Practical information for support centres

Below is a summary of practical information that can be useful to support your relocation to the European Support centre in Geneva, Switzerland.

Chocolate consumption

As rivalled chocolate producing countries, it is important to understand your new citizen obligations in chocolate consumptions 😉
- Geneva- 9 kg per year per person
- Brussels- 6 kg per year per person

Residence and work permit

For Geneva, you require a residence / work permit. This should be actioned by Anne-Christine before your arrival, but it may take a while to be approved and posted.

For Brussels, you will require the following, but the office will assist you;

• A valid passport or national ID card;
• School certificates;
• Medical documents and vaccination cards for every member of the family;
• Medical certificates for follow-up treatment or reimbursement;
• A statement from your insurers recording the dates of any car accidents you may have had. If you have had no accidents within the last six years, this will significantly reduce your insurance premiums;
• The papers for your imported vehicle (see Chapter 6 “Transport - Importing, registration and customs clearance”);
• Provide the proof that you have lived for six months in the country which issued your driving licence at the time that it was issued.

Accommodation - first month

When relocating, it is recommended to find an Airbnb or similar for the first few weeks, until you find a suitable long term place.

In order to find somewhere to rent in Geneva, you need the following;

• Debt register certificate
• Work contract
• 3 month salary slips
• Copy of current rental contract
• Copy of residence permit
• Copy of passport

To help you find somewhere, you can look on the following websites:

• Homegate.ch
• Glocals
• Immobilier.ch
• Home.ch
• Geneve à louer - bouche à Oreille (Facebook)

In order to find somewhere to rent in Brussels, you need the following;

• ID
• Work Contract
• Copy of residence permit

To help you find somewhere, you can look on the following websites:

• www.immoweb.be
• www.logic-immo.be
• www.immovlan.be
• www.homelog.be
• www.realo.be
• www.spotahome.com
• www.housinganywhere.com

Shipment of personal belongings

Case specific, to be discussed with relevant HR team.

Bank account

Setting up a bank account is one of the most important requirements when arriving in your new city. It means you can be paid, spend local currency and prove financial stability for renting or work.

The Geneva office would recommend UBS as a good bank for first time accounts for expats. 

All information in regards setting up an bank account in Brussels can be found here.

To set up an account you will need:

• ID
• Proof of address
• Employment contract
• (in GVA) Residence permit

Mobile phone & Roaming

Remember to check your current mobile phone contract and the options or limitations. If you have to move to Geneva from an EU country, don’t forget, Switzerland is not a EU Member State and roaming-free EU rules will not apply in Switzerland.

Reliable providers in Geneva are;

• Salt
• Yallo
• Sunrise
• Swisscom

For advice on mobile phone providers in Brussels, see the link here.

Learning the Language

Should you wish to learn the local language in your new city, you can see helpful schools below.

Geneva:

• Efage
• Club migros
• Swiss french school

Brussels:

An extensive list of language schools can be found here. In addition, do not hesitate to seek advice from your colleagues who have already done this.

Legalities

• Income and other taxes (CH & BE)
• Social security system (CH & BE)
• General legal framework (CH & BE)

How to find locals info

We’ve all done it, moved somewhere new with no idea where to start. Hopefully you can browse the below websites to help you find activities you enjoy, events or even furniture. But of course, we are all here to answer any questions or point you in the right direction.

• Geneva: Glocals
• Geneva: Know it all passport
• Brussels: USE-IT maps
• Practical Guide to Living in Geneva

Public holidays

Who doesn’t love a public holiday! Be sure not to miss any outlined below for both offices.

Europe and Global Support Centres Geneva (Switzerland) 

Public holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday (other than Easter and Pentecost Sunday) are replaced by an alternative day off (Friday or Monday). 

Source: https://www.ge.ch/vacances-scolaires-jours-feries

Europe Support Centre Brussels (Belgium) 

Public holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday (other than Easter and Pentecost Sunday) are replaced by an alternative day off. 

Source: http://www.emploi.belgique.be/defaultTab.aspx?id=11234  

The dates of these public holidays have duly been added to ZOHO People, WOSM’s web-based Human Resources Management tool. 

Staff handbook

More information can be found in the Staff support centre.