Go to the Mairie in Ferney-Voltaire, where you will request a Carte de Sejour, which you will have to renew every year. Explain your particulars (UNICEF employee, CDL holder, nationality, number of persons in your family, etc.) and they will give you the list of documents required. You will find it very easy.

You should be aware that you will have to pay taxes to France on your Swiss (and any other) income. UNICEF may reimburse you for those tax payments, but you better check. It will also impact your spouse's ability to work in Switzerland. With a CDL, he can work in Switzerland, but if you reside in France, he will have to get a frontalier permit.

For the carte de sejour longue dure or permanent resident, you will have to live there for 10 years before you can request it. Don't take my word for it:

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N110

If I may use your thread to offer a general comment to people in your position, since posts like this are quite common: who hired you, brought you to Geneva, has an interest in you staying, settling, and being comfortable so you can focus on your work? Exactly. Your employer's HR office. In your case, UNICEF's.

I just don't understand why people, professionals, in particular, do not go to their HR office first, instead of asking a bunch of unknown, anonymous strangers, whose level of knowledge or understanding you simply do not know. So, what you often get is contradictory information, much of it erroneous or not applicable to your particular case, however well-intentioned it may be. You already got some friends telling you you should go to the French consulate.

Your HR staff have been doing this for years, this is all day do every day, and you are not the first person in your circumstances that they have helped. They have a stake on you not making a mistake. They are the very best source at your disposal.

Again, this is a general comment I am making, not related just to you.

Thank you so much for your kind reply, it is really useful. You confirmed my plan I will go to Mairie office in Fenny.

Regarding your comment, believe me when someone come here to ask, it means he/she already went through the available resources.

HR has a specific role, so staff who decide to leave their official duty station in Geneva to move to France, HR can’t guide them as this is personal decision, and has nothing to do with HR, even they don’t record information for such cases.

Sometimes shared experiences will be very useful. For example, you provided me with valuable information and necessary advice.

Thanks again

Hello! I know this was a year ago, but hopefully this process hasn't changed.

Do you know if the same process would apply to me, even though my Swiss entry visa and CDL-H are only for 6-12 months? Also, does Ornex have the same policy? What other communes/cantons do? 

Thanks in advance! (And for the record too, I've also asked the HR these and other questions. Since it's my responsibility to find accomodations, they are only permitted to help to a certain degree.)

Hi Nada,

can you please share your experience here. We are moving to Geneva in 3months and since we vave 3 kids considering living in France. It would be so noce if we could also get permanent residence or citizenship later. As I understand, France does not require from us renouncing existing nationaility. 
If anyone had anything to share or maybe can suggest local immigration attorney that would be very helpful.

thank you

I think it might help people to advise you if you mentioned your nationality and Swiss permit status.

Moreover, Nada’s last post is dated June 2018.

All the best, R.

Yes, i know it was a while since she posted, but hope she anyone can share their experience. i am from Malaysia and havent arrived to Geneva yet, so no local permits yet, but it will probably be some sort of legitimation cards. It will be our 3rd location in 6 years and hope to make longer term plans even if my husband is reaasigned in the future. Any experience and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Thank you for the additional input.  It sounds as though your husband is a UN employee so it will be the regulations in force for UN staff that will apply.

Best, R.

Not really. Regulations dont deal with residence matters, especially questions about permanent residence i have asked above. Grateful if anyone can share their experience.

Ritchie is absolutely right. If you will be living in this area thanks to a CDL -- which is issued to internal organizations, mostly UN--, the French regulations that will apply to you regarding temporary or long term residency or citizenship in France "will be the regulations in force for UN staff."

CDL holders enjoy benefits not available to others. One of them is that the French will easily let you reside in France while working in Switzerland and the Swiss will let you work there as a primary CDL holder.

I am from a non EU country, worked for a UN organization, lived in France with annual carte de sejours, got long term ("permanent") French residence after 5 years and after 10 years have been eligible to apply for French citizenship. Have not even needed help from a lawyer.

Human resources at your UN organization have ample experience on this and can provide the best advice suited to your particular situation, but it is all really straightforward and easy.

And beyond that, Ritchie is an invaluable source for reliable information on most matters I can think of.

SORRY FOR THE TYPO ABOVE. I AM REPOSTING, WITH ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Ritchie is absolutely right. If you will be living in this area thanks to a CDL -- which is issued to international organizations, mostly UN--, the French regulations that will apply to you regarding temporary or long term residency or citizenship in France "will be the regulations in force for UN staff."

CDL holders enjoy benefits not available to others. One of them is that the French will automatically let you reside in France while working in Switzerland and the Swiss will let you work there as a primary CDL holder. You will not pay taxes in Switzerland for your UN derived income. In France, whether you pay taxes or not depends on what UN agency you work for, and if you have to, the UN agency will most likely reimburse you for your French tax payments, although there are some exceptions for non-UN CDL issuing organizations.

I am from a non EU country, worked for a UN organization, lived in France with annual carte de sejours, got long term ("permanent") French residence after 5 years and after 10 years have been eligible to apply for French citizenship. Have not even needed help from a lawyer.

Human resources at your UN organization have ample experience on this and can provide the best advice suited to your particular situation, but it is all really straightforward and easy.

And beyond that, Ritchie is an invaluable source for reliable information on most matters I can think of.

Thank you so much for responding and taking your time to share your experience. This is very helpful and clear now. We will try clarify CDL with HR colleagues and start exploring some housing options then in towns close to geneva . 

It is great to have such community and reliable sources for information like Ritchie and you.  

If anyone is successful with this, please let me know. Following the advice on this forum (I asked HR and they also told me to do the same) I went to the Mairie at Ferney-Voltaire and they simply told me I'm not allowed to live in France, and sent me away. 

Have you reported the Ferney Mairie’s response to your inquiry?  If not, you should do so without further delay, giving them details of the date and time of your visit, and also the employee’s name if you noted it.

R.