Before you land, the papers that travel with you

Almost everything Switzerland asks of you in your first month is a document you either brought or did not bring. Pack the file, not just the suitcase.

Carry, in hand luggage: passports or ID cards for everyone moving, your job contract or permit approval letter, marriage and birth certificates, and school records if children are coming with you.

Add the things that are slow to replace from abroad: your driving licence, vaccination and medical records, a reference from your previous landlord, and recent payslips from your current employer.

Your first week has a fixed shape. Register at your commune, then open a bank account, then choose health insurance. Each step unlocks the next, and each one asks for paper from the list above.

Scan everything before you fly and keep the scans somewhere you can reach from a phone. Swiss offices accept originals, but you will be asked for copies constantly.