US-CMS GUIDE TO COMING TO AND LIVING AT CERN

Prepared by the US-CMS Project Office at CERN

Tami Kramer (Tami.Kramer @cern.ch Building 40 5-A15, Telephone: +41 22 767 4799)

Tina Vernon Heering (Tina.Vernon @cern.ch Bldg 591 R-008, Telephone: +41 22 767 9779, +41 75 411 2403)

Yasemin Uzunefe-Yazgan (Yazgan @cern.ch Bldg 653 1-005, Telephone: +41 22 766 6170

From 15 January 2020, in the event of an increase in air pollution, access to the centre of Geneva may be subject to temporary traffic restrictions for motorized vehicles without a Stick'AIR sticker corresponding to one of the authorized categories. Click here for more information The same type of sticket can be obtained from French authorities if your vehicle is registered is France, it is also valid in Geneva. For more information on obtaining the French sticker, go here.

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO DO BEFORE COMING TO CERN

1- To register with the CMS Experiment, you need to complete the CMS online pre-registration form. It will be approved by your team leader and the CMS Secretariat, who will take it up from there and guide you with your registration.

2- If you are planning to travel to CERN in person, you also need to register with the CERN Users' Office. Your team leader or deputy has to initiate this procedure on the Pre-Registration (PREG). More information on PREG and how to begin the process can be found on the following website.

3- Make sure you have a passport that will be valid a minimum of 6 months after the beginning of the travel. Some airlines will not let you fly if your passport will expire in less than 3 months, and the consulates might reject to issue visas (especially long term visas) if your passport has less than 6 months to expire or is more than 10 years old. Since the passport # figures on the Note Verbale, please make sure you renew your passport before you send the request for the Note Verbale.

4- Clear up visa situations. Nationals of countries other than Switzerland or the European Union need to check whether they need a visa for Switzerland and/or France for the duration of their visit to CERN. US citizens, although they don't need visas to enter Switzerland as a tourist, need to apply for a C-type Schengen visa if they're traveling for work for more than 8 days.

All non Swiss or non-EU collaborators are required to have an official CONVENTION D'ACCUEIL (used to be called a Protocole d'accueil, a letter allowing you to do scientific research in France) when traveling to CERN for periods of less than 90 days, regardless of whether they need a visa or not. The Convention should be signed as soon as you receive it, and be kept with your passport at all times and is required by the CERN Users' Office while registering.

If you’re planning to spend more than 90 (consecutive or non-consecutive) days in 6 months, or are relocating to CERN, you will need to obtain a long term national visa from the country where you plan to establish your residence. You can find details in the visa section.

Non-US citizens should also make sure they have valid documents or visas to go back to the US, or make arrangements to apply for a new visa if required. The visa offices in your institutions can help you with this.

5- If you need visas, make visa application appointments and find out what other documents they need to process your visa request. You will need to apply at the consular office responsible for your current place of residence. Please see the Visa Procedures section for more details. Contact the US-CMS Project Office at CERN for invitation letters to facilitate your visa requests.

Important notice regarding Swiss visa requests: Please note that all Swiss embassies and consulates are gradually being connected to the VIS system (Visa Information System which is used to store biometric data -10 fingerprints and facial image- used by Schengen states). It will be necessary for visa applicants to make an appointment with the Swiss embassy/consulate in their country of residence and present themselves in person to submit and registertheir biometric data. This data remains valid in the VIS system for a period of 5 years. The embassy and consulates in the US don't seem to be affected yet, but if you'll be applying for the Swiss visa from another country, please contact the consulate to find out if you need to go in person.

6- Book airline tickets. Some consulates may require a copy of the flight itinerary. However, it is not always advisable to finalize your tickets before getting the visas, or at least submitting your visa application to the consulate. Please keep in mind that it is advisable to pick an itinerary that doesn't require additional transit visas.

7- Make sure you will be covered by health, accident and disability insurances as it is required both for the visa and the CERN registration procedures. Please make sure that your US insurances will cover you at CERN, as there have been cases where insurances such as BCBS weren't accepted, leading to huge medical bills. Make necessary changes to your plan if needed, and bring your insurance cards with you. If your US insurance will not cover you, please make arrangements for travel insurance or see the insurance section below.

8- Arrange accommodation and rental cars. The US-CMS Project Office at CERN can help you with these arrangements. Please see the relevant sections for more information. If you are planning to drive a CERN car, please make sure you apply for a CERN driving permit in advance. If you are planning to buy a car here, please bring proof of car insurance for the last few years. See below for further details.

9 - Request a CERN Computing account using this online form. Register your laptop and/or mobile phone to be able to have internet access at CERN using this online form.

NICE is the MS Windows infrastructure at CERN, LXPLUS is Linux/AFS, AIS is for Administrative services like CERN's Electronic Document Handling system (EDH). For EDH you will be given a login password, and you should email ais.support@cernNOSPAMPLEASE.ch to request an authorization password which allows you to authorize documents. CMS Users may also wish to obtain accounts on the CMS Workgroup Server (which also uses AFS). More information about CMS specific computing services can be found here.

10- Follow the mandatory courses at Learning Hub

11- Request a desk at CERN using Burotel.

12- Make sure you read thorugh the CERN Users' Office guide for Newcomers.

13- If you're planning to import a pet into Switzerland or France, and a Swiss airport is your first stop in Europe, you can use this online tool by the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office and find out what you need to do prior to traveling with your pet. If your first stop in Europe is in France, please check the requirements on the French frontier authority's official website.

VISA PROCEDURES

Overview: You can check whether you are required to apply for a visa to travel to Switzerland or France.

For short term visits you will need to apply for a Schengen visa at either the Swiss or French consulate responsible for your area of residence with the invitation letter provided by the US CMS Project Office at CERN. For long term stays, whether you apply for a Swiss or a French long term visa depends on where you plan to live, so the US CMS Project Office will provide you with the relevant invitation letter. Make sure you allow 4-6 weeks for the long term French visa as explained in detail below. Article on the CERN Bulletin regarding visa issues can be found here.

You can submit your invitation letter requests at the US CMS Project Office space. If you have any questions or more complicated situations re: family members etc, you can also contact us by email directly.

Documents required by the consulates

Although this list is subject to change and consulates may have slightly different procedures, here's a list of documents you'll need to attach to your visa applications: - Visa application forms, fully completed and signed by the applicant and each accompanying person. - An employment letter from your institution stating your contract dates and your salary, or if you are a student, a letter of enrollment (you can find templates that work both for the consulates and CERN registration on the CERN Users' Office Website) - Photocopies of first page of passport of applicant and each accompanying person - 2-3 passport size photos of applicant and each accompanying person - Proof of residence in the US (utility bill, bank statement, rent contract for US citizens, copy of the valid permanent resident card or valid entry visa together with a valid travel authorization form I-20 or DS-2019 for non-US citizens) - A letter from your insurance company and a copy of your insurance card confirming international coverage of at least US$ 50’000. - Photocopies of bank accounts; - Marriage and birth certificates for family members, - Copies of diplomas and a cover letter is sometimes required.

Please contact the consulates directly or view their webpages to find out what other documents they require. You will be crossing borders everyday if you are commuting between CERN sites and/or you live in France, so it please keep your passport and Swiss and/or French cards with you at all times.

