Building Permit in Geneva: Building Authorisation, APA and DD Procedures
In Geneva, there is no such thing as a "permit", but rather a building authorisation: an administrative approval validated by the Department of the Territory before a construction site can open. Building a villa there, extending it, converting it or even putting up a fence may be subject to this.
This article presents what a building authorisation is, which works are subject to it or exempt from it, how to choose between the accelerated procedure (APA) and the ordinary application (DD), how to file the application, what timeframes and costs to expect, and what to do in the event of an appeal.
What is a building authorisation in Geneva?
The building authorisation is the prior approval issued by the Department of the Territory (DT), through the building authorisations office (OAC), before carrying out works subject to the law. In Geneva, the official term is "building authorisation" and not "permit".
The principle is enshrined in the Law on Buildings and Miscellaneous Installations (LCI): without authorisation, no one may erect a construction, alter its architecture or purpose, demolish it, or alter the configuration of the land (article 1 LCI). Its implementing regulation (RCI) sets out the details.
There are different types of applications:
- the final application (DD, ordinary procedure)
- the accelerated procedure authorisation (APA)
- the preliminary application (DP)
- the information request (DR)
- the demolition authorisation (M)
The type of application depends on the nature and scale of the project.
What works require a building authorisation in Geneva? (dynamic tool needed)
Apart from a few exceptions, anything affecting the building or the land must be subject to an authorisation. Under the terms of article 1 LCI, this covers: the creation of a construction or an installation (garage, wall, fence, gate…); the modification of volume, architecture, colour, siting, layout or purpose; demolition with reconstruction; the change of the land's configuration; the development of parking spaces; the felling of a protected tree.
Concretely, a new construction, an extension, an additional storey, a change of use, an in-ground swimming pool or a boundary wall require an authorisation. The "authorisation reflex": any lasting modification of the external appearance, the volume or the use of a property is deemed subject to it. In case of doubt, an information request clarifies this before any commitment.
What works are exempt from authorisation?
For certain minor works, no authorisation is required; the list in the LCI is exhaustive (article 1, paragraphs 2 to 5).
Excluded are: the interior renovation of a villa without modification of the living area; solar panels integrated into the roof, subject to a declaration to the department; a mobile shed of around 5 m² and 2 m high; an uncovered pergola; a satellite dish of less than 90 cm.
Two reservations should be noted: the exemption lapses if the building or the site is protected, or in the event the limits are exceeded. A larger shed, a solid shelter or a garage then fall under an authorisation, most often through the accelerated procedure.
APA or DD: which procedure for your project?
The choice between the accelerated procedure (APA) and the final application (DD) does not belong to the applicant: the APA is an option that the department uses in four specific cases (article 3 para. 7 LCI). It is open to projects located in a villa zone without a waiver, to interior modifications or ones that do not alter the general appearance of a building, to new constructions of minor importance, and, exceptionally, to emergency reconstructions.
The final application is the ordinary procedure: it applies as soon as the project requires a waiver, alters the external appearance or concerns a construction of significance, such as a residential building. The difference is concrete: the APA is not put out for public consultation and escapes the observations phase, which makes it faster. The department retains the final say and can always switch a file to the ordinary procedure.
The selector below guides your project towards the most likely procedure.
[permis_apa_dd]
How to file a building authorisation application in Geneva?
The application is filed online, on the AC-Démat platform of the State of Geneva, via an e-démarches account. The file includes the documents listed by the RCI (article 9): official request form, extract from the cadastral plan signed by a certified surveyor, detailed project plans (sections, dimensioned façades, elevations) as well as the thematic forms, in particular energy-related ones.
For any application published in the official gazette (FAO), the plans must be drawn up and signed by a professionally qualified representative, an architect or engineer registered on the roll (article 2, paragraph 3 LCI); only projects of secondary importance are exempt from this. Once the application is registered, the building authorisations office examines the file and gathers the preliminary opinions, then the department grants or refuses the authorisation.
