A warm welcome to CERN!

Whether you are joining as a staff member, a graduate, a student, a trainee, an associate or a user there is much ahead to look forward to! Watch this video for a sneak preview.

Before you come to CERN, there are several things you need to do to prepare your arrival, as follows (this checklist will help you tick things off as you go, and a schematic summary (link).

Please note these are the general instructions. A week or so prior to the start of your contract at CERN, you will receive an invitation to the Welcome Session with comprehensive and specific details of the actions to undertake along with guidance to support you. 

1. Sign and return your contract according to instructions provided by your CERN contact.
Upon signing this contract, ensure you are well acquainted with the Staff Rules and Regulations which detail your rights, obligations and all aspects of your working life at CERN, the CERN Safety Policy and the CERN Code of Conduct.

2. Activate your CERN computing account as soon as you have signed and returned your contract:
If you have not already received an email prompting you to create/activate your account following your contract signature, send a scanned copy of your passport to service-desk@cern.ch asking for 'computing account creation'.
Once your computing account is created, you must within 5 working days complete the mandatory Computer security e-learning.

• For Linux users: once your computer account is created, login to CERN
  • Visit CERN Resources Portal, Select List Services
    • Select Operating system LXPLUS and Linux
    • Subscribe to AFS workspaces
  • It takes 2 hours to set up these workspaces.
    More info: https://linux.web.cern.ch/ and/or Help: Linux.Support@cern.ch 

3. Safety Always: be mindful of the risks you can encounter on the CERN sites and all aspects of Safety at CERN, including the protection of the environment: when you come to CERN, familiarise yourself with and proactively contribute to the Organization's efforts to minimize its impact on the environment, notably by reducing waste, water and energy consumption. We are all responsible for ensuring our own Safety and that of others, so please follow the mandatory Safety e-learning courses before you arrive. You will find the key safety aspects you should be aware of in this flyer.

4. Check whether you need a Visa to enter Switzerland or France:

• In principle nationals of the European Union and the European Economic Area do not need a visa.
• If you do, please complete the Visa requirements where applicable, ensuring you respect the deadlines provided.

5. Check your vehicle formalities:

• Ensure your driving licence is valid for the duration of your contract (for more information see this page).
• If you are coming to CERN with your vehicle, you can register it before arriving, following the procedure on this link.
• If you plan to import a vehicle, you can consult the Installation service's webpages and/or contact them via the Service Desk. Please note that importation formalities for your vehicle (in CH or FR depending on where you choose to live) must be done within the first year of arrival.

6. Read the useful information on the next page, "What I need to know", covering specificities of life in France and Switzerland.

7. If you are a staff member, graduate or student, download the following specific information relevant to your status which will be useful upon taking up your functions at CERN.

• Your HR Adviser (for staff) and HR coordinator (for graduates and students) will guide you on specific questions regarding any entitlements you may have (see "Who are my key contacts" page).
• ​Specific information
  • for Staff Members
  • for Graduates
  • for Technical, Administrative and Doctoral Students

8. If you need to contact CERN services:

• CERN Pension Fund - contact form
• Health Insurance: CERN Health Insurance Scheme (chis.manager@cern.ch) and UNIQA (uniqa@cern.ch)
• Social Affairs Services (social.affairs@cern.ch)
• Housing service (housing.service@cern.ch)
• Staff Association (staff.association@cern.ch)
• Service Desk, for support on all other questions (service-desk@cern.ch)
• Further useful contacts can be found under the page "Who are my key contacts".

Our aim is to provide you with the 'essentials', the information you need to know to get you started and to help you settle into the area. Find out more:

• Discover CERN as an Organization: About CERN
• Finding CERN: How to get to CERN / Find a building at CERN / CERN Campus app
• Banking facilities at CERN
  • Please note that you will have to open a Swiss bank account when you join CERN: See this page for more details
    • ​​You are free to choose a bank in either Switzerland or France.  Please ensure however that your bank account number starts with “CH”.
    • For information, the banks on the CERN site are :
      • Meyrin site (Switzerland - Swiss banks): UBS (bldg. 500)
      • Prevessin site (France - French banks): Crédit Agricole (bldg. 866) & Banque Postale (bldg. 866)
• You will find useful information about the area and practical information to make an informed decision about whether to opt to live in France or in Switzerland:
  • Browse the information about the cost of living in France or Switzerland.​
  • Browse the information on income tax modalities in France and Switzerland.
• Useful contacts when searching for accommodation:
  • The CERN Housing Service offers a range of useful accommodation solutions for members of the personnel.
  • The housing service of the International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI): this service was set up to help international civil servants in Geneva to find accommodation. It runs a housing exchange and an information service, offering help and advice, for example regarding the applicable legislation and usual practices when renting accommodation.
  • Local market accommodation.
  • Check out the CERN market to discover accommodation for rent/sale by CERN colleagues.​
     
• Work and residence permits for your family:

If you are intending to take up residence with your family, please note that the rules regarding work permits (including for cross-border or 'frontalier' workers) and residence permits for the members of your family (spouse, registered partner and dependent children) are not the same in Switzerland and France. More information on work and residence permits can be found here.

