Moving Zurich–Aargau: tax, car, notice dates, dog

Updated: October 2026Editorial team: Umzugsexpress GmbHTeam: 17 years in moving and clearance

Our base is in Spreitenbach – right on the border between Aargau and Zurich. Many of our customers move across this border. These are the things that change.

In short

You pay tax for the whole year in the canton where you live on 31 December. Vehicle registration and number plates must be changed within 14 days. Notice dates differ: city of Zurich only end of March and September, Aargau and the rest of canton Zurich also end of June.

Tax: 31 December decides

You are liable to tax for the whole year where you live on 31 December (Bern tax office, Comparis; basis: ESTV). A move on 30 December or 2 January can therefore make a noticeable difference. Lump-sum pension benefits are taxed in the canton of residence at the time of payment.

Car: new plates within 14 days

Changes to the vehicle registration must be reported within 14 days; when changing canton you get new number plates (St. Gallen leaflet, Comparis). The road traffic office of the new canton is responsible: Zurich or Aargau. In Aargau the municipality reports your driving licence; details in Registering your move.

Different notice dates

Place	Customary dates
City of Zurich	31 March, 30 September
Rest of canton Zurich	31 March, 30 June, 30 September
Canton Aargau	31 March, 30 June, 30 September

Your tenancy agreement comes first. The notice period calculator works out by when your notice must arrive.

Dog, health insurance, parking permit

Dog: register with the new municipality; the data in the Amicus database is updated. In Aargau the dog tax is CHF 120 per dog (Canton Aargau).
Health insurance: inform your insurer after every move (Helsana); the premium depends on the premium region (FOPH).
Parking permit: Zurich, Dietikon and the Aargau municipalities have different offices and deadlines – the moving day planner shows both municipalities.

Registering: 14 days and what to bring

Register with the new municipality within 14 days and deregister with the old one. Each municipality sets its own fee – in Maur, for example, CHF 40 per adult. Typical documents: passport or ID card, lease, family record book and proof of health insurance. The full list with deadlines: Registering your move.

With a B permit from a non-EU/EFTA country: the permit is only valid in the issuing canton. Apply in the new canton before you move (Comparis).
Weekly residents: if you live in the other canton during the week, register there within 14 days too – with the certificate of origin from your home municipality. For tax, what counts is the centre of your life.

Tax rates 2026 and withholding tax

The canton of Zurich levies a tax rate of 95 per cent in 2026 and 2027, the canton of Aargau 103 per cent in 2026. The figures cannot be compared directly, though: each canton uses its own tax scale. On top comes the municipal rate – in Aargau between 48 and 127 per cent in 2026. What you will actually pay at your new address is shown by the Federal Tax Administration’s tax calculator.

If you pay tax at source, your employer switches to the new canton from the month after the move. For ordinary taxation, residence at the end of the year still decides; instalments already paid to the old canton are refunded or credited.

Frequently asked questions

I move from Zurich to Baden on 15 December. Where do I pay tax?

In Aargau for the whole year, because you live there on 31 December.

Do I need new number plates when moving from Zurich to Aargau?

Yes, within 14 days at the Aargau road traffic office.

Are notice dates in Aargau different from the city of Zurich?

Yes: in Aargau end of March, June and September, in the city of Zurich only end of March and September – unless the tenancy agreement says otherwise.

Sources

Information as of October 2026. The linked offices are authoritative.

Moving between Zurich and Aargau: what changes