Short visits (<90 days a year):

Important notice regarding Swiss visa requests: Please note that all Swiss embassies and consulates are gradually being connected to the VIS system (Visa Information System which is used to store biometric data -10 fingerprints and facial image- used by Schengen states). It will be necessary for the visa applicant to make an appointment with the Swiss embassy/consulate in his/her country of residence and present him/herself in person to submit and register his/her biometric data. This data remains valid in the VIS system for a period of 5 years. The embassy and consulates in the US don't seem to be affected yet, but if you'll be applying for the Swiss visa from another country, please contact the consulate to find out if you need to go in person.

Since December 2008, when Switzerland joined the Schengen treaty, a short term visa (<90 days a year) delivered by either Switzerland or France (or another Schengen country) is valid for your trip. We will draft you an invitation in English which supports your visa application at the Swiss consulate, and an invitation letter in French (Convention d'accueil) to be used to apply for a visa at the French consulate and/or to serve as your temporary French work permit at CERN. Only one of these letters will be necessary for visa purposes. A copy is emailed to the relevant consulate. Please note that you will need the original letter to apply for the visa via the French Embassy.

You can submit your request via US CMS Project Office space and email a copy of your CERN Home Institution Declaration (HID) to us.

For Switzerland: Please note that being a US citizen or being in possession of a Green Card does not exempt you from the visa requirement. The invitation letter that we draft for you will be signed by CERN authorities and then you will receive a scanned copy by email. A copy is emailed to the relevant Swiss Consulate.

To apply for a short term multiple entry C type visa, you will need to fill out the Swiss Schengen visa application form and submit it to the consulate with the other documents they require at least 15 days before the planned travel date. More information as well as steps of the visa application can be found here. The visa fee is waived with the invitation letter that you get from CERN.

For France: French consulates in the US have began outsourcing the visa application collection to a company called VFS. You are encouraged to set up an appointment with them as you are sending your invitation letter request to the US CMS Project Office. Please keep in mind that the French Convention d'accueil (short term visa) documents go off the CERN site to be signed by French authorities (on Monday and Friday afternoons), after being signed by the CERN authorities. Allow about one week for the letter to be delivered to you via express mail. Please make sure you sign the Convention before heading to the Consulate. It is imperative that you do not show up at the consulate with an unsigned Convention. When you receive the original letter in the mail, please sign it and email a good quality scan back to us so that we can email it to the relevant French consulate before your appointment. You will need the original letter to apply.

You will need to apply for a short term multiple entry C type Schengen visa through the centralized VFS website. the consulate with other documents they require at least 15 days before the planned travel date. The visa fee is waived with the Convention d'accueil that you get from CERN.

Long term visits (>90 days a year):

Collaborators who need visas for stays that are longer than 90 consecutive or non-consecutive days in a year are required to apply for a long term visa from the consulate of the country where they plan to take up residence. You will need to apply for: (1) a multiple entry Swiss D type visa if you are establishing your place of residence in Switzerland, or (2) a multiple entry French D type visa if you are establishing your place of residence in France. You can submit your request via US CMS Project Office space and email a copy of your CERN Home Institution Declaration (HID) to us.

Please keep in mind that if you move to CERN with the Swiss visa only, and then decide to rent an apartment in France, you will be required to apply for the French D visa. To be able to apply for it though the French consulate in Geneva, you will need to prove residence in Geneva. Therefore, if you aren't sure where you will be residing, we suggest you apply for the French D type visa.

The procedure for the long term Swiss D-type visa bearing the words "prise de fonctions au CERN", consists of presenting the invitation letter and explaining that you are to become a member of the CERN personnel and that, as such, you will be entitled to a legitimation card (carte de légitimation) issued by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. A copy is emailed to the relevant Swiss Consulate. The consulates will require a copy of the invitation letter, a completed Swiss National visa D application form and other documents. As Switzerland has joined the Schengen area, it may take a little longer to process the visa applications compared to before December 2008, so please try to apply as soon as possible. Once you arrive at CERN with the visa, you should go to the CERN Users' Office and make sure you're registered with 60% or more presence at CERN so that they will apply for a "Carte de Legitimation P" (replacing the previous Attestation de Fonctions card) for you. This is your residence and work permit in Switzerland, and it takes about 3 weeks to be delivered.

For the long term French D-type visa, we will draft a *Note Verbale*(NV) and send it to the CERN Relations with Host States Service. They will check it, then forward the original letter directly to the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, which carries out the necessary checks and assents to the issuing of a D-type long-stay visa marked “carte PRO-MAE à solliciter dès l’arrivée”. You will not receive a copy of this letter, but will receive an invitation letter to use for your visa application. The Note Verbale should also allow you to waive the visa application fee. You will need to submit your visa application request through the centralized VFS website. Make sure you mention CERN has sent a Note Verbale on your behalf, and that it will be treated in Washington D.C. You will be applying for a type D visa, bearing the words 'carte PRO-MAE a solliciter des l'arrivee'. The D-type French visa you'll be issued is valid for only 3 months, it is to enable you to apply for the residence permit. Please make sure you apply for the residence card within its validity period.

Please note that the CERN type of visa is quite different from the other types of long term visa applications listed on consular websites due to CERN being an international organization. When filling out the online visa application form, you’ll need to select ‘Assumption of official function’ as your plan and ‘Assumption of official functions/ordinary passport’ as the main purpose of your stay. Please keep in mind that CERN is not your employer, it’s your host lab and you’ll become an associated member of its personnel while your employer/university is your current US institute.

Please make sure you get a reference number for your application (quittance). This way, if you have any problems with the visa procedure, you can send it to Yasemin and ask her to follow up on your application. However, please don't wait until it's too late to ask for help, since it takes a few days to contact the Protocole and check on what is going on with your visa application.

It will take about 2-4 weeks to hear back from the consulate AFTER you submit your visa application. The ministry will forward the decision to the relevant consulate after they have considered the NV and your visa application together. Theoretically the consulate is supposed to contact you, but if you haven't heard from them in about 3 weeks, it may be a good idea to contact them and find out what's going on. Please also inform the Project office if there's a delay in this procedure, so we can ask CERN to intervene on your behalf and expedite the procedure. Please keep in mind that this process takes approximately 5-6 weeks, so make sure you will have enough time to get the visa and make travel arrangements accordingly.

Residence and/or Work Permits and what to do in case they are stolen or lost:

Once you arrive at CERN with the Swiss and/or the French D visa, the CERN Users' Office will apply for a "Carte de Legitimation P" (replacing the Attestation de Fonctions card) for you. This is your residence and work permit in Switzerland, and it takes about 3 weeks to be delivered.

There are 2 types of French cards issued to CERN users who are staying more than 3 months:

Titre de Sejour Special (AT, FI or CD): Issued if you (and your family) intend to live in France and have therefore received a French D visa. This card takes approximately 8-12 weeks to arrive.

Attestation de Fonctions (EF): Issued for the CERN user who plans to live in Switzerland, and therefore only have the Swiss D visa. It allows border crossings into France for professional needs. This card is not issued for accompanying family members. As it is not a residence card, it doesn't replace a visa if your Swiss visa/Swiss card has expired, and will not entitle you to enter France/Switzerland or to travel in the Schengen zone.

It is a good idea to make copies of your Swiss and French cards against cases of loss or theft. See below for procedures to follow in the event of the THEFT/LOSS of a SWISS Legitimation document:

1. If the card was stolen abroad, the theft must be reported to the relevant foreign police authorities.

Complete and sign the declaration of loss/theft available in HRT.