Please note that the work and residence permits for you and your family will be issued once you arrive at CERN, and not before the beginning of your contract.

• Education options - Crèches, nurseries, kindergarden and schools:
  • Once you have decided whether to settle in France or Switzerland, contact the establishments you are interested in as early as possible to find out about enrolment options and procedures (waiting lists, entry tests, etc.).
  • CERN has on-site facilities available for children from the end of maternity leave until the age of six. For more information, contact the Nursery, Kindergarten and Pre-school of the CERN Staff Association.
  • For information on childcare and the education systems in France or Switzerland, including lists of the addresses of the relevant establishments, please consult this page. For any additional information, please contact the Social Affairs Service.

The following services are there to help you with any query you may have prior to coming to CERN:

• HR Contacts for Staff Members, Graduates, Students, Associates and Trainees.
• Users, Cooperation Associates, Visiting Scientists - Contact the Users’ Office.
• For all general questions and services you can contact the Service Desk who will be happy to assist you. This useful video shows you how it can help you and guide you in your every day work.
• The Social Affairs Service.
• The Staff Association.
• The CERN Pension Fund.
• The CERN Health Insurance Service (CHIS).
• The Installation Service.
• Find specific contacts in the CERN phonebook.

Balancing work and home life, getting support for your family and thriving in an inclusive and respectful workplace: find out more about the support structures in place to enhance your working life at CERN in this brochure.

Find out more information about the local villages: Meyrin (Switzerland) and Saint Genis Pouilly (France) 

The International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI) facilitates the installation and integration in the Geneva and Lemanic region of international civil servants, members of permanent missions, consulates, NGOs, Multinational Corporations as well as their families. You can purchase regular tickets or offers at preferential rates from the Cultural Kiosk at the UNOG for various cultural and sport events (cinema, museums, theatres, lake cruises etc.) remotely simply by phone or email: 022 917 11 11 or info@kiosqueonu.ch.

Browse the CERN Market which allows CERN people to consult offers of accomodation for rent/sale, to buy and sell personal objects, anything ranging from a house to a car to a set of snow chains. Please note that it cannot be used for commercial advertising.

As you start your new journey with CERN, you can already join  the ever growing, dynamic community of the CERN Alumni network. Register now on: https://alumni.cern/signup.

The Staff Association oversees many clubs offering sports, cultural and artistic activities, for instance, astronomy, ski, basketball, cricket, and photography to name but a few.  These clubs are open to everyone, even family members and friends are welcome to join. Members of the Staff Association can benefit from a discount.

The CERN Welcome Club (CWC) offers 70 hours of courses weekly: sports, languages, arts, handicrafts, as well as meetings and excursions. The Club’s news and activities are published in the CERN Welcome Club Newsletter. There are also social activities for mums, dads and toddlers (CWC Toddler Group including coffee mornings and creative groups for kids).

The Staff Association also organises socio-cultural events, such as art exhibitions, concerts and conferences, the Christmas Party for the children of CERN personnel, etc. (more information on upcoming events is available on the Facebook page). Further, the Staff Association has various commercial offers for its members (e.g. insurance against loss of earnings, banks, theatres, etc.).

News and information regarding the Staff Association and the clubs are published in Echo, the Staff Association’s newsletter.

If you would like to become a member of the Staff Association, follow this link.

There is also a Mutual Aid Fund for families facing financial difficulties.

Upon signing a contract with the Organization, all members of personnel agree to be subject to the Staff Rules and Regulations, which define and codify the legal relationship between the Organization and the Members of Personnel, setting out their various rights and obligations as well as the privileges and immunities to which they are entitled and the protection that the Organization provides.

Members of personnel are expected to conduct themselves with due regard to the interests and proper functioning of the Organization. They must carry out the functions assigned to them with integrity and must demonstrate loyalty to the Organization by refraining from any act or activity incompatible with these functions or prejudicial to the Organization. The CERN Code of Conduct describes the basic standards of behaviour that we must all set ourselves and are entitled to expect from our colleagues in the workplace.

Browse the HR webpages to find out more about all the services that can support you and what is available to you: for example, check out the various optional insurances available to you on this link.

