Changing cantons in Switzerland does not mean you lose your residence permit, but moving involves more administrative procedures than it might seem at first glance. The most urgent step is to register with your new commune within 14 days of arrival, and before that, to notify your former commune that you are leaving. This is not optional red tape. The contrôle des habitants is the municipal register that manages your local status, and deregistering without subsequently re-registering can create inconsistencies that will then result in weeks of correspondence with various authorities.
As for the permit itself, the process is simpler. The new canton issues a new permit with the same details. If you had a B permit, you’ll still have a B permit. If you had a C permit, you’ll still have a C permit. What changes is the cantonal immigration service that handles your file from that point onwards. The SEM coordinates the transfer, but there is a transition period during which your permit from the previous canton remains valid whilst the new one is being processed. There’s no need to panic if the process takes a little longer than expected.
Where the impact is most tangible and least expected is in taxation. If you pay impôt à la source, the rates deducted by your employer will change to those of your new canton from the month following your change of address. And here the difference can be significant: withholding tax rates vary considerably between cantons. Geneva and Vaud, for example, usually have higher rates than Valais, Schwyz or Appenzell. If you work in a different canton to the one you’re moving to, that combination can also make a difference. It’s worth doing the maths before signing your new tenancy agreement.
The rest is the usual list of things to do when changing your address: your health insurance provider, your employer (to update your AVS), your pension scheme and your bank. These are simple tasks which, if left until after the move, will still be there weeks later and will continue to cause minor hassles.