Guide for companies
Posting workers to Switzerland: notification procedure, deadlines and accommodation
If you send employees from the EU or EFTA area to Switzerland for a limited period, two things have to be solved at the same time: the notification to the authorities and accommodation that meets the legal standard. Both have deadlines, and both run before the first working day. We write this from practice: BoVita operates its own furnished rooms in Aarau, Wohlen and St. Gallen and rents them to companies for their employees, all-in from CHF 720 per month and with a rental contract that works for the registration with the municipality. This guide explains the rules, names the legal sources and shows what to watch when arranging accommodation.
By Jens Herbst, Founder of BoVita Property ManagementUpdated on 3 July 20268 min read
Contents
- 1.Why accommodation belongs on the table early
- 2.Notification procedure: 90 working days and eight days of lead time
- 3.Seven sectors: notification required from day one
- 4.Who pays for accommodation and what standard it must meet
- 5.Registration at the place of work: deadlines and what the counter requires
- 6.Salary statement: when the company provides accommodation
- 7.Which type of accommodation fits which assignment
- 8.Checklist: eight points before booking
- 9.Frequently asked questions about housing posted workers
- 10.Sources
8 days
Notification before work starts
SEM, notification procedure
90
Working days per calendar year
SEM, notification procedure
14 days
Registration with the municipality of residence
cantonal law, AG, SG and ZH alike
from CHF 720
Furnished room per month, all-in
BoVita, Aarau, Wohlen, St. Gallen
Why accommodation belongs on the table early
A project team for four months, an installation over the summer, a specialist for the ramp-up of a new line: as soon as employees from the EU or EFTA area work in Switzerland, a second track opens up alongside the technical planning, with deadlines of its own. The notification to the authorities is one part. The other is accommodation, and that is not a question of comfort but a legal duty of the employer.
In practice, accommodation is often clarified last, although it has the longest lead time. Housing is scarce, and furnished rooms available at short notice are not a standard market product. Anyone who reverses the order and secures accommodation first loses less time overall.
Notification procedure: 90 working days and eight days of lead time
The simplified notification procedure applies to postings from the EU and EFTA area. The State Secretariat for Migration states that the 90 working days per calendar year apply both to the posting company and to the posted person. Anyone working beyond that needs a permit. That is a different procedure with more lead time.
The second deadline matters more for planning: the activity must be notified at least eight days before the intended start of work in Switzerland. Notification is made online via EasyGov.
NOTIFICATION DEADLINE
8 days
Lead time for the notification before the intended start of work (SEM)
There is an exception for genuine emergencies. In the case of repairs, accidents, natural disasters or other unforeseeable events, work may begin before the eight days have elapsed. Two conditions must be met at the same time: the assignment serves to repair damage that has suddenly occurred and aims to prevent further damage, and it starts no later than three days after the damage occurred, Sundays and public holidays included. A scheduled date that becomes tight is not an emergency.
Seven sectors: notification required from day one
One exception is regularly overlooked. In principle, an activity only becomes subject to notification if it lasts more than eight days in total per calendar year. In these seven sectors, however, notification is required from the first day regardless of duration:
- Main and ancillary construction trades
- Hospitality
- Landscaping and gardening
- Cleaning services in businesses and households
- Surveillance and security services
- Itinerant trades
- Erotic services
For work in the main and ancillary construction trades this means: even a two-day assignment is subject to notification, and the eight days of lead time still apply. Watch the boundary: pure assembly or a first-time installation as an ancillary service to a delivery of goods does not automatically count as a construction trade and then falls under the general eight-day threshold. When in doubt, notify earlier rather than later.
Who pays for accommodation and what standard it must meet
The Posted Workers Act covers both, in two separate articles. On costs, Art. 2 para. 3 states that employers must reimburse posted workers for expenses incurred in connection with the posting, such as travel, meals and accommodation. The same paragraph makes clear that these reimbursements do not count as part of the salary.
The standard of accommodation has its own article. Art. 3 requires accommodation that meets the usual standard at the place of work in terms of hygiene and comfort, and limits deductions for accommodation and meals to the locally customary level. Cutting corners with overcrowded budget solutions saves in the wrong place: the standard can be verified, and the employer bears the cost in any case.
Discuss accommodation for your project team
In a short, non-binding first call we clarify the number of people, the period and the rooms available for your assignment.
Arrange an initial call with the founderNo obligation and free of charge.
Not legal advice: this guide explains the main rules and names the sources. The law, the contract and the responsible authorities are binding.
