Welcome Service

What Welcome Service does

Welcome Service is a family-owned Swiss relocation and immigration consultancy headquartered in Geneva, with regional offices in Lausanne and Zurich. Founded in 1990 by Catherine Burrus and now led by second-generation Managing Partners Laetitia Papilloud and Guillaume Bédat, the firm provides end-to-end relocation services across all 26 Swiss cantons for individuals, families, HR and mobility teams, international organizations, senior executives, and pharma/life sciences employers. The core service portfolio spans Home Finding, Settling-In, Schooling and Education, Temporary Housing, Orientation Tours, Move Management, Intercultural Training, Departure Services, International Relocation (via EuRA), and Executive Relocation, complemented by in-house Immigration services for EU/EFTA, Non-EU/EFTA, and Legitimation Card procedures.

The firm's principal technology asset is the proprietary REX Portal, a digital relocation management platform that provides assignees with a mobile dashboard, real-time appointment scheduling with map integration, and direct communication with a matched consultant; HR and mobility teams access a secure HR Command Center for mandate authorization and cross-organization visibility. Supporting infrastructure includes Jotform for client intake and RelocationOnline for assignment workflow coordination. The company holds EGQS+ certification and is a founding member of SARA (Swiss Association of Relocation Agents) and a member of EuRA (European Relocation Association).

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees structured as fixed-fee mandates or retainer arrangements, with pricing varying by scope, seniority of the assignee, family size, number of cantons, and whether immigration or executive-level support is required. The go-to-market is relationship-led and consultative: individual clients enter via a free 30-minute consultation or multilingual website enquiry (EN/FR/DE/IT), while corporate clients are served through bespoke Service Level Agreements acting as an extension of HR. In 2023, the firm expanded nationally via the acquisitions of Schweizer Relocation GmbH and Touchdown Relocation, with cumulative mandate volume cited at over 10,000 since founding.

Name

Welcome Service

Legal name

Welcome Service Sàrl

Website

https://welcome-service.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Welcome Service is a family-owned Swiss relocation and immigration consultancy founded in 1990, serving individuals, families, HR teams, and international organizations across all 26 cantons through offices in Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Relocation and Immigration Services

NAICS

All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599), Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (56159)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Destination Services (Home Search, School Search, Area Orientation) (HSAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Destination Services (Area Orientation, Settling-In) (HSAKAJAB), Repatriation & End-of-Assignment Support (HSAKAJAL), Destination Services & Settling-In Support (THACALAB)

Keywords

• Relocation services
• Immigration consulting
• Settling-in support
• Corporate mobility
• Relocation management

Headquarters

HQ city

Schweiz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Relocation & Immigration Consulting Services: Welcome Service generates revenue through professional consulting fees charged for its suite of relocation and immigration services. These services are billed as bespoke mandates — typically structured as fixed-fee engagements or retainer arrangements — tailored to individual, family, and corporate client needs. Services include home finding, settling-in support, schooling advisory, temporary housing, move management, intercultural training, departure services, immigration assistance (EU/EFTA and Non-EU/EFTA), and executive relocation. The revenue model is project- and service-based rather than subscription or usage-based, with pricing varying by scope, complexity, seniority of the assignee, and the number of cantons involved.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Welcome Service provides end-to-end relocation and immigration consulting for individuals, families, senior executives, and corporate HR teams moving to Switzerland. Services span home finding, settling-in, schooling advisory, temporary housing, orientation tours, move management, intercultural training, departure services, EU/EFTA and Non-EU/EFTA immigration, Legitimation Card procedures, and executive relocation, coordinated by dedicated consultants and supported by the proprietary REX Portal.

Product overview

Welcome Service is a family-owned Swiss relocation company founded in 1990 offering a comprehensive suite of relocation and immigration services. The core offering consists of two main service categories: Relocation Services (Home Finding, Settling-In, Schooling & Education, Temporary Housing, Orientation Tours, Move Management, Intercultural Training, Departure Services, International Relocation, and Executive Relocation) and Immigration Services (EU/EFTA, Non-EU/EFTA, and Legitimation Card). The company also operates the REX Portal, a digital relocation management platform. In 2023, Welcome Service expanded nationally through acquisitions of Schweizer Relocation GmbH and Touchdown Relocation. The company serves clients across seven Swiss regions (Geneva, Vaud, Zurich, Zug, Luzern, Saint-Gall, Basel) through offices in Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich, positioning itself as a full-service relocation partner for individuals, families, HR teams, and international organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REX Portal: Digital relocation management platform providing real-time tracking, scheduling, mobile dashboard, and HR command center for relocation coordination.

Products and services

• Home Finding Property search service helping relocating clients find homes in Switzerland through dedicated consultants and local expertise, including assistance with formal rental dossiers and régie negotiations.
• Settling-In Personalized integration support for newcomers to Switzerland, from entrance inspection through bank account opening, registration, and utilities, ensuring clients feel at home.
• Schooling & Education Advisory service helping relocating families identify and secure placement in the right Swiss educational institution, spanning private, public, and international schools.
• Temporary Housing Short-term accommodation solutions provided to clients while searching for a permanent home, including luxury interim options for executives.
• Orientation Tours Guided discovery tours of future Swiss neighborhoods led by local experts, helping relocating families understand daily life, amenities, and commuting realities.
• Move Management Coordination of international logistics and household goods relocation with customs clearance oversight and care in handling.
• Intercultural Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ successful relocation mandates completed since 1990.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schweizer Relocation GmbHcoreOthers · 1 January 2023Welcome Service acquired Schweizer Relocation GmbH in 2023 as part of a national expansion strategy. This acquisition strengthened Welcome Service's presence in German-speaking Switzerland and expanded its operational footprint beyond the Lemanic Arc.
• Touchdown RelocationcoreOthers · 1 January 2023Welcome Service acquired Touchdown Relocation in 2023 alongside the acquisition of Schweizer Relocation GmbH. This acquisition was part of the company's nationwide expansion initiative and contributed to the opening of the new Zurich office.
• SARA (Swiss Association of Relocation Agents)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Welcome Service is a founding member of SARA, the Swiss Association of Relocation Agents. SARA membership provides industry-standard accreditation, referral networks within Switzerland, and institutional credibility with corporate clients. It positions Welcome Service within the Swiss relocation industry's professional ecosystem.
• EuRA (European Relocation Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Welcome Service is a member of EuRA, the European Relocation Association. EuRA membership enables the company to coordinate international relocation assignments across the globe via established EuRA network partnerships, positioning Welcome Service as the Swiss inbound partner for multinational corporate mobility programs.
• CCIG (Chamber of Commerce Geneva / CCIG)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Welcome Service maintains an institutional link with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIG), Switzerland's largest regional chamber. This relationship provides networking access within Geneva's international business community and corporate HR ecosystem.
• CVCI (Chamber of Commerce of Canton Vaud)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Welcome Service maintains a regional network connection with the Chamber of Commerce of Canton Vaud (CVCI), supporting its presence in the Lausanne/Vaud region and access to the local corporate and institutional community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/welcomeservicesarl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/welcome-service-s-rl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Welcome Service