Horizon – October 2024

Back-to-school allowance

The «back-to-school allowance» (or allocation de rentrée scolaire in French) is an aid from the City of Geneva to help families buy what their children need for school (school supplies, clothes, bag, etc.). It is delivered via a credit card worth CHF 130.- (primary-school children) or CHF 180.- (children attending the cycle d’orientation), which can be used to buy items in certain stores.

Since 2021, all children living in the City of Geneva, with or without a permit, who attend primary or high school, and whose parents meet the income-related criteria have access to this allowance.

Since the summer of 2024, the commune of Lancy has also been offering a back-to-school allowance to its schoolchildren. It pays CHF 100.- to each primary school pupil living in Lancy and receiving a health insurance subsidy. The families concerned must submit their request to the municipal services.

If you have a file at CCSI, you can make an appointment with us to apply for the back-to-school allowance from the City of Geneva or the commune of Lancy. Please note that the application must be submitted before the end of October 2024. On the day of the appointment, please bring a copy of the 2024 health insurance subsidy, your valid passports, and salary slips if you have them.

Parascolaire and school meals for children

Depending on your income, your children are entitled to free after-school care / activities (the parascolaire in French), wherever you live in Geneva. Please note that you must apply for the exemption at the start of each school year. Depending on where you live and your income, financial aid is also offered for the school restaurant. Ask CCSI if such aid is possible for you.

Please note that you must always inform the parascolaire program if your child will be absent from lunch or after-school care.

Information sessions

Several times a year, the CCSI organizes collective information sessions in several languages on a wide range of topics. These information sessions are free, open to all and without registration.

The next information session will take place in November and focus on “Permis C anticipated”. It will be delivered in French. The exact date will be communicated shortly.

To find out the topics, languages and dates of the next sessions, please check the screens in our waiting rooms, or visit the dedicated page on our website.

Health insurance subsidy

The subsidy (a financial aid from the State) for your child’s health insurance must be requested each year, before November 30. If you haven’t yet done so, make an appointment quickly at the CCSI to request it. Several documents are required for this process. The CCSI reception can give you the list. If you have a permit or are taxed at source (directly deducted from your salary), please inform the reception when you make the appointment.

As soon as you receive the subsidy, please bring a copy of the certificate to the CCSI reception. Applying for the subsidy will not penalize you for other procedures, such as applying for a residence permit, because it is a right based on your income.

How to change health insurance providers

Every year it is possible to change health insurance providers, for example to get cheaper monthly premiums. To change health insurance providers, you must send a registered letter (a “recommandé”) to the insurance company you want to leave before 20 November 2024.

For your request to be accepted, it is imperative to pay all the bills from your former insurance (including the premium for the month of December!). If you do not pay all the pending invoices, you will not be able to make the change of insurance.

Supplementary insurance

Supplementary insurance (called assurance complémentaire or LCA in French) is not mandatory. This kind of insurance covers costs that are not included in the mandatory health insurance (LAMal), such as dental care or alternative medicines.
Caution! The subsidy (financial aid for health insurance costs) does not cover supplementary insurance. If you subscribe to supplementary insurance, you will be responsible for all costs.

If you have signed a contract for such insurance, you have up to 14 days to cancel it. If you decide to keep the insurance, it will be valid for at least 3 years. After this period, you can request the termination of the contract. Please note that this must be done at least 1 month before the end of the validity of the contract.

In both cases, you must send a registered letter (“recommandé”) to your insurance company. The CCSI reception can provide you with a letter model if you need one.

Civil responsibility insurance

Civil responsibility insurance (assurance responsabilité civile or RC in French) covers damage that you or your loved ones cause to other people or their property (for example, your child breaks the neighbor’s window while playing football, or you scratch a car while leaving a parking lot).

This insurance is mandatory to register your child in daycare, for holiday camps, to rent an apartment or to drive a car.

It costs around CHF 120 per year and covers you and your minor children who live with you. You can take out this insurance at any time of the year. Ask for more information at your next appointment or at the CCSI reception.

Borders: beware, new rules

From 10 November 2024, a new digital registration system called EES (for Entry/Exit System) will come into operation for all non-EU travelers.

From that date, passports of travelers entering and leaving the Schengen area will no longer be stamped by customs officers. Instead, they will have to be scanned at a terminal, which will record the name, biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) and entry and exit dates.

This system will make it easier for the authorities to check how long people have stayed in the Schengen area and to identify those who have overstayed.

Legal questions

• If you have one or more children over the age of twelve and you wish to obtain a permit for them in Switzerland for family reunification, please pay attention to the deadlines. If no adult in the family is a European Union national, the application must be submitted within one year of the marriage or the parent(s) obtaining the permit.
• If you are a European worker, be aware that resigning from your job may have serious consequences on the renewal of your permit. In case your working conditions are unbearable, make sure to consult a doctor before resigning.

If you are concerned by any of these situations, quickly contact a legal service to assist you in your efforts. The CCSI reception desk can provide you with information on the services that exist.

New user charter and protection of personal data

If you are being followed at the CCSI, the social workers at our Consultations will give you a user charter during your first appointment.

With the New Data Protection Act (NLDP), we must ask for your consent to follow up on your file and process your personal data. This is why, during a future appointment, the social worker who is dealing with your situation will ask you to sign the user and personal data charter again.

By giving your authorization, we can take care of your file, in complete confidentiality. You can withdraw this authorization at any time.