Send the original declaration to the Commissariat de Police de Genève (address shown on the declaration form).

2. Supporting documents required by the responsible service

a photocopy of the declaration of loss/theft,

a photocopy of the passport or ID card,

a recent, passport-format photograph if the cards were issued more than 4 years previously.

3. Processing of the application

The file is sent to the Swiss authorities (Geneva then Bern) and the card will be re-issued within approximately 2-3 weeks. Members of the personnel are informed of the arrangements for collecting their Swiss card.

2. French MAEE documents a)Report to the CERN Fire and Rescue Service (Fire Brigade, Meyrin Site, building 65) if the loss or theft occurred on the fenced parts of the CERN site. b) Report to the Thoiry police: In all cases of loss or theft (in France or elsewhere), go in person to the Thoiry police station to make a report. c) Issue of a new document: To obtain a new MAEE document, Physics Department Users should apply to the Users' Office (Meyrin Site, building 61) and all others to the Cards Office (Meyrin Site, building 33, office 1-015), attaching to the application two identity photographs and the copy of the report made to the Thoiry police.

It is advisable to keep photocopies of the above mentioned documents in order to have all the necessary information available when reporting a loss or theft.

FOR NEWCOMERS TO CERN

CERN has a new Welcome to CERN site for newcomers to CERN. It has information about things to do before you travel, important contacts, how to access the CERN sites, the Newcomer sessions organized monthly and quarterly.

ACCESS TO CERN

It is compulsory to wear your badge so that it can be easily seen and at all times from 2 May 2018 onwards. This requirement will apply to all persons present on the CERN site. When you arrive at CERN with your CERN Users' Office with your pre-registration, you can go to bulding 55, at the main entrance of CERN to get your photo taken and an Access card issued. For more information on CERN Access Cards, please visit this link.

GETTING TO CERN

All information regarding transportation to and within the CERN sites can be found at the CERN Mobility website.

If arriving by plane, you will be landing at the Geneva International Airport.

You can use the Geneva Public Transport website to check your itinerary, to get to your place of residence or to CERN. However, here are some general guidelines for reaching CERN from the airport:

You can take Buses 23, 28, or 57 towards Blandonnet bus stop, and then change to Tram 18 or Bus 68 to go to CERN.

The airport also provides a list of all possible access/transportation means from and to the airport on their website.

If you need to take a taxi from the airport, the taxi website claims there are enough taxis at the airport so you do not need to make reservations in advance. However, if you need to book a taxi, here's the link for the centralized taxi service in Geneva.

You can locate buildings on the CERN site using Mapcern.

Here are two maps to help you find your way around Geneva: Map:Switzerland CERN on GoogleMaps.

If you are arriving at CERN during work hours, and you do not have a CERN ID yet, you can enter the site using the confirmation of your pre-registration (PREG) sent by the CERN Users' Office. If somehow your PREG doesn't get approved before you travel to CERN, you'll need to request a visitor pass.

GETTING REGISTERED

To do once you're at CERN Once you arrive at CERN, the first thing to do is to go to the CERN Users' Office (located in building 61) with the required documents listed on their website you'll have prepared before leaving your institute. You can check the arrival formalities for your next step. If you will be at CERN for a stay longer than 3 months, and have applied for a Swiss or French long term visa, then you should ask the Users’ Office to apply for residence permits for Switzerland and France. You will be required to provide photos of yourself and of accompanying family along with passports and marriage/birth certificates.

Computers

CERN has a network that is "structure cabled". It means that when you move computer equipment or install new computer equipment, you usually have to change your IP address. Therefore, you cannot just plug-in your equipment and expect it to work. Network equipment must be registered. See: http://wwwcs.cern.ch

If you have a laptop, you will want to request a "portable socket" and you still have to change the IP address to the one IT division assigns to your socket. When filling out the web request form, you'll have to know your building, floor and socket id. (for example 40 5A-15 socket id 0015/01). The socket id is written on the socket (UTP plug - in Bat. 40, these are hidden in the metal "runners" along the wall). Once you have successfully filled out the Network Connection Request Form, a technician will come to your office to activate the socket and provide you with a UTP cable. These cables are the property of CERN and should be returned when the device is removed.

Printing

You can find information on connecting to a network printer or to request poster or large volume printing here.

Safety at CERN

You can find information on safety rules and announcements at the CERN Occupational Health and Safety Commission website.

If you are involved in an accident on a CERN site or while commuting to/from work, you need to declare it at CERN by informing the Fire Brigade, if it is an emergency by calling +41 22 767 4444 (74444 from CERN phones), or in the following 2 days by filling out the appropriate form: Internal accident report on EDH or Accident Declaration HS50E.

More information regarding accident declaration can be found at Administrative Procedures to follow in case of an Accident. You'll need to log on to this page with your CERN NICE password.

CERN LINKS

CERN Home Page

CERN Users' Office Registration, residence permits, prolongation or termination of contracts

[[ Newcomers

CMS Internal Pages

CERN Service Portal All IT and GS services

CMS Workbook for getting started at CERN

CERN IT Computing, printing

CERN Mail Services and CERN Market

CERN Phone and Email Directory

General Infrastructure Services

Link to request employment attestation from CERN HR

Human Resources Department- Benefits, taxes, leaves, removal services

CERN Finance Department Responsible for team accounts

Removal services

Workshops for spouses and partners

CERN Mobility website for everything relating to transportation.

Keys and locks service

Relations with Host States Service

CERN Clubs

Please NOTE: Do not mail any personal items to CERN. CERN personnel (users included) are not allowed to accept such items and getting them through the customs will be at the expense of the owner of the items.

LIVING IN THE GENEVA AREA

Accommodation

CERN Hotel

You can review room availability, booking rules and rates on the CERN Housing website and request an online reservation if you are a registered CERN User.

If you are not already a registered CERN user, you may contact the Hotel by email and request a reservation. The following information is required for reservation requests: Name, Date of Birth, Type of room desired, Dates of projected stay, Experiment at CERN, Institute, Contact person at CERN, Telephone number at CERN, Credit card number or Team Account/Budget Code.

Cancellation penalty for the CERN Hostel*: Any reservation cancelled less than 48 hours in advance will incur a one-night payment penalty - if you change plans please inform the hotel as soon as possible so that the room can be re-allocated.

If you are arriving at CERN on a weekend or after hours, you will need to get your hostel key from the guard at the main entrance to CERN, as the Hotel reception will be closed.

CERN Apartments

CERN has a limited number of apartments you can rent for 1-6 months. For detailed information and to request a reservation use this link.

Area Hotels and Apart Hotels

You can consult this list of CERN special rates offered to CERN users by nearby hotels. You can then send an email to yazgan@cernNOSPAMPLEASE.ch requesting a reservation be made for you. Please specify the dates of your stay and your preferred hotel or room type (a studio or a hotel room) as well as payment information (whether it will be paid through a budget code or team account or individual credit card). Once the hotel confirms availability, you can send your credit card details directly to them, either by email or fax.

Hotels that are walking/biking distance to CERN or near public transportation:

Hotel Balladins, St Genis Pouilly, walking distance and close to the bus stop.

Ibis Hotel located at the Technoparc in St Genis Pouilly, walking distance to CERN C entrance.

Ibis Budget located at the Technoparc in St Genis Pouilly, walking distance to CERN C entrance.

