If you decide to live in France, you must register with the French tax auth at the local mairie (mayor's office). It's easy, especially, if you speak some French. You still pay all your tax in CH, except the French 'taxe de habitation' and the TV tax. If in any doubt, you simply take all your papers to the agency itself at 11 rue Ampere, 01206 BELLEGARDE S/VALSERINE, France. http://www.impots.gouv.fr

If you have a B-permit, it must be converted to a frontalier-permit (about 45chf).

Lots of paperwork.

Happy Easter!

You need a different permit if you want to live in France while work in Geneva because the tax is different. You will be taxed a bit more, but you will have the option to chose a french health insurance instead of swiss one which will save you a lot of money. You will have this option only if you are officially registered in France with a different permit. If on the other hand you are currently on your Swedish insurance rather than a Swiss one then you won't be able to keep that anymore.

What taxe de habitation, I dont believe I am paying that, unless thats sorted by Geneva government implicitly.

Thank you FerneyL & Andrew!

Andrew: I have a Swiss insurance so I guess that will make it cheaper living in France:)

My worry with a G permit is if it would be more difficult for me to get a new job in Geneva (Switzerland), if they would look at my application in a different way...off course that is difficult to say but maybe a B permit would be better. I guess a lot of people working in GE actually live across the border.

Andrew, google it. They will send you an invoice based on your apartment's size, counting from 1 Nov (or so) of each year, meaning, if you move in after that date, you save the remainder of the year's 'taxe d'habitation'. In my case, it works out to about 700€/year.

Leelo, can't say..

If my memory serves correctly, time spent on a G-permit doesn't count toward C-permit eligibility.  Moving out of CH would also invalidate the time spent in CH thus far.  This might or might not matter to you....

Well when I moved in I went to the Towns Hall to get some documents and told them I would be living there.

They didn't tell me I have to pay anything, so until I get a letter from then I dont have to pay anything...

Correct, but sooner or later, they will send you something.

Andrew: http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/taxation/local-property-taxes/

I confirm the comments of FerneyL. I assume that you have an EU or Swiss passport.

The "taxe d'habitation" in France is due on 1st January of each year by anybody living in France. It's only a few hundred Euros generally. If you buy a property, you would also pay the real estate tax ("impôt foncier"), between a few hundred Euros for a flat and one or two thousands for a house.

Most employers hire both cross-border workers and B/C permit holders. For an EU national, there is not much difference between a B and a C permit. The only difference is that with the C permit it's possible to suspend it for a maximum two years if you leave Switerland for a limited period. For a B permit, you just have to file a new application, but you are still entitled to come back.

I have the opposite problem, I live in Geneva, have a permit B (and am European), but may have found a job in nearby France, does anyone know what the rules are for that? (am i possibly the first person to ever do it this way around!!?)

I think the transfrontalier agreement goes both ways, so you would probably have to pay income tax in France (generally higher).

It might be simpler to find a job and temporary accommodation in Geneva and then look around for somewhere to live in France.

Gex/St Genis are all very well if you’re working in that direction, but if you find employment on the other side of town you’re going to have a long commute which will also cost money.

And don’t forget your social life.  It might well be based in and around Geneva, so how are going to get home on Saturday night without your own transport?

Just because something is cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean it’s just as convenient.

RP

Good, wise advice.

Hi All, I will begin a post with the UN working in Geneva soon. I am a dual US/French national. We would like to live in Divonne. As a French national, if I live in France, but work in Switzerland, do I have to pay income tax to France? Can my husband, who is Canadian, work in Switzerland if we live in France? Help, so confused!

Hi Jennifer,

I beleive that as a UN worker, you wont pay income tax anywhere, which is nice!

You do still have to register with the tax authorities in France, and you will have to pay the yearly "tax d'habitation" this is based on the size of your house and the number of inhabitants, but rarely comes out at more than 1000euros per year, so not a big worry.

You may need to check with the US authorities what the rules are for having to pay income tax while liveing in France and workign in Switzerland, I have seen peopel hit with big retroactive tax bills from the US!

As for your husband, he can work in Switzerland ok, he will have to register as a "frontalier" and will pay some measure of his taxes in both countries, this is such a standard thing in the area that he rules are all in place and he will get taxed "a la source" meaning he will be taxed each payycheck (monthly) so its a lot less hastle!

The only problems to be aware of are that he may find it difficult to get work in Geneva, as to get a work permit, the company has to prove it needs him specifically, and prove why they need him over a Swiss person. and then why they need him over a European, as there is an agreement between Switzerland and Europe on work permits, but for Candians it is more difficult to get a permit.

I suggest he looks at the international organisations first for work (UN, WHO, Cern etc), or at the large corporations with headquarters in Geneva: proctor and Gamble, JTI, cargill  etc, it depends on what his line of work is.

Another good hint is, try at the expat bars in town for a bar job! sound silly, but they have a good excuse why they need native English speakers, and so can get permits easier, they in fact pay well enough, and are fun and a good way to meet people in town! the added advantage being that he will then have a work permit, and find it a lot easier to get other jobs.

Good luck/Bonne chance!

