Can you recommend the top 2–3 relocation companies in Zurich?
Yes. The top 3 in Zurich 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.
How long does it take to find a flat in Zurich?
No official statistic measures it. What is measured is the shortage: on 1 June 2026 only 0.11% of homes in the city of Zurich stood empty, 0.52% in the canton. Three agencies state their own timelines: Swiss Expat Realtor an average of 4–8 weeks from search start to signed lease, Prime Relocation 4–8 weeks to keys, SwissNest about 2–3 months for most clients. These are agency claims, not statistics. SwissNest says most of its clients start 2–4 months before moving in. What shortens the search is in your hands: accept more districts and communes, have your application file complete before the first viewing, and answer quickly after it.
Agency statement: Swiss Expat Realtor, Prime Relocation, SwissNest Relocation, 4 October 2026Source: Amt für Statistik und Daten des Kantons Zürich, 1 June 2026
What does a flat in Zurich cost per month?
For existing leases in the city, the median net rent is CHF 1,497 for 2 rooms, CHF 1,628 for 3 and CHF 1,955 for 4 (Statistik Stadt Zürich, 1 April 2026). Those figures include cooperatives and long-running leases. Signing today with a commercial landlord, a typical 75 m² flat costs about CHF 2,287 a month in an older building and CHF 2,907 in a new build, by the same survey, and advertised flats usually cost clearly more. The district matters: from commercial landlords, CHF 37.8 per m² in Kreis 1 against CHF 21.5 in Affoltern. Service charges come on top; gross rents run 10–15% above net.
Source: Statistik Stadt Zürich, 1 April 2026
Our children don’t speak German. Public school or international school in Zurich?
Both work, at very different cost. Public school is free and teaches in German; primary and secondary pupils without German get one year of daily German lessons, in small groups or in reception classes (Volksschulamt, Canton of Zurich). Two of the canton’s international day schools that publish their fees, ZIS in Wädenswil (up to Grade 5) and Adliswil (Grades 6–12) and ICS in Zumikon, charge CHF 32,800–40,300 a year from Grade 1 for 2026/27. Add CHF 5,500 in one-off fees at either. Choose the school before the flat: in the current timetable Adliswil is 28 minutes from Zürich HB and Zumikon 26, and the campus shapes where you search.
Source: Volksschulamt des Kantons Zürich, transport.opendata.ch, Statistik Stadt Zürich, 4 October 2026Price pages: Zurich International School, Inter-Community School Zurich, 4 October 2026
Where do I register after moving to Zurich from abroad?
In the city of Zurich, at the Personenmeldeamt Zürich Süd, in person and only with an appointment booked in advance. Register within 14 days, but not before the day you actually move in. Bring your passport (an ID card is enough for EU/EFTA citizens), the lease, your employment contract, the assurance of your permit or visa authorisation if you have one, and civil-status documents in the original; the migration office’s fee depends on the permit. Outside the city, you register with your commune’s residents’ office, also within 14 days.
Source: Stadt Zürich, 4 October 2026Source: ch.ch, 24 September 2026
Who applies for a Zurich work permit for a hire from outside the EU/EFTA?
The employer. Your company files the application with the Amt für Wirtschaft (AWI) of the Canton of Zurich, online. The AWI takes a labour-market decision and sends it to the State Secretariat for Migration for approval; the Migrationsamt then checks the person and authorises the visa, or issues an assurance of the permit where no visa is needed. Only then does the employee travel, register with the commune and give biometric data. Admission is limited to specialists and qualified staff, and first permits count against the federal quota of 8,500 for 2026 (4,500 B, 4,000 L). An approved quota permit costs CHF 400 at the AWI. EU/EFTA hires take a different route: they register themselves.
Source: Migrationsamt des Kantons Zürich, Amt für Wirtschaft des Kantons Zürich, 4 October 2026Source: Federal Council, 19 November 2025
How much does a relocation agency in Zurich 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 33 agencies on this page, 31 offer a free first consultation and 31 price by package, so you see a fixed quote before you commit.
How many relocation agencies work in Zurich?
31. 21 have an office in the region and 10 name Zurich in their own service area. Just Relocation and Prime Relocation, partner agencies based elsewhere, are listed here as Swiss-wide partners. 9 more cover all of Switzerland without a local office; they are on the list of all Swiss agencies, never mixed into this ranking.
Which Zurich agencies work in English and German?
Of the 33 agencies on this page, all work in English; 31 of 33 in German. Between them they cover 10 languages, including French (15), Italian (6) and Spanish (4). Each agency's languages are on its row in the ranking.
Which agencies in Zurich are taking new clients?
30 of 33 say they are taking new clients. Contentum Relocation, Sterling Lexicon and Swiss Relocation Services GmbH have a waitlist; ask to be matched with a similar agency instead.
Which Zurich agencies are SARA or EuRA members?
8 of the 33. 5 belong to SARA (Schmid & Hoppler, Lodge Relocation, Anchor Relocation, Relonest and Bridging Cultures Relocation) and 7 to EuRA (Prime Relocation, Lodge Relocation, Anchor Relocation, De Peri Relocation Services, Relonest, All in One Relocation and Bridging Cultures Relocation). Membership is shown on each profile and never changes the rank.
How are the Zurich rankings decided?
31 agencies have an office in Zurich or name it in their coverage. Just Relocation and Prime Relocation, partner agencies based elsewhere, are listed here as Swiss-wide partners. 22 of the 33 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). 9 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.