Apart-hotels in the area that may be convenient for longer stays or for families

Sejours&Affaires Saint Genis Located in Saint Genis Pouilly, Bus 68 to the CERN Meyrin site and the airport, also biking and walking distance to the CERN Meyrin site.

Best Western Park Hotel An apart-hotel located in Thoiry, very close to St Genis. It offers studios and apartments for up to 4 people. Breakfast is included in the offer for CERN customers.

Residhome Prevessin Carre d'Or Located very close to the CERN Prevessin site-walking or biking distance. No direct public transport to CERN, but bus 'O' stop very close, goes to Meyrin-Graviere and connects to CERN bus/tram. They may be willing to arrange a shuttle to drop off/pick up at CERN once a day. Not very close to shops.

Adagio Aparthotel Thoiry This used to be Holiday Inn, but as of 1 February 2015 they've added kitchenettes to the rooms. They also have 1 bedroom apartments for 3-4 people.

Sejours&Affaires Gex A newer residence by the same company as Sejours Affaires in St Genis. Close to CMS (SX5). No public transportation.

Residence Philippe Located in Cessy, close to Point 5. Public transportation to CERN or Geneva exists, but not very frequent and takes long.

Residence La Reserve Ferney Voltaire* Located in Ferney-Voltaire, they offer studios and 1 bedroom apartments. Public transportation exists between CERN and Ferney Voltaire, although there is not a direct bus line.

B&B Aparthotel Geneva Airport Located close to the airport. Tram 18 takes you to/from CERN.

Intercity Hotel Geneva Located close to the airport. Tram 18 takes you to/from CERN.

Adina Aparthotel Geneve Located close to the airport. Tram 18 takes you to/from CERN.

Appart'City Confort Located in Ferney-Voltaire has twin/double bed rooms as well as studios. Public transportation exists between CERN and Ferney Voltaire.

Odalys Appart Hotel & Spa Located in Ferney-Voltaire, they offer studios and 1 bedroom apartments. Public transportation exists between CERN and Ferney Voltaire.

Zenitude La Versoix Appart Hotel Located in Divonne-les-Bains, it offers studios and one-bedroom apartments.

Zenitude L'Orée du Parc Located in Divonne-les-Bains, it offers studios and one-bedroom apartments.

Zenitude Confort. Located in Divonne-les-Bains, it offers studios and one-bedroom apartments.

Renting Apartments

The US CMS Project Office can only recommend resources for finding an apartment near CERN. We do not have time to setup appointments with owners or visit apartments on your behalf. You can email your questions or concerns about finding housing to yazgan@cernNOSPAMPLEASE.ch.

When looking for an apartment or house, the first thing to do is to decide whether you'd like to live in Switzerland or in France. If your general plan is to live in Switzerland, downtown Geneva and Meyrin are possible options. The traffic into downtown Geneva might make the drive longer than 15 mins. Meyrin is really close to CERN and there is also good public transportation. If you'd like to live in France, Thoiry, St Genis (which is biking or even walking distance), Sergy, Ferney-Voltaire are some of the towns you can look at. These French towns are all within 15 mins. driving distance from CERN. There is a bus from CERN to these 4 towns, however it is not as frequent as the buses to from CERN to Meyrin.

CERN has a number of apartments available for short term rentals. For more information and booking check out the CERN Housing Service website.

CERN Housing Service has a listing of apartments/room available for rent in the local area. The people who advertise in these two places are usually people who have rent to CERN before, so they are used to dealing with international people.

People also advertise rental properties in the internet newsgroup CernMarket. You can also join "Young at CERN" group on Facebook, people also advertise apartments there.

You can search for rental apartments at Just Landed website.

In Geneva most rental apartments are under the control of the regie (agencies), which means extra fees and an application procedure. As housing is difficult in Geneva, there's real competition for apartments. Here are a few websites where you can search for apartments for rent in English: Immoscout24, immostreet.ch, Tout Immobilier.

There are also a few companies that have furnished apartments they rent out, such as Home Sweet Home.

In France there are real estate agencies that can help you find apartments, in exchange of a fee. Here are a few: Foncia, Landecy Ferney-Voltaire, I2C Immobilier, La Foret, Immo de France Ferney-Voltaire, DivonneImmo, Bastien, Orpi, ABI.

You can also check out other Swiss or French websites: Apartments in Geneve, GHI, Paruvendu, Cite Universitaire, and Gerpar,

Disclaimer: when corresponding with renters or sellers from classifieds sites, please be aware of scams. Only do business LOCALLY and in person. NEVER WIRE MONEY. Never send money in advance. You will lose your money. Housing in Geneva is usually expensive. If it seems too good to be true, it is probably a SCAM. If someone offers to send more than your listed price, THIS IS A SCAM. DO NOT buy mobile phones or rent housing from sellers who claim to be in the UK or US, or who appear to represent a company. THESE ARE ALL SCAMS. If someone is selling multiple cell phones, it is almost certainly a scam.

Keep in mind when renting Usually a deposit of 1-3 months rent is requested and the owner may request that you have CERN residency documents in order to rent (which require that you obtain the above mentioned long term visas), so it's good to plan ahead. You will be required to sign a lease (usually in French) and the person who signs the lease is somewhat responsible for what happens in the apartment. This is something to keep in mind if you are renting an apartment for you and your colleagues.

In Switzerland you need to deposit a guarantee for the apartment you rent. It is usually in the form of a bank account that is accessible by you and the owner. However, for US citizens who cannot open UBS accounts and cannot use the Postal Bank account for this purpose. There is a company called Smart Caution which will enable you to block a percentage of the actual guarantee requested and pay installments each year instead of blocking the whole amount.

The following websites have useful information about laws regarding renting in Switzerland: Cagi and AngloINFO

In France, you can contact this Association for all questions related to housing.

In France you are required by law to have Car and Home Insurances (Assurance d'habitation) which can be purchased through a French bank or an independent insurance agency. The following websites have useful information about basic rental laws and what the rental contract (bail) includes: Rental contract Renting in France

If you'd like to hire a professional to look for apartments/houses for you and negotiate with the agencies, here are a few links to House Hunters

Transportation

All information regarding transportation to and within the CERN sites can be found at the CERN Mobility website.

CERN shuttles

CERN operates shuttle circuits within its Meyrin and Prevessin sites, to LHC/SPS shift points. Each shuttle has a different route and timetable.

Bikes

VCERN Bike/E-bike/E-scooter Sharing

Members of CERN community can borrow bikes, free of charge. The borrowing/return procedure and full terms and conditions can be consulted here.

PH Bikes - up to 3 months

You can request to rent a CERN bike via this website. Please make sure you read the rules and note that there is a deposit and/or charge.

Taxi

Centralized taxi service in Geneva

If you have arranged a taxi to come pick you up from CERN, you need to get authorization for the taxi to come on site using this form.

Public Transportation

How to get from/to Geneva International Airport.

Geneva Public Transportation has a detailed website which gives you information about the different lines you can take and their timetables, as well as helping you plan itineraries.

Coming to CERN from the airport is explained in 'getting to CERN' above. To go to the airport from CERN, you can follow reverse directions.

To go downtown Geneva from CERN, you can take Tram 18 all the way to the train station and further.

If you need to get to Geneva Airport early in the morning, they have a bus that runs for free from certain points in Geneva. The closest stop to CERN are Ferney Mairie, Meyrin Cite and Graviere and Hopital de la Tour. Go to this page and scroll down until you see Aérobus morning service.

