Moving to Geneva: Costs Process & Districts
From Berlin to Geneva
Moving to Geneva: lakeshore, quartiers and formalities
Guide
With around 211,000 inhabitants, Geneva is the second-largest city in Switzerland after Zurich and the capital of the canton of the same name, where the Rhône flows out of Lake Geneva. The city is home to many international organisations such as the UN, WHO, WTO, the ICRC and CERN; a good half of its inhabitants do not hold a Swiss passport. The housing market is tight, so your tenancy agreement, moving date and customs should be planned together early on. After a survey we give you a fixed price; we are liable for your belongings under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre, and additional insurance is available.
We come from Berlin-Moabit and take care of packing, transport and assembly; you fill in the customs forms yourself, and we go through the inventory list with you during the survey. For private customers we offer the private move with packing and unpacking. The route from Berlin – around 1,116 km via Basel – is described on the page Berlin – Geneva move. This is how you plan your move to Geneva from the survey to the last box.
Request a quote for your Geneva move
Fixed price after a survey, customs in the schedule
Call us on 01625978461 and arrange a survey for your move to Geneva. We calculate according to volume, floor, access at the destination and distance and then give you a fixed price. We are liable for damage under § 451e HGB; you can insure valuable items additionally.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we handle on your move to Geneva
Transport from Berlin, formalities with you
We have no branch in Switzerland; instead we drive the lorry from Berlin-Moabit. Lanes in the old town, heavy traffic in Eaux-Vives and scarce parking space in Pâquis: that is why we clarify access and loading time with you in advance. Form 18.44 and the inventory list are your customs documents, and you make the notification to the OCPM yourself – we tell you which deadline runs from your arrival. We are liable for your belongings under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre. Places with their own pages can be found under Locations.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
Well planned to Lake Geneva
The cost of a move to Geneva depends heavily on the size of the flat, the distance and the scope of services. The following overview gives you a first point of reference for pricing.
Date in writing
Carrying routes known
Space outside the door
Schedule from moving in
Interim storage in Berlin
Assembly on arrival day
Save with a part load
With only a few pieces of furniture, a part load (Beiladung) can be cheaper than a lorry of your own: you share the load space with other consignments heading to Switzerland and pay only for your volume. You still need Form 18.44 and the inventory list yourself; the delivery day depends on the tour towards Geneva.
From
the customs list to the OCPM
In this guide you will find out how the quartiers of Geneva differ, which neighbouring municipalities many newcomers choose and which dealings with the authorities follow the move: customs with Form 18.44, notification to the OCPM within 14 days and health insurance. If you are moving from Germany, you will find additional information in the article Customs and formalities when moving to Switzerland. For the transport itself, we plan your move with a fixed price after a survey.
Planning safely and calmly
Furniture, boxes, carrying routes
Costs, timing and special cases
Frequently asked questions about moving to Geneva
Geneva's quartiers and neighbouring municipalities at a glance
Since 2013 the city of Geneva has been divided into eight quartiers. On the left bank of the lake lie Eaux-Vives, with parks such as the Parc La Grange, and the old town around the cathedral; on the right bank Pâquis, near Cornavin station, densely built and lively. Plainpalais, with the large Plaine and the university, lies south of the old town, and Champel is a quieter residential area near the University Hospital.
Many newcomers do not live in the city itself but in the canton's neighbouring municipalities: Carouge on the Arve with its old town, Grand-Saconnex near the airport and the organisations, Meyrin by CERN or Cologny on the lakeshore. For the move, the address matters: an old flat without a lift in the Cité needs different planning from a new build on the edge of town.
Employers, universities and everyday life in Geneva
Alongside New York, Geneva is the place with the most international organisations: it is home to the United Nations (European headquarters), the WHO, the WTO, the ICRC and the ILO, among others, plus around 175 diplomatic missions. The CERN research centre lies on the border near Meyrin. Together with banking and trade, this shapes work in the city; the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute attract students and researchers.
The official language is French. The city lies on the Swiss A1 and the French A40 and A41 motorways, the airport is in Cointrin, and Cornavin station connects with the rest of Switzerland and, via the line to Annemasse, with France. Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in Switzerland; many commuters therefore live in the surrounding French region.
Your budget for the move
| Type of move | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 room | from €375 |
| 2 rooms | from €579 |
| 3 rooms | from €879 |
| 4 rooms | from €1,324 |
| House/villa | individual quote |
| Long-distance move | from €3.95/km |
Plan your budget with us – arrange a free survey.
Calculating your moving price
For an exact price, the moving volume, the number of kilometres (from €3.95/km) as well as the floor and lift play an important role. We also take into account whether a parking restriction zone has to be set up. On request we also handle furniture assembly or a part load.
What we offer you
You can book these services for your move to Geneva individually or together.
- Furniture transport: Furniture transport for single items and entire households
- Move with assembly: Move with assembly for a stress-free move-in
- Private move: Private move tailored to you
- Part load: Part load for small volumes
- Business move: Business move organised efficiently
- House clearance: House clearance including disposal
Long-distance move to Switzerland from Berlin
We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21), including to Switzerland. Details on long routes can be found under Long-distance moves, and places with their own pages in the locations overview. We plan the return journey from Romandy in the same way.
Moving to Geneva: customs and notification to the cantonal population office
Swiss customs law also applies to Geneva. According to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG), transferring your residence to Switzerland is the most important condition for the duty-free import of household goods. Household effects must have been used by you personally for at least six months and continue to be used afterwards. The BAZG requires Form 18.44 "Customs clearance of household effects" (Zollveranlagung von Übersiedlungsgut) at the customs office of import; clearance takes place during the customs office's opening hours. Questions are answered by the information centre on +41 58 467 15 15.
After arrival, you register your residence with the cantonal office, the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM). The canton of Geneva states: "Toute personne souhaitant s'installer à Genève doit annoncer sa prise de domicile dans le canton", namely within 14 days of arrival. The procedure depends on your situation, for example as an EU/EFTA national or as a person from a third country. The office (route de Chancy 88, Onex) only receives visitors at the counter by appointment; the notification is made via an online form.
In addition, according to the canton: anyone taking up residence in Switzerland must have health insurance. Further information on international transport can be found under International move and Long-distance move.
Geneva: Eaux-Vives, Pâquis and free bulky item collection
The city of Geneva is divided into eight large quartiers. In Eaux-Vives Cité on the left bank lies the formerly fortified medieval old town (Cité) with a maze of lanes and passageways; the city also writes that road traffic in Eaux-Vives is "très important". Allow more reserve for access and loading time there. The city describes the Pâquis Sécheron quartier on the right bank as dynamic and cosmopolitan; the Pâquis sector is considered "la zone la plus urbaine et la plus densément peuplée" of the quartier. According to the city, the Les Nations sector is home to the majority of the canton's international organisations, and Eaux-Vives also borders on large parks such as the Parc La Grange.
Before the move, bulky items can be collected free of charge in the city of Geneva, but only for residents of the city of Geneva:
- According to the city, seven medium-sized items are accepted per appointment, and one appointment is possible every seven days.
- Electrical appliances, electronics and complete clearances of flats, cellars or attics are excluded.
- You put the items out no earlier than 8:00 pm the evening before and no later than 6:30 am on the morning of collection.
- Booking online or on 0800 22 42 22 (Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 12:00 noon).
Talk to us about parking space on moving day, see Parking restriction zone and the guide Applying for a parking restriction zone.
Related Articles