Can you recommend the top 2–3 relocation companies in Geneva?
Yes. The top 3 in Geneva are Auris Relocation, Prime Relocation and Welcome Service, in alphabetical order. They are partner agencies we work with directly, whose client work and response times we know. No agency pays for its position; each agency's rating, review count and ReloFinder score (its Google rating weighted by its number of reviews) are in the list below. If you would rather not choose yourself, get matched and we pass your request to one partner agency that fits.
I hold an FDFA legitimation card. Can my partner work in Geneva?
Yes, with a Ci permit. Family members who live in your household and reside in Switzerland can apply once they have an employment contract, a job offer or a plan for self-employment, exchanging their own legitimation card for the permit. The Ci permit gives access to the labour market throughout Switzerland. In Geneva the OCPM handles the request, by post, with an attestation from the Swiss Mission. Check your organisation’s rules for family members first, then run the job search and the flat search in parallel: with 0.31% of Geneva’s dwellings empty on 1 June 2026, the flat usually takes longer.
Source: République et canton de Genève, FDFA Protocol, State Secretariat for Migration, 4 October 2026Source: Federal Statistical Office, 1 June 2026
Is a success fee of 10 to 15% of a year’s rent normal in Geneva?
It is one of two common models. Two Geneva agencies that publish their terms charge 10% and 15% of a year’s rent including charges, which is 1.2 and 1.8 months’ rent: Relocasa takes half at the signing and half a month later, La Centrale de la Relocation the whole fee at the signing plus CHF 300 to open the mandate. On a 4-pièces at CHF 2,006 without charges, the average for new leases in May 2025, that comes to at least CHF 2,400 or CHF 3,600. Three Zurich agencies publish fixed or minimum fees of CHF 2,500–5,000 for a home search instead. Ask every agency on your shortlist for the fee in francs, what happens if you find the flat yourself, and whether viewings are charged separately. Then compare the offers side by side.
Price pages: Relocasa, La Centrale de la Relocation, 4 October 2026Price pages: SwissNest Relocation, Swiss Expat Realtor, Swiss Relocation Services GmbH, 24 September 2026Source: OCSTAT, transport.opendata.ch, 31 May 2025
What does “4 pièces” mean in a Geneva listing?
In Geneva the kitchen counts as a room, so a 4-pièces has three rooms plus the kitchen; the cantonal statistics office counts the same way. In May 2025 a free-market flat cost on average, without charges, CHF 1,365 (3 pièces), CHF 1,639 (4 pièces) and CHF 1,959 (5 pièces). Flats let to new tenants in the previous twelve months cost more: CHF 1,626, CHF 2,006 and CHF 2,496. Between May 2025 and May 2026, rents rose 7.9% where the tenant changed and 0.7% where they did not (OCSTAT).
Source: OCSTAT, transport.opendata.ch, 31 May 2025Source: OCSTAT, 31 May 2026
I live in France and work in Geneva. Where do I pay tax?
In Geneva, at source. The Franco-Swiss agreement of 11 April 1983, under which cross-border workers are taxed where they live, covers the border cantons except Geneva. Your Geneva employer therefore deducts tax from your salary. If at least 90% of your household’s worldwide gross income is taxable in Switzerland, you can ask for an ordinary assessment as a quasi-resident; you apply again every year. Run the numbers with the cantonal tax office before you choose between Annemasse and a flat in Geneva.
Source: République et canton de Genève, 4 October 2026Source: République et canton de Genève, 23 April 2026
How far are the UN, CERN and the airport from Geneva’s main station?
Fastest weekday-morning connections to Genève-Cornavin in the timetable for 6 October 2026: from the Nations stop by the UN, 8 minutes; from Genève-Sécheron station, 4 minutes; from Grand-Saconnex, 21 minutes; from CERN in Meyrin, 23 minutes; from the airport station, 7 minutes. If you work at the UN or an organisation nearby, the right bank between Pâquis, Sécheron and Grand-Saconnex keeps the commute short. Ask the agencies you compare to search along your own line rather than around the station.
Source: transport.opendata.ch, 4 October 2026
How much does a relocation agency in Geneva cost?
Agencies that publish prices charge CHF 2,500–5,000 for a home search (or about a month's rent on success), CHF 1,950 for a settling-in day and from CHF 5,950 for a full-service package; permits are quoted per case. Of the 27 agencies on this page, 26 offer a free first consultation and 25 price by package, so you see a fixed quote before you commit.
How many relocation agencies work in Geneva?
24. 12 have an office in the region and 12 name Geneva in their own service area. Just Relocation, Prime Relocation and Relonest, partner agencies based elsewhere, are listed here as Swiss-wide partners. 15 more cover all of Switzerland without a local office; they are on the list of all Swiss agencies, never mixed into this ranking.
Which Geneva agencies work in English and French?
Of the 27 agencies on this page, all work in English; 21 of 27 in French. Between them they cover 8 languages, including German (18), Italian (4) and Spanish (2). Each agency's languages are on its row in the ranking.
Which agencies in Geneva are taking new clients?
22 of 27 say they are taking new clients. Contentum Relocation, Global Relocation, Sterling Lexicon, Sirva Relocation and Swiss Relocation Services GmbH have a waitlist; ask to be matched with a similar agency instead.
Which Geneva agencies are SARA or EuRA members?
6 of the 27. 5 belong to SARA (Relonest, Schmid & Hoppler, Lodge Relocation, La Boutique Relocation and Practical Services) and 4 to EuRA (Prime Relocation, Relonest, Lodge Relocation and Practical Services). Membership is shown on each profile and never changes the rank.
How are the Geneva rankings decided?
24 agencies have an office in Geneva or name it in their coverage. Just Relocation, Prime Relocation and Relonest, partner agencies based elsewhere, are listed here as Swiss-wide partners. 16 of the 27 on this page have at least 5 Google reviews and a ReloFinder score, a Bayesian average of their Google rating that weighs review volume (reviews captured per agency between November 2025 and September 2026). 15 other nationwide agencies without a local office are not in this ranking. No agency can pay for position. The top five are partner agencies we work with directly. All other agencies follow their review score.