Thoiry, Sergy, Saint Genis and CERN are linked by Bus 68]]. Parts of Saint Genis, Prevessin, Ferney-Voltaire and the Airport can be reached by taking bus 68 from CERN to St Genis and then changing to Bus 66]].

Bus 64 operates between Meyrin-Graviere (the last stop of tram 14) and Ferney-Voltaire Mairie, passing through Prevessin-Moens.

On most bus/tram stops there are touch screen ticket machines that accept credit cards and return money. Buses 64, 66 and 68 have a slightly different ticket machines on board. If you're travelling between Thoiry/Saint Genis-Pouilly and CERN, you can get the 'Parcours court' ticket. However, if you're traveling between Ferney-Voltaire and CERN, you'll need to get the Zone 87 Gex/Ferney-Voltaire ticket that is valid for 2 hours.

Swiss Railway System

French TGV Railway System

Flixbus inter-city travel by bus.

Cars

Driving and traffic accidents in France and Switzerland

IMPORTANT: In accordance with the Swiss Federal Decree of 15 June 2012, it is mandatory from 1 January 2014 to keep your vehicle lights permanently switched on when driving on Swiss territory.

To find out whether your driver’s license is valid during extended stays in Switzerland and France, please consult this CERN Relations with Host States Secretariat publication.

If you need to apply for an exchange and get a Swiss drivers' license, you will need to fill in and submit this form along with your original drivers' license. Here are some explanations in English to help you fill in the form. You will also need to go through an eye exam with an agreed doctor which you can find on the website, and prove residence in Geneva through your Swiss Attestation de Fonctions. For more information go here.

Rules of the road in France and in Switzerland.

It is obligatory for all cars in Switzerland and France to have third party liability auto insurance (other options like fire, theft, vandalism, personal liability when driving are optional). If you are involved in an accident or car crash, this insurance covers any injury or damage that you may cause to another party and may include cover of any legal costs that may be incurred (check details with your insurer.)

On signing for motor insurance, the agent will provide you with a green card (carte verte) which must be displayed in the car windscreen. This serves as proof of valid liability insurance and is accepted throughout Europe in countries which are signatories of the Green Card System. The Green Card is not a required document in Switzerland as it is substituted by the national vehicle license plates.

The insurance agent is supposed provide an accident report sheet - the constat amiable d'accident - which should always be kept in the car, along with a pen. The sheet provided by the insurance will probably be in French, but you can ask them, while purchasing your insurance to provide a French/English copy. You may also print a copy of the one provided here and keep it along with the actual report to help you fill it out in the event of an accident.

In the event of an accident with no serious injuries, the constat is to be filled out at the scene of the accident and if both drivers agree on the facts, there is no obligation to contact the police. The accident report form should be sent to the insurance company within 3 days in Switzerland and 5 days in France. If the parties involved do not agree on a version of events, do not sign any documentation, but make sure to make a note of the registration number and take the details of any witnesses or police officers. Note: the details as written and signed to on the document can be binding in the event of a dispute." In Switzerland dial 117 for the Police, and 144 for an ambulance . In France, dial 112, which is the single emergency call number. For more information go here.

Please also note that having an emergency car warning triangle and one reflective vest per person in the car is an enforced law in France. In Switzerland, 2 warning triangles are required although reflective vests are not obligatory.

NEW! As of 1 July 2012, all drivers in France must be in possession of a breathalyzer test. The police may check and fine you if you don't have one. You can purchase them from pharmacies, big grocery stores or gas stations, if they have any in stock. Please make sure you buy the NF certified kind. For an English version of the law, please see here.

If you're already a CERN user, you can use this link to register your vehicle.

Rental cars through CERN

You can find detailed information about rules related to and pricing of renting a vehicle through CERN strictly for professional use on the CERN Mobility website. These vehicles are paid by the institute third party account. Usage is strictly for professional purposes, except commuting from local residence to CERN sites (no logo vehicles or external rental company suggested). If you fulfil the requirements (being registered at CERN, having a CERN vehicle driving authorization), you can submit your request directly via the online form. Requests must be made at least 48 hours in advance. If a CERN car isn't available (which is usually the case due to lower costs) they will suggest rental cars from an external rental company.

Please note that picking up a rental car at the airport is slightly more expensive than picking it up at CERN. There is a tax of 20% applied for the 1st day of the rental. Drop off location does not affect the rental cost. Another thing to consider is that the rates for monthly or weekly rentals are more interesting than the shorter term rentals, and all group members that are eligible to drive CERN cars can drive the same car, so it is possible to arrange dates so that the group keeps the car for a month to profit from the better rate. Automatic transmission is only available at request, and the rates are higher than the manual transmission economy cars.

CERN vehicles can only be driven by CERN staff and users who have a valid CERN contract, have completed safety course levels 1-2 (http://sir.cern.ch), and have a valid CERN driving authorization. You can request this permit following these steps: Go to https://edh.cern.ch/Document/General/DA on EDH by signing in with your NICE credentials. Complete the form and attach a copy of your drivers' license. When you click send, it will ask for your EDH signature authorization password. You will get a notification when the authorization request has been approved. The permit request usually takes around a few days to a week to be approved, but sometimes it can be delayed, so please apply in advance to make sure you will be allowed to drive a CERN car.

A 'mission order' (in EDH Mission Order) is required for trips outside the CERN perimeter.

CERN Car Sharing

From 1 December 2011, CERN car sharing – comprising 20 CERN vehicles free to use at 13 stations on the Meyrin and Prévessin sites – will be available to CERN staff members and contracting businesses in the course of their professional activities at CERN. More information and the general terms and conditions of use are available here.

Important: CERN vehicles can only be driven by CERN staff and users who have a valid CERN contract, have completed safety course levels 1-2 (http://sir.cern.ch), and have a valid CERN driving authorization. You can request this permit yourself following these steps: On the EDH main menu go to Access request. There, click on add and on the pull down menu select CERN Vehicle driving permit (V), specifying the reason why you need it. You will need to save the document, read and agree to the rules, and attach a copy of your drivers' license. When you click send, it will ask for your EDH signature authorization password. While sending the document you can choose to be notify when the permit has been granted.

You need to be a registered CERN user with a valid contract who has completed the safety course levels 1-2 (http://sir.cern.ch). The permit request usually takes around a few days to a week to be approved, but sometimes it can be delayed, so please apply in advance to make sure you will be allowed to drive a CERN car.

Private rental cars

Special rates are available through HERTZ for renting private vehicles for CERN personnel (MPE, MPA, contractors' personnel ...) with a valid access card.

Discount code for private rental is : CDP-675758

For any additional questions, please contact directly HERTZ (+41 (0) 22 716 30 80)

Here are a few other companies to rent cars individually:

Kemwel Car rentals-only from the US!

Geneva Airport Rentals

mobility Swiss shared cars system with subscriptions

Carrefour has a car rental service

Patrick Location

Enterprise

Europcar

Auto France

AutoEurope- long term lease

Renault EuroDrive

BlablaCar ridesharing

Buying, selling or importing a car

If you are planning to buy or import a car, you can get more information from the CERN Installation Service. This service helps with passing your household items through the customs (when they arrive) and registering cars on diplomatic license plates. Please also check the relevant information published by the French Embassy in Washington D.C.