Your husband can not automatically work in Switzerland if you are living in France. His rights to live and/or work in Switzerland are tied to yours. So you would need to move to Switzerland then he can move with you and then he will have the same rights. He can work in France.

To work in Switzerland, he would need an employer to sponsor his permit and that means going through the whole mess of proving there are no Swss/EU/current-permit-holders/almost-everone-else who can do the job. 

He won't get a permit working at a bar. Even if they need English. There are plenty of English speakers in Switzerland/EU. Third country nationals need to be specialized in order to get permit approval. 

Hi Mia, thank you very much for the info. Very useful. Some additional questions so that I better understand things:

1. If we live in Switzerland, would he still need to go through the process of proving there are no others to do the job, or would he be treated as anyone in Switzerland, making it easier for him to be hired (he is a hotel manager).

2. As I would be working with the UN, does that not provide any special benefits to allowing my husband to work in Switzerland?

3. Also, just to be clear, as I would be working with the UN in Geneva, does that not automatically allow him to work freely in Switzerland? So, he could have a Swiss work permit and be a frontalier living in France?

Thanks for any specifics you may have!

Best, Jennifer

another question for the group: If my husband gets his French citizenship, which he can through our marriage, can he work freely in Switzerland? or does he still need to go through the process of proving he can do the job better than a Swiss national? thank you!

sorry, for the above question, this would be with us living in Divonne (France).

Actually, I am going to give you one link. It's the law on foreigners in French which mostly talks about Switzerland though there a bit on Frontalier.

Reading the rules again it says that a "ressortissant" from UE/AELE can get a G permit and it says nothing about the family memebers. My understanding is your husband would not be considered a "ressortissant" himself, I interpet it as him having to go through the hoops.

But your French is surely much better than mine. And perhaps you should check with the commune of Geneva who would issue the permit anyway. 

http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/federal-gazette/2005/6885.pdf

EU nationals are free to apply for employment but their selection for a post depends on the employer’s criteria, particularly linguistic competence.

Some employers may prefer to hire a Swiss citizen, others may be open-minded.

Either way, it rests with the applicant to sell his qualifications and experience as best he can.

Jennifer: Not only do employerd need to prove that there is no Swiss national to employ a non-EU citizen, they also need to prove that there is no EU citizen who can do the job. Employers just don't bother because it's a process that takes over six months and requires reams of paperwork & red-tape. 

I believe your best solution would be to live in CH for a few months until your spouse finds employment.

If your husband acquires French citizenship, he can work in Geneva without any issue. However, to acquire French nationality, you need to be married for over 4 years, if you resided in France for 3 years or more - else, its 5 years of married life.

There are a few other conditions, such as fluency in the French language and integration into French society, which are detailed on the link below:

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F2726.xhtml

Dear all - what about the case for Non EU citizens, can Asian live in France but working in Geneva? Or buy an appartment in France just for holiday? Where I can find the info from the official website? 

I have a related question. 

I am a non-EU citizen and an employee of the UN (WHO) currently living in Switzerland. I moved here in February 2018 with my family and we would like to explore the possibility of moving to neaby France at the beginning of 2019 while I continue to work in Geneva for WHO. We are currently using a carte de ligitimation (Category D).

Has anyone with a similar status succesffuly done this before, and what were your experiences with the process?

What would be our options for this transition?.

Thanks so much

Hi Jessica,

Have you been able to resolve your issue. 

I have a related question. 

I am a non-EU citizen and an employee of the UN (WHO) currently living in Switzerland. I moved here in February 2018 with my family and we would like to explore the possibility of moving to neaby France at the beginning of 2019 while I continue to work in Geneva for WHO. We are currently using a carte de ligitimation (Category D).

Thanks so much

Hi Leeloo,

Have you been able to resolve your issue? 

I have a related question. 

I am a non-EU citizen and an employee of the UN (WHO) currently living in Switzerland. I moved here in February 2018 with my family and we would like to explore the possibility of moving to neaby France at the beginning of 2019 while I continue to work in Geneva for WHO. We are currently using a carte de ligitimation (Category D).

Thanks so much

Hi Moise. Welcome to Geneva and to the WHO. First, I want to point out that Jessica's post is 4 years old and Leloo's post is 7 1/2 years old and she has not visited Glocals since Februaru 2016 (you can click on people's name to get that information).

Second, the answer is very simple: as an employee in the UN system, you hold a carte de legitimation, and member countries, which France is, will grant you some privileges. If you move to France, go to the Mairie in the town you decide to reside, show them your carte de legitimation, proof of address in the town and request a carte de sejour, which will be granted to you and your family members. France taxes anyone who resides in the country, regardless of their citizenship or place of employment. But it waives income taxes to UN employees, as does Switzerland. 

The only privilege you will lose by moving from Geneva to France is that your spouse can work in Switzerland as you both hold cartes de legitimation. But if you move to France, she may not be able to work in Switzerland. She will have to get a frontalier permit through her employer, but that should be easy.

Finally, don't bother reading the advice given in this thread over the last 4 years. It may be well intended but much of it is uninformed, misleading at best and plain wrong at worst. I would advice that if you have any remaining doubts, you go to HR at the WHO. I just don't understand why people don't do that first. The staff at HR are very knowledgeable, experienced and are in the business of facilitating the life of WHO's human resources, of which you are one.

