Swiss Passport

Where must you register when you move?

Wo muss man sich melden, wenn man umzieht?

Correct answer: D

  1. A with the tax authoritiesbei den Steuerbehörden
  2. B with the policebei der Polizei
  3. C with the building insurancebei der Gebäudeversicherung
  4. D with the municipality (residents' registration office)bei der Gemeinde (Einwohnerkontrolle)

Why

When you move, you deregister at the residents' registration office of your municipality and register in the new municipality.

Common mistakes

A: with the tax authorities
The tax office gets your address automatically from the municipality. You do not register there.
B: with the police
The police are not responsible for registering residents.

Topic

Tasks of the municipality

The municipalities are the lowest of the three political levels. For people they are often the first point of contact. They carry out many tasks for which neither the Confederation nor the canton is responsible. Each municipality decides itself in its municipal code (Gemeindeordnung) how it is organised. The municipality is close to the people and knows the local situation.

Canton and municipality of Zurich
Municipalities and the city of Zurich

Sources

Last checked: September 2026

Question 207 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

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