The CERN Staff Association is the official body responsible for relations between the Management and the members of the personnel. It represents the personnel collectively in the various consultative bodies provided for in the Staff Rules and Regulations. The Staff Association also represents you in negotiations on health insurance, pensions, employment conditions, career, training, and any other issue that concerns your financial or social conditions. The Staff Association defends the economic, social and professional interests of the CERN members of the personnel, and can also provide individual assistance if you were to have questions regarding your contract, or if you encounter interpersonal issues at work.

Membership of the Staff Association is optional. The Association invites its members to an Annual General Meeting, and holds other meetings open to all members of personnel whenever it deems fit.

The reference working week is five days, Monday to Friday inclusive. Reference working hours are 8.30 am to 5.30 pm with a break of one hour for lunch.

• You will find further information about taking leave at CERN. 
• Staff members and fellows can also read more about Special Working Hours.

Further essential and helpful information can be found on:

• The Service Portal provides easy, one-stop access to all CERN services and practical information.
• The CERN Admin e-guide is a guide to the Organization's administrative procedures, which has been drawn up for the benefit of the various administrative services as well as all members of personnel and other categories of persons having access to the site or installations of the Organization. It contains concise information on the procedures in force and exists in both English and French.
• Diversity is a shared responsibility between all the stakeholders of the Organization and applies to all CERN Contributors, as appropriate. Browse the CERN Diversity Office website and familiarize yourself with the Diversity Policy.
• The Social Affairs Service is a drop-in service open to members of the CERN personnel (all categories: employed or associated), beneficiaries of the CERN Pension Fund, and members of their families. It offers advice and support in a wide variety of circumstances (professional and personal).
• The CERN Ombud may help to resolve disputes in a consensual and impartial manner, thus promoting the good functioning of the Organization.
• CERN language tandem programme.
• More general information: CERN community and CERN official communications.

When you come to work at CERN, as the site straddles the Franco-Swiss border the first decision to take is whether you prefer to live in France or Switzerland.

The CERN Social Affairs Service provides useful information.

Specific useful documents:

• Guidance on Housing in France
• Guidance on housing in the Canton of Geneva

Child-care:

The Crèche and School of the CERN Staff Association, subsidised by CERN, welcomes children from the age of 4 months to 4 years. Places are still available, please check here: http://nurseryschool.web.cern.ch/en. 

Different possibilities exist both in France and in Switzerland according to the age of the child, the frequency of need for childcare, and the way the care is organized. CERN has an agreement with two crèche facilities close to CERN. 

Find out more about life in the local area, Switzerland or France

For any query, at any time you can contact the Service Desk.

• HR Contacts for Staff Members, Fellows, Students, Associates and Trainees.
• Users, Cooperation Associates, Visiting Scientists - Contact the Users’ Office.

Departmental Administrative Officers are also there to help you.

Other services are available to you as follows:

Further contacts: CERN phonebook

This is it! Your first week has arrived, here are the main steps you will have to follow to ensure your seamless integration and take up of your new role.

1. Attend the Welcome session you are invited to on your first day of work.

• Ensure you register for the event and upload a photo for your access card before the day following instructions provided in the invitation sent to you by email.

2. Once you have arrived, within 48 hours, fetch your CERN access card at the CERN Community Support Centre (bldg. 33)

• NOTE: the access card must be worn visibly at all times on the site.

3. Follow guidance provided by the Cards Service (or the Users' Office is you are a USER, VISC or COAS) to apply for your Swiss and French cards, for yourself and members of your family where applicable. 

• If you already have a card or a Swiss permit (types B, C, G or L), please bring it with you on your first day.
  • You will be asked to return any existing card or Swiss permit in order to apply for the Swiss legitimation card which is mandatory for CERN personnel with a contract of over 55% presence at CERN.

4. Open a Swiss bank account within 18 days and register it on this link.

5. Register your vehicle and acquaint yourself with the Traffic and parking regulations on the site. If you are importing your vehicle, complete the necessary formalities (CH or FR depending on where you choose to live) as soon as possible. To this end the Installation Service can support you. 

6. If needed, download proof of your employment with CERN on this self-service link (for e.g. apartment rental or other purposes).

7. Familiarise yourself with taxation matters and how to make a tax declaration in France and Switzerland.

8. Complete your local address in this form and provide your emergency contacts on this link.

If you are moving to Switzerland, the Swiss authorities strongly recommend that you register your arrival on a voluntary basis within 14 days (see Bulletin Article):

• with the "Contrôle de l'habitant" of the commune of residence, you move to the canton of Vaud ;
• with the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations de Genève (OCPM), you move to the canton of Geneva.

​9. For new Staff members or graduates (who will be automatically affiliated to the CHIS):

• If you are married or in a registered partnership, please complete the Spouse Health Insurance and Professional Income Declaration (SHIPID) on this link within 30 calendar days from the start of your employment contract.
• If you are covered by the French Sécurité sociale or a LAMal health insurance:
  • Your "Sécurité sociale" cover automatically ends on the first day of your contract with CERN (please note you will have to return your Vitale card); if covered by LAMal, you should take steps to end your LAMal cover. You may also have to take steps regarding your spouse/partner and/or dependent children (please contact UNIQA).

