Greetings
Bonjour / Bonsoir
bon-ZHOOR / bon-SWAR
The compulsory opening of every interaction — shop, bus, lift, waiting room. Skipping it reads as rude in a way it does not in English.
Daily life
Carte de légitimation
kart de lay-zhee-tee-ma-SYON
The FDFA identity card issued to staff of international organisations and missions. It replaces a cantonal residence permit and carries its own tax and insurance regime.
Permis B / C / Ci / G
per-MEE bay / say / say-ee / zhay
Residence, settlement, family-of-an-international-official, and cross-border worker. Which letter you hold decides your tax, your health cover and your housing options.
La bise
la BEEZ
The cold north-easterly wind funnelled down the lake. Also the cheek-kiss greeting — three of them here, not two.
Work
Frontalier / frontalière
fron-tal-YAY
A cross-border worker living in France and working in Geneva. Over a hundred thousand of them, and a permanent feature of local politics.
Housing
Régie
ray-ZHEE
The managing agent that stands between you and the landlord. In Geneva you rent from a régie, not from a person, and your file goes to them.
Avis de fixation du loyer initial
The 'feuille verte' — the green form
The official notice of your starting rent, legally required in Geneva. It shows what the previous tenant paid and starts a 30-day window to contest.
Extrait du registre des poursuites
eks-TRAY du re-ZHEES-tr day poor-SWEET
The debt-collection register extract. Every rental file demands one; you order it from the Office des poursuites and it costs a few francs.
Money
Impôt à la source
am-PO ah la SOORS
Tax withheld from your payslip. The default for permit-holders and frontaliers, and not always the cheapest outcome.
Culture
L'Escalade
les-ka-LAD
Geneva's own festival, 11–12 December, marking the failed 1602 Savoyard night attack. Chocolate cauldrons get smashed and the city runs a race in fancy dress.
Emergency
144 / 117 / 118
Ambulance / police / fire
The Swiss emergency numbers. 112 also connects. 145 is the poisons centre.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.