Registration at the place of work: deadlines and what the counter requires
Alongside the posting notification to the federal authorities comes registration with the municipality of residence. The deadline is set by cantonal law, not by federal law, and is fourteen days in Aargau, St. Gallen and Zurich alike.
For St. Gallen it is documented explicitly: the city states 14 days and refers to Art. 6 of the act on residence and settlement. A fine of up to 200 francs applies for late registration. There is a separate form for employed people with a secondary residence. In the canton of Aargau the deadline is set in § 14 of the register and notification act; the municipality of Wohlen additionally asks for registration in person.
One point matters for your planning that appears in no official brochure: registration requires a rental contract that is accepted at the counter. Short-term rentals via platforms and informal sublets often do not provide this. That is exactly where registrations fail when accommodation is improvised on site.
Deadlines and responsibilities differ by municipality. The binding information always comes from the residents registration office of the municipality of residence.
Salary statement: when the company provides accommodation
If the company provides accommodation, this is a benefit in kind and must be declared. The rates in leaflet N2/2007 of the Federal Tax Administration on benefits in kind for employees serve as the benchmark: 345 francs per month for a room, 990 francs per month for full board and lodging. If the company provides an entire apartment, the locally customary rent applies.
What matters is the clean separation from the posting expenses under Art. 2 para. 3, which explicitly do not count as part of the salary. Your fiduciary will clarify which treatment applies in a specific case. The point here is simply: declare it properly, and accommodation is straightforward from a tax perspective as well.
More on this in the related guide: Staff housing in Switzerland: the guide for companies
Which type of accommodation fits which assignment
The right form depends on three factors: length of assignment, team size and how much administration should stay in house.
| Assignment | Suitable form | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| A few days to two weeks | Hotel or aparthotel | Expensive per night, but no contract effort. Usually not suitable for registration. |
| One to six months, single person | Furnished room with all-in rent | Contract accepted for registration, predictable monthly cost, short minimum term. |
| One to six months, team | Several rooms in the same building, partly double occupancy | The team lives together, cost per person drops considerably. |
| From one year, fixed location | Company apartment | Low monthly cost, but furnishing, contracts and administration stay with you. |
Practical guidance, not an offer. At BoVita, furnished rooms start at CHF 720 per month including utilities, furniture and WiFi, in Aarau, Wohlen and St. Gallen; individual room electricity and the Serafe fee are billed separately. Every contract is issued so that the registration with the residents registration office works with it.
Checklist: eight points before booking
These points let you clarify the requirement in half an hour and avoid the mistakes that cost time later.
Secure the deadlines
- Check the assignment against the 90 working days per calendar year, per person and per company
- Plan the EasyGov notification at least eight days before work starts
- Check whether the sector requires notification from the first day
- Ask the municipality about the registration deadline, usually 14 days from arrival
Secure the accommodation
- Ask for a rental contract that the residents registration office accepts
- Check the standard under Art. 3 of the Posted Workers Act, hygiene and comfort usual at the place of work
- Compare costs all-in, including utilities and WiFi, room electricity and Serafe billed separately
- Agree the declaration in the salary statement with your fiduciary
Frequently asked questions about housing posted workers
How early must a posting be notified?
Does the notification duty also apply to very short assignments?
What exactly does the 90-working-day rule mean?
Does the employer have to pay for accommodation?
What standard must the accommodation meet?
Do posted workers have to register at their place of residence?
What is a rental contract that works for registration?
Can two employees share a room?
About BoVita
BoVita is a property management company from Switzerland with a rare specialisation in furnished rooms, flatshares and co-living. We take over the full management of properties, from rent collection and utility-cost statements to tenant changes, and add depth where conventional management firms reach their limits. This guide bundles our hands-on knowledge for owners and management companies.
Sources
This overview is based on the following sources and legal foundations. All information without guarantee.
- 1.State Secretariat for Migration SEM, notification procedure for short-term gainful employment
- 2.Fedlex, Federal Act on the Posting of Workers (Posted Workers Act, SR 823.20)
- 3.EasyGov, notification procedure for posted workers
- 4.Federal Tax Administration FTA, leaflet N2/2007 on benefits in kind for employees
- 5.City of St. Gallen, reporting a move (14-day duty, Art. 6 sGS 453.1)
- 6.Municipality of Wohlen AG, registration with the residents registration office
Looking for accommodation for posted workers?
Tell us how many people need accommodation and from when. You will receive a concrete offer within a short time, with available rooms and a rental contract that works for the registration with the municipality. First call with the founder, non-binding and free of charge.