I would like to endorse JR M’s suggestion that the best counsellors in matters of residence and work permits are the HR staff of the UN agency that employs you.  Not only do they know the current local rules and regulations in permit matters, they can also advise on, for example, local schooling facilities  or health care.  In the case of the latter, if your insurance doesn’t cover medical treatment in Geneva, the nearest university hospital to Annemasse is Grenoble and for Ferney it’s Lyons.

Personally, I have never worked in HR so I have no particular axe to grind on their behalf but I can testify that I have been well served by the HR of four different UN agencies on four different continents when I needed advice, so  I’d check any relocation issues with them before making a firm commitment.

Good luck!

R.

Thanks, JR and Ritchie, for your responses. Much appreciated.

Of course I have been to HR before and expressed my desire to move across the border. The advice I got - and I guess, as you rightly put it, it is often based on experience and knowledge - was that it is better to stay in Switzerland as some important privileges fall away once one moves across, which is a given. Perhaps I sholud have been a bit more forceful for information.

JR, your advice seems to imply that it is okay to  find accommodation in and move to france and look for carte de sejour after the fact. Is my interpretation correct? if so, is this legal? Ritchie, health care and school options for the kids are two most important factors that will drive our final decision. So far we are well covered for the former but still exploring the latter. 

Thanks.

M

Well, you need to find a place first, since that will determine which Mairie (Ferney, Ornex, Prevessin, St. Genis, etc) you will go to to request your carte de Sejour. If you feel better, you may find a place, but before you sing a contract to rent it or buy it, go to the Mairie of that town. They will probably ask you to come back when you have a rental or sale contract or another proof of residence, such as utlilites bill, but if you show them you carte de legitimation, they will understand and reassure you.

You should go back to HR at the WHO and ask what specific privileges they were refering to when they said you will lose some if you move to France. There may be some that are relevant to you. As I mentioned, if your spouse is or will be employed in Geneva, she will have in no problem with a Carte de Legitimation. But if you move to France, she will have to get a frontalier permit through her employer. Also, with a carte de legitimation, Switzerland will give you visas for relatives, "servants" (yes, believe it or not) that you may want to bring from  your country of origin, but France will not, only for your immediate family. The WHO's HR knows the specifics of your case, we do not. Only you know what of the privileges conferred by your status as a UN employee are important to you.

Good luck.

Thanks JR.

This is helpful.

The best,

M

Hello everybody,

I have been living and working in Geneva for the last two years. In september I will be moving in Ferney Voltaire and continue to work in in Geneva. I will change my swiss work permit for a G one, my employer will do the formalities.

I would like to ask for your help answering the following questions:

1. I have swiss health insurance, is it better to keep it or switch to the French sistem, I understood there is this option. PS I am taxed at source in Geneva.

2. As an EU citizen where probably I have to register at the citiy hall,  what formalities I need to take with the French authorities? I am aware of changing my swiss driver licence that a switched to from my national EU one to a French one. Do I need to register elements regarding taxes? What is the process?

3. After I move to France, can I buy and register a car and register it in France and use it for comuting to Geneva from time to time? Any potential issues with Swiss autorities as a G permit holder living in France and working in Geneva?

4. And a havy one :), the pension contribution I payed for the last two years can I request it and route it to a private pension in my country? I have a feeling that once I live in Ferney the Swiss will enrole me to a French pension house. I am talking about pillar one.

Much appreciated your support.

Thank you!

Georges

Hey G,

1. As a frontalier, Swiss health insurance can range from 303chf to 1240chf per month for the EXACT same services, so shop around! Interestingly, as a frontalier, you get accident coverage automatically and your maximum deductible is MUCH lower than as a Swiss resident, i.e. 300chf vs 2500chf respectively. Swiss insurance covers you internationally, I don't know about French. Final point, Swiss premium is fixed (subject to voted laws, competition etc.), vs. French premium which is 10-15% of your salary, whatever that may be.

2. As an EU citizen, I went to register at the mairie and they sent me home. They don't really care, they don't even check your ID...or maybe the lady that day was resigning or something...Yes, change your driver's license. It takes more than 3 months. It's France, no rush. Re the tax situation, ask specialists about your situation, no forum can give you an answer.

3. If you buy a car in FR with FR plates, you are good. If you want to import a CH car to FR, you can, but it is a bit of a pain, special papers from the manufacturer, technical control, registration of the plates, been there, done that. Buy from France and be done with it. The Swissies will not have a problem, you live in FR, with FR license, FR car in your name, thousands drive through CH daily. If you buy used, get a Japanese car, preferably Toyota or Honda. If you want the ultimate 4x4 experience get a Subaru :) Suzukis and Mitsusushis are honest cars, good bang for your bucks. Pay a mechanic you trust to check it in, out and with an OBD2 scanner for codes that may appear as soon as you drive off the lot...

4. Taxes and pension, ask/pay a specialist. It is worth the money.

Thank you Lazz. Much appreciated  your answers and recomendations!

Kind Regards,

George