Please note that, as of 4 November 2020, formalities relating to VAT exemption (K and CD series green plates) and tax-free importation of privately owned vehicles, will be dealt with by the CERN Mobility Centre (Building 6167, tel. 72228, Mon-Fri 8 am -12 noon, 1-5 pm). You can find detailed information regarding who is eligible, documents required for this request as well as a link to the CERN Portal Car VAT exclusion request (green plates) on the CERN Admin e-guide.

You can find more information on importing cars to France and to Switzerland.

Here are some shipping companies that US CMS people have worked and were happy with: Nelson Westerberg Harsch Transports Schumacher Cargo

Please keep in mind that to be able to import your car to France tax free, you need to have documentation that you will be living in France for one year. So either wait until you receive your French card (takes 8 weeks) or try to get a document to prove this before you arrive at CERN from the consulate that issues your long term French visa. Also, please make sure the original license plates are on the car, otherwise, you will not be allowed to drive it until your green plates arrive.

If you are planning to buy a car, it would be useful to ask your insurance company in the US to give you letters stating you have been insured for the last 2-3 years, this can help you get a better rate from the insurance company.

Here’s the website for the Car Services in Geneva, where you'll apply for car registration and driver's license exchanges if you live in Geneva. If you have a car with Swiss license plates, you will need to go through a "Visite Technique" every year. You can schedule it from the Swiss website.

In France, the Sous-Prefecture of Gex website provides information on how car regostration and driver’s license procedures can be handled. Most are now done through the ANTS website.

If you'd like to get rid of an old car, you have to find an agreed 'démolisseur or broyeur', and hand the car to them. You'll need to fill out the same sale form, but check 'cede pour destruction' instead of just 'cede'. Please make sure you send a copy to the Sous-Prefecture, and a copy to your car insurance along with a letter to cancel it.

If you have an older, broken car parked on the CERN site, you can request CERN to get rid of it using this ticket.

If you own a car with French license plated (not green plates) then you are required to take your car for a "Controle Technique" every 2 years. You can find which mechanics are licensed to do this at website.

Long Term Parking at CERN

If you own a car and want to leave it CERN for long periods between your CERN stays, please fill out the following form. Long term parking is available between buildings 587 and 588.

Buying or renting a Scooter

Scooter Scoop has rentals, new and second hand scooters.

Driving/Maps

Here are two map websites for driving directions in Switzerland and in Europe.

Bank Accounts

If you are going to get payments while you are based at CERN, you'll need to register your bank account using this EDH link. You can only do this after you've been fully registered by the CERN Users' Office. CERN doesn't issue any cash payments, but they can make direct wire transfers to most banks around the world, provided they have an IBAN and Swift codes, or the equivalent. You may want to double check with your bank whether they accept international wire transfers in foreign currency (CHF), ask them for the right routing #s to use, and try to negotiate any fees or rates they have for international operations.

CERN can pay Revolut accounts, however, (Transfer)Wise can't be used.

Depending on which currency you'll be paying rent and your utilities in, you may want to open a Swiss and/or a French bank account, although Swiss banks have some restraints concerning US citizens.

The Swiss UBS is located near the main cafeteria on the CERN Meyrin site. In order to open an account, they may insist that you have CERN residency documents (called the Carte de Legitimation). They charge a monthly fee of about 3 CHF a month for "account keeping" so you do not want to keep an account here unless you actually need it. They have a pretty good E-banking system and debit cards. You can open an account in US Dollars and transfer money between accounts online. They do not issue checks as one would find in a checking account in the US.

US citizens may not be able to open a bank account at the UBS branch at CERN, but through a specialized customer representative in the downtown office.

There is now a 30 CHF/month charge if your home address on file is not in Switzerland or France. US CERN users can be exonerated, but this requires visiting or calling UBS branch (+41 22 375 33 13), and proving users status. Handled case by case.

The Swiss Post Office also works as a bank under the name of PostFinance.

The French Credit Agricole is located on the Prevessin site in building 866 (near the cafeteria). They have checking accounts in Euros, direct debit cards and credit cards. It is easier to get credit in France than in Switzerland. Their version of Ebanking is not as useful as the Swiss Ebanking. They do allow you to have a Compte en Devise (an account in US Dollars, for example), but you cannot see this account online. Their opening hours are Tue: 9-12, 14:15-16:30, Wed-Fri: 9-12, 13:30-16:30

The French BNP Paribas is in a joint venture with the Bank of America, therefore there are no ATM surcharges if you use your Bank of America card, and there may be other advantages. The French Le Credit Lyonnais and Credit Mutuel are some other alternatives.

Here's a https://www.usluo.org/cern-guide-2/cern-guide-2atm-credit-card-comparison of some US banks' ATM/Credit card fees and exchange rates in Europe, as compiled by Ben Kilminster in 2011.

Here's a link with useful information on paying bills in Switzerland.

Health, Car and Home Insurances

Health Insurance

CERN has made an agreement with International SOS for medical and security assistance abroad for members of it's personnel on official travel. You can find details to access the website and download the app on the admin e-guide.

Social insurance is the responsibility of the home institution and, that failing, of the candidate; in particular, the candidate will make sure that he/she has medical insurance that is adequate in Switzerland and France for him/herself and accompanying family members, which shall include cover for occupational illness and accidents for him/herself.

In the past, one could choose a 'Frontalier" type insurance from Switzerland or France to be covered in both countries. However, the French law concerning these cross-border workers have changed and although CERN users are not 'frontalier', being affiliated with an international organization, most insurance companies have cancelled their Frontalier plans.

You can find updates on the health insurance law and some suggestions for CERN users (such as the plan with Allianz here.

Check if your institute has an agreement with either International SOS or SOS-Tricare, which are accepted by the HUG (University Hospital in Geneva).

Some other companies, although they aren't suggested by CERN: Swiss Care has special rates for students and for researchers.

CSS has some special student rates.

Assura seems to have good rates, especially if you keep your franchise higher. You'll need to contact them and ask for an English speaking broker.

Inswift is a brokering company to assist you find a good insurance.

Car and Home Insurances In France you are required by law to have "renter's insurance" which can be purchased through a French bank or an independent insurance agency. This protects the renter in case of damage to the apartment caused by water, fire, weather, etc... You also need to insure your car. The minimum liability insurance, which is obligatory, is called 'assurance auto au tiers'. In Switzerland, most landlords/ladies will require you to have personal liability and household content insurance.

If you own a car, you are obliged by law to have '3rd party liability insurance'. You may opt for a contract that covers personal driving liability and damages to the car. Please make sure you have your previous car insurance policies from the US with you, that may help you get a better rate. You can get this insurance via your French bank or some of the companies listed below:

Alptis, Agence Pibouleau @ Saint genis-Pouilly, Maif, Allianz-Suisse, AXA, Carrefour, Maaf, Macif, MMA.

In addition to the companies listed above, you can contact MAIF in English.

In Switzerland, car insurance contracts are usually for 5 years and can be changed only under certain circumstances, so it is best to try and get the best deal before signing a contract.

Here's an example letter to cancel home/car insurances in France.

Spouses' and children's work possibilities

Information on how spouses and children of CERN users can access the labour market in France and in Switzerland.

