Leaving Geneva

Providing notification of your departure

Cantonal Bureau of Population and Migrations

Any person leaving Geneva for a different canton or moving abroad must notify the Cantonal Bureau of Population and Migrations (OCPM) of your departure.

Notification to the tax office

You must also notify the tax office of your departure. Several documents must be submitted to the cantonal tax administration, which checks that your taxes have been paid for the current year. The procedures differ for people going to live in another canton and for those moving abroad. 

Driving licence

People wishing to keep their car and their driving licence must obtain further information from the vehicles department. You must re-register your car.

Cancelling contracts

Once your notification of departure has been registered with the OCPM and the tax office, a certificate of departure can be issued on request. Do not forget to then cancel your different contracts, subscriptions and registrations, in particular: 

• insurance policies (illness, civil liability, etc.);
• rental agreements for tenants and contracts with the SIGs;
• subscriptions (telephone, Internet, TV, newspapers, etc.);
• notification of departure for schools, nurseries, university, etc.

Customs formalities

All furnishings or real estate and motor vehicles that people wish to take with them can be imported in most countries without any duties or taxes being levied.

More detailed information is available on the Travailler en Suisse website: Swiss customs: formalities.

Practical guides

Anyone wishing to leave Geneva or Switzerland can consult the practical guides provided by the different institutions:

• Arriving in Geneva, settling in and leaving on the State of Geneva website;
• Leaving Switzerland: practical guide for leaving Switzerland and withdrawing from the 2nd pillar;
• Leaving Switzerland and emigrating: guide of the Swiss authorities’ portal.