services: Electricity (check circuit breaker), internet (router, IDs), water (test taps), heating (understand system).
Bank/Post: Change address on card and account. Mail: can take 10 days to redirect.
Local exploration: Find pharmacy, doctor, supermarket. Not glamorous but useful.
Phase 5: First Months
Taxes: If you changed regions in France, declare it to tax authority. But you stay cross-border, so taxes in France.
Missed rent insurance: Honestly optional, but if you're new cross-border, it reassures the landlord.
Rent payment system: Automatic monthly transfer is simplest. Ask landlord for bank info (IBAN).
Cleaning: Understand the system. Who pays? When? Provided cleaning or rotation between roommates?
Things Not to Forget
- Your permanent contract in PDF
- Last 3 pay stubs
- Valid ID original (visit day)
- Guarantor address + documents
- Some Euros cash (first days in France, not all merchants take cards)
- A sweater (colocation heating sometimes random)
- Your social security number (useful for doctor/pharmacy).
Realistic Timelines
From "I want to move" to "I'm installed": 6-8 weeks if serious. Faster if lucky.