Stores

Laundromat There is a good quality laundromat in Gex. It's called Laverie and is located next to the Intermarche on D984C (Av. des Alpes), in a brown wooden building along with a beauty parlor, a cafe and a kebab place.There is a central payment center where you enter the machine number you want to use. It accepts paper euros up to 20 and coins also. The dryers go in 10 minute increments for each one euro, so good to have one and two euro coins.

Grocery Stores Unlike in the US, the grocery stores usually open by 8-8:30 am, and most of them are closed after 7pm and on Sundays. Here’s a list of grocery stores that have longer working hours: Migros, Thoiry (Mon-Sat open until 9 pm, Sundays open in the morning) (Bus 68 from CERN) Carrefour, Ferney-Voltaire (Mon-Sat open ‘til 9 pm) (bus 68, then 66 from CERN) Carrefour, Segny (Mon-Sat open until 9 pm) (Bus F from Geneva) Leclerc, Ferney-Voltaire (Mon-Sat open until 8:30 pm) (Bus 64 from Meyrin-Graviere) Migros & Coop, Meyrin Centre Commercial (Thu-Fri open until 7:30 pm) (Tram 18, change to Tram 14 at Jardin-Alpin-Vivarium) Migros, Balexert (Thu open until 9 pm) (Tram 18 from CERN) Coop, Vernier (Thu open until 9 pm) (Tram 18 from CERN)

Grocery Stores open on Sunday Carrefour, Ferney-Voltaire Centre (9 am to 11:45 am), Carrefour, St Genis (8:30 am to 11:45 am) Intermarche, St Genis (8:30 am to 11:45 am), Migros at the Geneva Airport (8 am to 9 pm), Migros Thoiry.

Open-air Markets Ferney-Voltaire: Saturday mornings Thoiry : Sunday mornings Divonne-Les-Bains: Sunday mornings.

Furniture: IKEA: Vernier, Geneva Switzerland which is about 10-15 minutes to CERN. IKEA: St Priest (Lyon), France. Interio Vernier, Geneve. Conforama: Meyrin, Renfile 2nd hand stores in multiple locations in Geneva.

Home electronics: Interdiscount can be found at various locations in Geneva. Fust, Darty, Mediamarkt are all next to each other in Meyrin. In France, Migros at Val Thoiry, the Hyper Champion at Ferney Voltaire, Carrefour in Segny sell electronics.

Utilities

Utilities in Switzerland

SIG Gas-Water-Electricity provider for Geneva

Phones, Internet and TV: Swisscom CableCom Orange CH Sunrise Yallo M-Budget Lebara Salt

Here's a link that lists possible administrative operations you can do online in Geneva.

Useful site for searches in Switzerland: Search.ch

Postal service in Switzerland: Swisspost

Utilities in France

Electricite de France and Gaz de France are both gas and electricity providers. You can apply online by filling forms. You will need meter readings and the previous tenant's name and if possible client reference number. Calling EDF in English or From Abroad: (+33) (0) 473 44 81 29. English speaking email: simpleenergywithedf@edfNOSPAMPLEASE.fr Calling Gaz de France from Abroad: (+33) (0) 238 52 85 70. You can also cancel or transfer a contract with either company online. However, here's a template letter to cancel a contract.

Telephone, Internet and TV: Orange Fr/France Telecom English-speaking number for France Telecom/Orange: +33 (0)9-69-36-39-00 (Hours Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00). You usually need a france telecom fixed telephone line, unless it's a special 'sans ligne fixe' offer, before you can subscribe to an internet connection through Orange or the following companies:

Freebox, Bouygtel, SFR,

Here's a template letter to cancel a telephone/internet contract.

Water company: Regie des Eaux Gessiennes Tel: (+33) (0)4-85-29-20-00, Email: regie@reogesNOSPAMPLEASE.fr, Address: Technoparc, 200 rue Edouard Branly, BP 63, 01630 St Genis Pouilly. They have an online subscription form you can use if you're moving in a new apartment.

Here's an example letter to request a new water contract and to cancel or transfer a water contract.

Postal service in France :La Poste

French Yellow Pages

When you want to subscribe to any utility, it will make things easier if you have the name of the previous tenant and their reference numbers.

English Speaking Plumbers/Electricians/Repairmen

Reisse: Electricians for installation, repairs, air-conditioning systems, alarms, video surveillance, electric gates and heating. English spoken. At 522 rte de Nant, 01280 Prevessin Moens. Tel: +33 (0)4 50 40 74 77

Children, Daycare and Schools

Children and Daycare

The following are links that provide useful information or resources for our collaborators who are at CERN with children:

CERN has a detailed information for users with children which includes information on childcare, schools and education, and other useful links on this website.

Daycare: CERN Kindergarten has limited availability.

CERN arrangement that enables users to enroll their children at the Jardin de Capucine kindergarten for regular, as well as short periods of enrollment: Especially useful for people who need to bring their children during short visits to CERN.

A bilingual English/French [https://www.lacompagniecreative.fr/daycare]] has facilities in Saint Genis Pouilly and Prevessin-Moens.

Thoiry: There is a private daycare for children up to 4 years old, located in Thoiry: Le Petit Jardin as well as a public daycare.

Meyrin: daycare for children aged 1 and older: Espace de Vie Enfantine Agir.

Don't hesitate to contact the CERN Welcome Club to share experiences and meet other parents at CERN. They also have toddler playgroups.

Angloinfo has a lot of links for playgroups and playcenters.

Bell Switzerland - One World Nursery School: Annual tuition fees: about 10 000 CHF

All Special Kids Support for children with special needs.

Genève Famille: Website in French and German to guide parents and parents-to be.

Playgroup and Literacy Program is a voluntary-run association which provides a range of Programmes in English for anglophone families living in the CERN area.

Schools

The CERN website outlines the educational systems in France and in Switzerland. They provide other useful links and information, including lists schools in the region.

Summer camps and leisure time

The Centre SocioCulturel Les Libellules provides a toy/games library (ludotheque in french) in Gex where families can play indoor or borrow games and toys

List of camps and summer schools

The Centre SocioCulturel Les Libellules provide teenage leisure and sport activities in Gex.

Teenagers in Geneva

In many towns in France, the municipality provides centers for school age children and propose activities for the summer.

Emergencies and Health

European emergency number: 112 (similar to 911 in the US)

CERN list of https://hse.cern/content/resources-find-medical-care Emergency Numbers and medical providers in Geneva and France.

CERN Medical Service

In Switzerland

Ambulance and air ambulance 144

Police 117

Firemen ('Pompiers') 118

Intoxications 145

You can look for medical practitioners in Geneva who can reserve appointments online via onedoc.

SOS Médecins 022 748.49.50

Association des Médecins 022 322.20.20 (stand-by medical service: 7am to 11pm)

Hopital de la Tour 022 719.61.11 (private hospital, closest to CERN, Maternity and limited emergency services (for children need to call in advance, limited service).

Hôpital cantonal universitaire de Genève For all emergencies, 24/24, 7/7.

Genève medecins 022-754-5454 Drs to your residence in urgent cases.

Centre Medical de Meyrin is a private clinic with generalist, gynecologist and pediatrist on staff.

Clinique des Vergers is a private clinic in Meyrin.

Clinique des Grangettes (private) 022 305 01.11

Clinique Générale Beaulieu Maternity and limited emergency service 022 839.55.55

In France

Ambulances in Gex 04 50 41 53 20, 04 50 41 52 53

Doctors stand-by service in the Pays de Gex 15

Police ('Gendarmerie') 17

Firemen ('Pompiers') 18

You can look for medical practitioners in France who can reserve appointments online via doctolib.

