About us

Hello Expat was founded by a couple with French, Swiss and Swedish roots, shaped by relocations between Geneva, Paris, London, Bangkok, Palo Alto and Kalmar.

Between us, we have experienced international moves as adults, as children, as a couple and with a pet. We have arrived in new cities without knowing exactly where to begin, dealt with unfamiliar administrative systems and discovered that several urgent problems often appear at the same time.

We know what that feels like because we have experienced it ourselves.

The following stories are all true. Any resemblance to a typical relocation nightmare is entirely coincidental, although probably not surprising.

Geneva

We faced the familiar circle of needing an address, a residence permit, a Swiss bank account and several payslips, while each requirement seemed to depend on another one being completed first.

London

An apartment deposit had to be transferred urgently, but the bank required additional signed documents, the branch was closed and the account manager was unavailable. During the same week, the Brexit vote changed the employment situation and parts of the paperwork had to be completed again.

Bangkok

We completed every veterinary check, vaccination and travel procedure required to relocate with our cat, only to discover that many residential buildings did not allow pets.

Different cities, different rules, but the same problem: everything was urgent, interconnected and rarely explained in the right order.

What would have helped was not another generic information page. It was a personalised, chronological plan explaining what to prioritise, which documents to prepare and how the different procedures connected.

Over the years, we also used relocation agencies ourselves. Unfortunately, some of those experiences were disappointing.

We had to repeatedly ask for updates, follow up on unanswered questions and push for matters that felt urgent to us. At times, we felt that the practical and emotional reality of relocating was not fully understood.

When you are moving to a new country, an unanswered message is rarely just an unanswered message. It may concern an apartment you are about to lose, a deadline you do not understand or a document delaying the rest of your move.

During these moments, people do not only need information. They need responsiveness, reassurance and the confidence that someone is genuinely paying attention to their situation.

We did not want our clients to feel that they had to chase us for answers, repeatedly explain why something mattered or compete for attention with dozens of other cases.

Our professional backgrounds combine law, international logistics, operations, client service, local knowledge and technology.

Together, these experiences allow us to organise complex information, anticipate practical obstacles and make unfamiliar processes easier to understand.

They also allow us to combine detailed knowledge of Geneva with first-hand experience of what it means to move abroad.

Hello Expat is a personal relocation support service for individuals, couples and families moving to Geneva.

We do not believe that every client needs the same package.

Some people need a complete chronological relocation plan. Others already have part of their move under control but need support with housing, administration, insurance, local services or settling into Geneva.

You choose the areas in which you need assistance and the level of support you want from us.

We intentionally work with a limited number of clients. This allows us to understand each situation properly, respond quickly and provide support that is genuinely adapted to the person behind the application.

We created Hello Expat to offer the opposite of an impersonal, high-volume relocation service.

That means clear communication, transparent pricing and no unexpected costs introduced halfway through the process. From the beginning, we explain what is included, what is not included and which external costs may need to be paid directly to third parties.

No generic packages. No hidden costs. No last-minute surprises.

Just practical, tailored support from people who understand what it means to start again somewhere new.