What Do Relocation Packages Usually Include? 2026 Guide

1. Core Elements: Found in Most Packages

• Flights for the employee and immediate family. Economy class for shorter regional moves, business class for intercontinental ones. Some policies include pet transport — confirm this separately if it applies to you.
• Temporary housing. A furnished corporate apartment, hotel, or housing allowance for 30 to 90 days. International moves often justify a longer period, particularly in cities where permanent housing is difficult to secure quickly.
• Visa and immigration support. For Switzerland, this means B-permit or L-permit applications, documentation support, and coordination with cantonal and federal authorities. This is non-negotiable for any international hire and should always be employer-funded.
• Final-move travel expenses. Flights or mileage reimbursement for the move itself, and sometimes a pre-move house-hunting trip to the destination city before the official start date.

2. Standard Add-Ons: Mid-Level and Above

• Household goods shipping. Professional packing, international transport, unpacking, and insurance for personal belongings. For European moves, door-to-door delivery is standard. For intercontinental moves, sea freight is the norm.
• Home-finding assistance. Local real estate contacts, neighbourhood orientation, and in some cases a contribution toward the rental deposit. In Geneva, where landlords require up to three months' rent as a blocked security deposit upfront, this element alone is significant.
• School search support. For families: guidance on international versus local Swiss schools, enrollment assistance, and sometimes an education stipend. Geneva has strong international school options, but waiting lists are real — early action matters.
• Language and cultural training. Pre-move or on-arrival language courses and local orientation sessions. In Geneva, where French is the primary language of daily life, even an intermediate level of French meaningfully changes what you can access and how quickly you settle in.

3. Comprehensive-Tier Extras: Full Executive Package

• Home sale or purchase assistance. Covering selling costs, Buyer Value Option (BVO) programmes, mortgage support, or closing cost reimbursements on either end of the move.
• Tax gross-up. The element most employees miss until it is too late. Without it, 30–40% of a lump sum disappears in payroll taxes before you spend a cent on the actual move. A tax-grossed-up package means your employer covers those taxes, so you receive the full stated amount.
• Spousal or partner career support. Resume services, job placement networks, and career counselling for the partner who is giving up their current role to make the move possible. This is one of the most underestimated costs of an international relocation.
• Cost of living adjustment (COLA). An ongoing salary supplement to account for higher living costs at the destination. For Geneva, this applies more than in most European cities. Discover Geneva’s living costs.

• It offers a flat lump sum only, with no managed services, for an international move. Cash matters, but coordination is what makes an international relocation work in practice.
• It does not include visa and immigration support. No employer should expect an international hire to navigate Swiss permit applications without help. A package that omits visa support is incomplete by definition.
• It does not account for the cost of living at the destination. For Geneva specifically, a package built around a domestic relocation budget does not reflect reality. The rental market runs at approximately 0.1% vacancy, one of the lowest in Europe. Standard allowances do not account for that.

• Housing moves faster than almost anywhere in Europe. Rental vacancy in Geneva sits at approximately 0.1%. A listing that appears on a Monday disappears by Wednesday. Swiss landlords require up to three months' rent as a blocked security deposit, paid into a separate account before the lease is signed. On a CHF 3,000/month apartment, that is CHF 9,000 tied up before you unpack a single box. A package without a deposit contribution — or a higher temporary housing budget — leaves you exposed from day one.
• Swiss health insurance is mandatory and time-sensitive. Every resident must enrol with a Swiss KVG/LaMal insurer within 90 days of arrival. The average 2026 basic monthly premium sits around CHF 393 per adult. Miss the deadline and the authorities assign you to a random insurer, backdate your premiums, and add a penalty surcharge. A good relocation package includes setup guidance, not just a passing mention that health insurance exists.
• Work permits require active management. For non-EU nationals, a B-permit takes 4 to 12 weeks to process — sometimes longer. Your employer must initiate the application. Without active coordination, this process slips through the gaps and delays your legal ability to start work.
• The French determine daily life more than most people expect. International schools, English-speaking doctors, and English menus all exist in Geneva. But French is what secures the apartment, handles the lease renewal, and navigates local administration. Language training in your package is not optional here — it is one of the most practical investments an employer can make.

1. Tax Gross-up

2. Temporary Housing Duration

3. A Pre-move House Search

4. Spousal and partner career support

5. Flexible Start Date