10. Register your personal devices to the CERN network (laptop, smartphone, and tablet) on the Network Portal (note you need to be signed in for this operation).

• You will need to provide some basic information such as the make, model, OS and more importantly the MAC address of your devices.
• To help us keep informed of newcomers' IT needs, please complete the following Survey.
• The CERN computing blog provides you with information, news, links, all designed to help you in your daily jobs. To automatically get quarterly updates please subscribe.

11. If not done prior to arrival, take the mandatory safety course.

12. Follow the mandatory online courses.

​(Please note some of these links require being signed-in)

Upon signing a contract with the Organization, all members of personnel agree to be subject to the Staff Rules and Regulations, which define and codify the legal relationship between the Organization and the Members of Personnel, setting out their various rights and obligations as well as the privileges and immunities to which they are entitled and the protection that the Organization provides.

Members of personnel are expected to conduct themselves with due regard to the interests and proper functioning of the Organization. They must carry out the functions assigned to them with integrity and must demonstrate loyalty to the Organization by refraining from any act or activity incompatible with these functions or prejudicial to the Organization. The CERN Code of Conduct is based on CERN's core values and describes the basic standards of behaviour that we must all set ourselves and are entitled to expect from our colleagues in the workplace. View these short videos that invite you to reflect on the way one’s behaviour can affect our working environment, through a series of situations covering CERN's five values.

Furthermore:

1. Safety is an important issue at CERN, owing to the nature of its experimental facilities, its international status and its location on the territory of two different countries, France and Switzerland. Safety is a priority of CERN's general policy. CERN defines and implements a Safety Policy, the CERN Safety Policy that sets out the general principles governing Safety at CERN, which encompasses people, the environment and installations.
   Discover the CERN 9 Safety Fundamentals and apply them in your daily routines. These fundamentals are designed to address the most significant risks we all face and to serve as a clear, practical guide for everyone at CERN, fostering a robust Safety culture for the whole CERN community. 
   Safety first. Safety always.

1. 
    
2. Any request or incident for any given service can be addressed to the Service Desk.This useful video shows you how it can help you and guide you in your every day work.
    
3. If you notice any shortcoming in the computing infrastructure (e.g. missing printer, lacking wifi coverage), open a ticket with Service Desk rather than trying to overcome them yourself.
   • Remember you are in first instance responsible for securing your computers, networks, data, systems & services. The Computer Security Team - and the IT department - are ready to assist you in this. On the computer security web site, you can find pointers to the rules, recommendations and training.
   • 3 Operating systems are supported at CERN: Linux, Windows and Mac. On the IT web pages you can find details information and support. The Desktop OS Comparison section helps you in the process of selection, hardware purchase and installation of your computer.
      
4. Mobility is an important aspect of your life at CERN, whether by car, shuttle, bicycle or on foot. Find out more:

• CERN entrance opening hours and parking on site
• Use CERNMaps to get around or download the CERN Campus application. The app displays useful geographic data on a map allowing its users to search for buildings, rooms, locations and people at CERN.
• The CERN car-sharing scheme provides CERN vehicles on a self-service basis. A pool of 35 vehicles are available for pickup from 15 locations around the Meyrin and Prévessin sites.
• CERN shuttle service: five circuits are proposed by the CERN shuttle service. Drivers will ask the passengers to show their CERN access card. In case they do not have it, they will be dropped off at CERN entrance to do the necessary formalities.
• CERN bike rental: CERN bicycles are made available to CERN members of the personnel in the framework of their activities at CERN and for professional use only.
  • If you have your own bicycle: Six bike repair stations are installed across the Meyrin and Prévessin sites to promote green mobility. On the Meyrin site, you can find the repair stations at entrances A, B and C. On the Prévessin site, they are located at the main entrance, the entrance on Route du Maroc, and the entrance on Chemin du Moulin des Ponts.
• Moreover shower points are installed at CERN at strategic locations. You can find the list of showers available for use here (or select "Points of interest", then "Sanitary facilities" and finally the shower category you are looking for on maps.cern.ch/).

The following services are there to help you with any query you may have:

• HR Contacts for Staff Members, Graduates, Students, Associates and Trainees
• Departmental Administrative Officers
• Users, Cooperation Associates, Visiting Scientists - Contact the Users’ Office.
• For any questions related to Computer Security: computer.security@cern.ch - 70500
• The Social Affairs Service.
• The Staff Association.
• For all questions and service you can contact the Service Desk who will be happy to assist you.
• Find specific contacts in the CERN phonebook.