What you can do from abroad, step by step
- Build the dossier now. Scan your passport or ID, your signed Swiss employment contract with the salary, and references from your current landlord or employer.
- Follow the market daily. New adverts matter more than old ones, so use a saved search with alerts.
- Write in the language of the listing. German, French or Italian, short and factual: who you are, your job, your move-in date.
- See the flat before you commit. Ask for a video viewing, or send a friend or colleague to the viewing.
- Sign, then pay. Never the other way round.
What newcomers have, and what they lack
| Document | From abroad |
|---|---|
| Passport or ID | Yes |
| Signed employment contract with salary | Yes, it replaces the Swiss salary certificate for now |
| References | Yes, from your current landlord or employer |
| Swiss debt extract (Betreibungsauszug) | If you cannot get one yet, say so openly in your message |
| Residence permit | Add it when it is issued |
The scam warning for people abroad
People who search from another country are a target, because they cannot come to a viewing. The Swiss Crime Prevention service (SKP, 2019) names the pattern: the rent is far below the market, the owner is abroad and wants a deposit before a viewing, paid through a money transfer service. Its advice is to ignore such adverts and never to pay a deposit without a valid lease and a viewing.
The law helps you here. A deposit for a flat must be placed with a bank, in a savings account or deposit in the tenant's name, and it may be at most three months' rent (Art. 257e OR). A request to send the deposit to a private person does not fit this rule.
How aptari helps from a distance
aptari shows the rental adverts of Homegate, ImmoScout24, Flatfox and about 800 housing cooperative websites in one feed, in English, German, French and Italian, with no login needed to browse. The feed held 67,323 listings for 35,546 different homes (aptari feed, 9 November 2026). Alerts on saved searches come with Pro, Ultra and the 14-day free trial. Wherever the Apply with Aptari button shows, your message is written in the listing's language with a private link to your Tenant Passport, and you send it yourself on the portal. When an agency on aptari offers a Live Tour, you join from your phone or laptop and see the flat live in the browser.
This is general information, not legal advice.