Centre de soins infirmiers, 9, rue de Genève, bâtiment A de la maison Saint-Pierre, Ferney-Voltaire. Tél. : 04 50 40 53 20.

Hôpital de St. Julien (Haute Savoie) 04 50 49 65 65

Polyclinique de Savoie, Annemasse-Bonneville 04 50 95 41 41

Annemasse - Urgence médical du Léman. (Home visits - 7/24) 04 50 31 85 05

Hôpital d'Annecy 04 50 88 33 33

A list of English-speaking dentists around CERN.

Clinique Dentaire de Genève Dental clinic for a wide range of treatments and cosmetic dentistry. Languages: English, Arabic, Japanese, Spanish. Open Monday to Friday 07:00-20:30, Saturday 08:00-14:00, Sunday for emergencies. At 29 ave de France and rue de la Terrassiere, Geneva. Tel: +41 (0)22 735 73 55

Cabinet Dentaire de Satigny. Recent dental clinic with a team that speaks French, English, Greek and German.

Centre Medico-dentaire Balexert. Tel: +41 (0)22 979 22 22.

Adent Cliniques dentaires have an office at Forumeyrin and one in Geneva. Meyrin Tel: +41 (0)22 989 8000.

Dr. Henry-Claude RUH Dental Office in St Genis-Pouilly. Implants, pure ceramic crown and bridges, Cerec inlays. Tel: +33 (0)4 50 20 17 66

Becker Bernard Dentist located at 4 bis rue Prevost-Martin, 1205 Geneva. Tel: +41 (0)22 329 47 66

Clinique Dentaire de Chauderon Dental clinic with English and German speaking dentists. At 16, Place Chauderon, 1003 Lausanne. Tel: +41 (0)21 341 03 41

Cressida Dawson General dentistry services ranging from routine to complicated procedures. Cosmetic services also available. Office located at 1 avenue Cardinal-Mermillod, 1227 Carouge. Tel: +41 (0)22 343 33 20

Dietschi Didier English and German speaking dentist at 292b, rue de Bernex, 1233 Bernex. Tel: +41 (0)22 757 16 06

Dr Yves Delessert Dentist working on full mouth rehabilitation, TMJ, dentures, cosmetic, crowns and bridges, implants and general dentistry. Works with a certified dental hygienist. Open Monday to Saturday. At 1 ave Cardinal Mermillod, 1227 Carouge. Tel: +41 (0)22 300 67 60

Etienne Martini Dental technician laboratory specializing in facings, implants, crowns and reconstruction. Located at 69, Rue du Rhône, 1207 Geneva. Tel: +41 22 736 0505

Pittet Pierre Dentist located at 9 rue du Mont-Blanc, 1201 Geneva. Tel: +41 (0)22 738 90 73

English-speaking vet

Dr. Filip van de Sande, in Divonne les Bains is recommended by Tina Vernon. Tel: +33 (0)4.50.41.16.79.

Translators

The Canton of Geneva maintains a website to search for certified official translators in various languages. And this is a French website allowing searching for certified official translators, especially for judicial purposes. You can also check US embassy websites since they will also have a list of agreed translators.

Online language tools

The following two websites allow you to translate texts or websites; however the translated versions aren’t always totally accurate. Google translate, Voila

The following website has templates for letters in French regarding utilities and daily life (requests/cancellations/complaints).

Sharon Hagopian has provided two documents regarding Food Translations and How to Order at a Restaurant in French.

Learning French

CERN Language Courses Provides courses from basic French to advanced level writing classes.

CERN Welcome Club French Classes Club membership plus a fee per course.

The Centre SocioCulturel Les Libellules located in Gex provides french lessons in Gex all year long. In small groups (4/5 people)

The American International Women's Club Geneva

Universite Populaire de Geneve French courses given by volunteer teachers at very economical prices

Universite Ouvriere de Geneve French courses given by volunteer teachers at very economical prices

University of Geneva French Summer School

Elfi French Courses Language School in Geneva

Ifages Language School in Geneva

The Canton of Geneva organizes French courses for immigrants at various places in Geneva.

Francais et Integration French Integration Courses Online search tool

Centre for Youth and Culture in Gex offers French classes.

The Jacklin Language Center language school in Ferney, Divonne-les-Bains and Thoiry

Frantastique fun online French course

Coursera online classes.

Moving Companies and Furniture Storage in France and Switzerland

Le gentlemen du Demenagement (Bernard et Cie) Zac de la Maladiere, 01210 Ornex +33 4 50 40 50 71

Harsch Transports 10, rue Baylon, 1227 Carouge / Genève Phone: (+41) 22 / 300 4 300 Fax (+41) 22 / 343 2 455 email: harsch@harschNOSPAMPLEASE.ch

Books in English

CERN English Book Club On-site English library. Annual memberships.

The Library in English Annual or shorter term memberships. Annual book sales.

Library in Forum Meyrin Membership for CERN people, and books in various languages (not only French or English).

Bookstores: Payot Libraire, fnac

Amazon France, Germany and The Book Depository have free shipping to Switzerland.

Theatre in English

Geneva English Drama Society and Simply Theatre offer plays in English.

Going to the Movies

Cinema programs show if a movie is in French (VF) or in its original language (VO).

Cine-CH provides programs for most of the movie theatres in Geneva.

CinePass offers discounted movie tickets at most Geneva movie theatres.

Tax Issues

For Swiss and French tax issues, please follow the instructions in the Admin Guide. These instructions are updated yearly. The regional French tax authorities have put together a tax guide in English.

For people who need to file taxes in the US, the US Embassy in Paris has ample information. You can also call the Philadelphia Service Center office at: +1-267-941-1000.

The USLUO website has comprehensive information on taxes (US and French).

Other resources including tax counseling companies: FNAL Tax webpage for non-US Citizens Jane Bruno's Book for Expats

Consultants: Expat Focus American Tax Abroad Comptacentre 1040

Here's the link to the Swiss and French tax administration websites in case you need more detailed guidance regarding taxes.

How to use the phones at CERN

The country code of Switzerland is +41 Most Swiss telephone numbers have 7 digits preceded by a 2 digit area code: To call CERN from abroad: 00+41-22-767-6111 To call CERN from another Swiss phone: 022-767-6111

The country code for France is +33 Most French telephone numbers have 10 digits preceded by a 3 digit area code. To call France from abroad: 00+33+450-xx.xx.xx To call a French number from another French phone: 04.50.xx.xx.xx

You can find detailed information here

USEFUL LINKS

US-CMS

US-LHC

US LHC Users' Organization

CERN Users' Office Newcomer's Guide

Newcomer Welcome Center

CERN Lunch Collider CERN site to find lunch buddies.

US Consular Agency in Geneva, Switzerland - reopening as of April 2018

U.S. Embassy Bern, Switzerland

U.S. Embassy Paris, France

American Citizens Abroad

American International Women's Club

Genève Tourisme

Agenda de Genève

YaseminYazgan - 2024-04-24

• FAQ_SIP_Bellegarde_Tax_March2018.pdf: FAQ_SIP_Bellegarde_Tax_March2018.pdf

• 20-05-2020-attestation-de-deplacement-international-derogatoire-hors-europe-fr.pdf: 20-05-2020-attestation-de-deplacement-international-derogatoire-hors-europe-fr.pdf