Horizon – February 2024
A new team at the CCSI welcome desk
The CCSI reception has a new team following the departure of Cathy Rossi, who worked for CCSI for over 20 years, and Eugénie Jabakji, whom we thank for their years of commitment to us. This new team, made up of Jacqueline Casella and Leticia Coutinho, will offer you a warm, respectful welcome tailored to the specific needs of each person. They will strengthen our ability to support you and provide you with information relevant to each situation.
In order to strengthen the initial support, the reception team works in constant collaboration with the social workers, to provide essential information and direct you to the appropriate consultations within the association and partners.
Information sessions
Several times a year, the CCSI organizes collective information sessions in several languages on a wide range of topics, including how social insurance works and the school system. The information sessions are free, open to all and require no registration.
The next information session will take place on 12 April at 6pm in Spanish and will focus on « Family Allowances« .
To find out the dates of the next sessions, please check the screens in the waiting areas, or our website, where you will find a special tab for information sessions.
Parascolaire and school meals for children
Depending on your income, after-school care (parascolaire) could be free of charge for your children regardless of where you live in Geneva. Please note that the exoneration must be requested each year.
Depending on where you live and on your income, there are also aids for school meals. Ask CCSI if such aids are available for you.
Please note, you must always warn parascolaire in advance if your child will not be attending school meals or after-school care.
2024-2025 registration for parascolaire and school meals
Registration for after school care and school meals takes place between 20 March and 29 April 2024. DO NOT MISS THESE DATES – or your child will not be able to attend when school starts! Like last year, a telephone service is available for parents who do not have an “e-démarches” account for online registration. More information can be found at www.giap.ch.
Primary school: registration
Any child living in Geneva, regardless of his/her legal status, has the right and the obligation to go to school. This year, children born before 31.07.2020 start school on August 19th 2024. If you haven’t registered your child for school yet, you should contact the school closest to your home.
Registration for 2024-2025 takes place during the week of 26 February to Saturday 2 March 2024.
To be accepted at school, your child must have health insurance. CCSI is in charge of affiliation for children without a residence permit. Make an appointment, and come with the official identification for the child and his/her legal guardian, as well as your address. Your child will be able to start school as soon as you have come to CCSI.
After-school activities
Are you looking for an activity for your child outside of school hours? Are you wondering how to organize for childcare during the school holidays? Do you want to know whether help is available to pay for the costs of these activities?
The CCSI has prepared documents that explain the different possibilities for your child, and help you find the information you need. Don’t hesitate to ask for this document on your next visit to the CCSI, or consult it on our website.
Civil responsibility insurance
Civil responsibility insurance (assurance responsabilité civile or RC) covers damages caused to other people by yourself or your family (e.g. your child breaks the neighbor’s window playing football, or you scratch a car in a parking lot).
This insurance is recommended for all, and is mandatory to register your child at daycare, for holiday camps, to rent an apartment or drive a car. It costs approximately CHF 120.- per year, and covers you and your minor children living with you. You can sign up for this insurance at any time during the year. Ask for information at your next appointment at CCSI.
Daycare
It is very difficult to find a place in daycare for pre-school children in Geneva. CCSI can help you increase your chances, but cannot guarantee a place. If you live or work in Geneva city, go to the Bureau d’Information de la Petite Enfance (BIPE, rue du Cendrier 8). If you live in another area in the canton of Geneva, you must go to the “service de la petite enfance” of your commune – if there is one. If not, pre-register your child in the daycare center(s) closest to your home or workplace. To do so, you must present your child’s insurance certificate.
CCSI can write a letter of recommendation to support your request. For this, you will need to make an appointment with the Childhood, education and health consultation at CCSI. Please note that there is no guarantee that your child will have a place in daycare. The cost of monthly payments depends on your income. There are currently no financial aids for those costs.
Health insurance subsidy
You must request the subsidy (financial aid from the State for health insurance) for your child’s health insurance each year by 30 November. If you haven’t done so yet, please make an appointment with CCS as soon as possible. Please note that you will need to bring documents, reception at CCSI can tell you what to bring to the appointment. If you have a permit or are taxed at source (directly deducted from your salary), please tell reception.
As soon as you receive the subsidy, please bring a copy of the certificate to our reception. The subsidy is a right based on your income. Requesting it will not affect other proceedings, such as the request for a residency permit.
The subsidy covers your child’s premium up to 122.- maximum. Every month, you will have to pay whatever exceeds 122.-. If you have supple-mental health insurance, you will have to pay for it entirely; it is never covered by the subsidy.
It often takes time for the insurance company to register your subsidy. In the meantime, it is best to pay the first bills yourself (they will be reimbursed later). If you are not able to do that, you must contact the insurance or CCSI to try to block the bills.
Supplementary insurance
Supplementary insurance (called assurance complémentaire in French, or LCA) are not required. These insurances only cover some of the costs that are not included in mandatory health insurance (LAMal), such as dental care or alternative medicines.
Caution! The subsidy (financial aid for health insurance costs) does not cover supplementary insurances. If you subscribe to supplementary insurance, all of the costs will befall you.
If you have signed a supplementary insurance contract, you have up to 14 days to cancel the contract. If however you decide to keep the insurance, it will be valid three years minimum. After that, if you wish to get rid of it, you can ask for a termination of the contract. Caution, this must be done at least a month before the end of the contract period.
In both cases, you must send a registered letter (recommandé) to your insurance company. If needed, we can provide a model for you. Just ask at CCSI reception desk.
French language test required for application for regularisation
We would like to draw your attention to a crucial aspect when applying for a residence permit in Switzerland. It is imperative that the French language test you choose to take for your residence permit application is the fide test and not any other language test.
The fide exam is specifically recognized by the Swiss authorities and is regarded as valid proof of your French language skills for the purposes of applying for a residence permit. Opting for another exam could delay or complicate the processing of your application.
We therefore strongly recommend that you ensure that you take the fide exam in French before submitting your application for regularisation in Switzerland. Detailed information on dates, examination centres and registration procedures can be found on the official fide website.
Rectification of withholding tax : attention to the deadline!
Your request for a tax adjustment for 2023 must be sent no later than midnight on March 31st 2024.
You will receive a personal form at home that you will need to:
– Complete and sign; and
– Send to:
Administration fiscale et cantonale
Service de l’impôt à la source
Case postale 3937
1211 Genève 3