This article is kindly shared from the Swiss Post office website.
A relocation checklist helps you to plan your move and to tackle the individual steps in good time. Using this list, create your own personalized checklist.
Before your move: What needs to be planned early on?
- House-hunting: ordering debt collection register and criminal records extracts. Order debt collection register and criminal records extracts with no extra effort from your nearest Swiss Post branch. You will receive the extracts by post within two to five working days.
- Registered Prepaid. Send notice that you’re leaving your old home by Registered Prepaid. You can purchase the Registered Prepaid label from your Swiss Post branch or at postshop.ch and then simply post the letter of notification at a letter box.
- Change of address with forwarding. Choose either the Basic or Premium package online and receive a pleasant surprise when we send your welcome post. Your Swiss Post branch would also be happy to accept a change of address with forwarding.
- Notification of move. Use the free notification of move to enable Swiss Post to inform your insurance companies, banks and other service providers of your change of address.
- Rental deposit guarantee without a SwissCaution bank deposit. Maintain access to your money and take advantage of the benefits of the rental deposit guarantee without a bank deposit from SwissCaution. Visit your nearest Swiss Post branch for advice.
- Insurance. Check your insurance policies. Play it safe with the right household insurance.
- PostFinance appointments. Do you want return-orientated and flexible retirement planning or to achieve specific savings goals? You can obtain more information in your branch.
- Clean your apartment.
- Get rid of waste and bulky goods.
- Inform your neighbours and the building caretaker that you are moving.
- Organize a babysitter and dogsitter.
- Agree on a handover date with the property management company.
- Reserve a parking space in front of the building.
- Book a vehicle for transportation.
- Ask friends and helpers for assistance in good time.
- Organize materials for the move (boxes, adhesive tape, bubble wrap).
- Pack and label boxes.
American citizens overseas living in Switzerland must usually register EVERY election year with the voter’s registrar in the state where they last lived in the US. This is true even if you no longer own property or have any remaining connection to that state.
This is considered your voting residence. Register and request your absentee ballot with the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) using this address.
You can check your state on www.VoteFromAbroad.org.There is a chat feature where you get support from expert volunteers. This is the recommended site to help you fill out the FPCA, and file it with your local election official in your voting state. In addition to offering one-on-one help for voter questions, the site also offers details on expat voting for your state: Deadlines for submitting FPCAs, the same for ballots, and contact information for your local election official. As well as a comprehensive FAQ section.
DATES: Once your FPCA is received by your local election official, they will email you your absentee ballot by 21 September 2024, which is 45 days before the 5 November 2024 election. You may submit an FPCA after that, and they will quickly send your ballot, but some states have early-October deadlines for FPCA submission.
All states allow you to receive your ballot by email when filling out the FPCA, but you must usually request it each year. Some states allow electronic voting or returning your ballot by email, but some require you to physically mail it by postal service.
© SIG - Services Industriels de Genève
If you are stuck behind a computer all day, or need to check out a location before getting the whole family into the car, you might be interested in these local webcams. We have listed some for the cantons of Geneva and Vaud, but there are many more available pretty much anywhere you type into a search engine. We hope you enjoy this article and if you think we need to add another one to the list, please write to us here.
Scroll down to see webcams in Geneva Canton, Lausanne city, Vaud canton, and neighboring France.
GENEVA CANTON
Jet d'eau, Geneva
webcam link
This livestream video webcam (pictured above) offers a breathtaking view of Geneva's harbor and Jet d'eau. This is my personal favorite and I often check it out to see which way the wind is blowing, how may people are walking on the walkway, and if there are CGN boats coming and going. Occasionally you will see a bird or a spider that gets in front of the lens.
It also provides the color significance projected on certain dates onto the Jet d'eau. MétéoSuisse provides a box presenting live temperatures of the air and lake water, wind speeds, the moon phases, and more.
And if you remember, you can actually see the Jet d'eau turn on every morning at 9h in summer (and 10h the rest of the year) via the webcam. In the evening, depending on the season, it shuts off between 22h30 and 23h15.
View of Geneva city from Carouge
webcam link
Positioned high up, this webcam offers a bird's-eye view of Geneva from Carouge. Updated every minute.
Downtown Geneva
webcam link
Located on the roof of the Haute école du paysage, d'ingénierie et d'architecture (HEPIA - aka the Ecole des Ingenieurs for those that remember), rooftop view of downtown Geneva. Real-time information on weather conditions: temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and more is available. This is updated every minute.
Tamara Lawson contacted us to let us know she just launched an online, interactive magazine targeting parents in the Geneva and Vaud regions. She explains the how and why behind Kids-Zone.ch below.
What has been the inspiration?
I have been living on La Cote for 1.5 years and love how many activities and adventures for the kids are available. Like many people, that initial move to a new area can be challenging, not knowing anyone or knowing how things work, or where to look for information. There are so many options and so much going on… but I kept missing things.
Kids-Zone.ch is a solution to the “how to find out what do with kids question”. An online quarterly magazine for families in Geneva and Vaud with kids aged 0-16 looking for things to do in the area.
The first issue of the magazine features THE DIRECTORY of Summer Camps for 2024, with information of time, location, cost, which weeks they are on, whether you can book daily or weekly… and how to connect to that camp. We also have some other articles about BUCKET LIST trips to Interlaken and events June-August not to be missed.
The Giant Ferris Wheel with an unobstructed view of the whole of the Geneva harbor from the top of this 34-meter high structure has returned for the season through the end of September 2024. Open every day from noon through midnight (weather permitting).
Don't forget that the Ferris wheel is not the only attraction! There is the flower clock too, adorned with seasonal flowers and the perfect photo opportunity for visitors.
At the foot of the Ferris Wheel you will find La Potinière restaurant, serving lunch or dinner and brunch on Sundays from 11h-13h15 with entertainment for kids from 13h30-15h. The menu lists fondue, steak, fish, and a plat du jour. On weekend evenings you will find a musical ambiance in the park during the summer. They offer afterwork events and can be rented for private events as well.
