Banking & Payments

When arriving in Switzerland, your payments will be made in CHF (1CHF = more or less 1USD & 1EUR). However, many retailers, shops and restaurants accept Euros (€).

One of the first steps when moving to Geneva is to open a bank or postal account for the payment of your regular invoices.

Payments

For fixed monthly invoices, two payment methods are widely used in Switzerland:

• by standing order (BVR) with a frequency and a defined amount
• by direct debit order (LSV), authorizing your bank to debit your account for the payment of invoices. More information from the Banque Cantonale de Genève

Cheques are rarely used in Switzerland and under certain conditions (example BCGE).

Banks

There is more than a hundred banks in Geneva, which is recognised as a global financial centre with a rich and long tradition both in wealth management and in trading of raw materials. More information on the website of the Geneva Financial Centre.

There are several places where you can withdraw money (CHF / EUR) in town from ATMs (ATMs or "ATMs" in Switzerland) and at many exchange offices. Most banks have branches spread throughout the canton, some with extended hours:

• Cantonal banks: BCGE (Geneva) and BCV (Vaud)
• Retail banks:Raiffeisen, Migros Bank and Banque Cler (Coop)
• Major banks: UBS, Crédit Suisse
• Private banks: Association of Swiss private banks

Swiss Post Office and PostFinance

All you need to know:

• to send and receive letters and parcels,
• PostFinance,  for online services to pay your invoices.

Find the nearst Post office to you and its opening hours

Geneva has two large post offices in the city center with extended services and hours:

• Post office of Mont-Blanc
• Post office of Montbrillant (Cornavin Dépôt)