What are the timeframes and cost of a building authorisation?
The law sets response timeframes: sixty days for a final application, thirty days for an accelerated procedure, from the registration of the file (article 4 LCI). These timeframes are not guaranteed: they are suspended each time the department requests additional documents, and the public consultation or the preliminary opinions lengthen the review. The average actual timeframe is not published by the administration.
On the cost side, two fees add up (RCI article 257): a fixed 250 francs for registering the application, the same for APA and DD, then an authorisation fee of 90 francs per 10 m² bracket of floor area. An information request costs 1 250 francs and an authorisation extension costs 180 to 1 800 francs. On top of these administrative fees come the representative's fees.
What to do in the event of an objection or appeal?
Unlike other cantons, Geneva does not have a formal objection procedure standing in the way of the authorisation before it is issued. During the review, anyone may consult the published application and send observations to the department within thirty days (article 3 LCI), but these observations are merely advisory. Genuine contestation goes through an appeal directed against the authorisation, once it has been issued and published.
Directly affected neighbours, the municipality and authorised associations are entitled to appeal (article 145 LCI) within thirty days (article 62 LPA). The dispute is heard successively by the Tribunal administratif de première instance (TAPI), then, where applicable, the Chambre administrative de la Cour de justice, and finally the Federal Supreme Court. The appeal suspends the authorisation's expiry period.
How to successfully carry out your construction or renovation project in Geneva?
Knowing the mechanism is not enough: an authorisation is part of a broader real estate project, whether it involves building, renovating or carrying out an operation. From design to construction site, it determines the schedule, the budget and the very feasibility: an incomplete file or a poorly anticipated waiver can delay an operation by several months.
Well understood upfront, the procedure becomes a controlled milestone rather than an obstacle. How the authorisation fits with a construction or renovation project, and the role of the developer, deserve separate examination.
How does the authorisation fit with a construction or renovation project?
Obtaining the building authorisation is only one phase of a construction or renovation project, and its nature depends on it. A new construction falls under a final application and a qualified representative, whereas the renovation or conversion of a rental dwelling triggers the Law on Demolitions, Conversions and Renovations (LDTR), which governs rents after works.
By considering the procedure upfront, right from the design of the project, one guards against any delay and extra cost, particularly when waivers or specialised preliminary opinions come into play. The choice of procedure and the use of a qualified representative are therefore decided from this stage onward.
What role does the developer play in obtaining the authorisation?
On a large-scale operation, the developer is very often the one who drives the process of obtaining the authorisation. They coordinate the representatives (architect, engineer, surveyor), put together the file, follow the review and manage, where applicable, any appeals. Their knowledge of the procedures and timeframes commits the schedule of the operation.
For the owner or the investor, relying on a seasoned developer or project management team secures a process in which the slightest missing document suspends the timeframes. In real estate development, the building authorisation is thus the administrative lock around which the whole structuring is organised. Choosing a partner well-versed in these processes correspondingly limits the risk of delay.
Is a building authorisation mandatory for renovating in Geneva?
Yes. As soon as the works fall within the scope of article 1 of the LCI (erecting, modifying, demolishing or converting the land), the authorisation is mandatory; only operations expressly exempted by the law escape it. Carrying out works subject to it without authorisation amounts to unlawful construction, with an order to restore the site and a fine. In case of doubt, it is better to file an information request before starting the works.
How long is a building authorisation valid?
The building authorisation is valid for two years: it lapses if the works have not been started within two years of its publication in the official gazette (FAO) (article 4 LCI). Starting the works means actually opening the construction site, and not merely declaring it; once this deadline has passed without having started, a new application becomes necessary.
The authorisation can be extended by one year, at most twice, upon request made before the deadline, which brings its validity to four years at most. This extension is obtained subject to a fee of 180 to 1 800 francs. In the event of an appeal, the time limit is suspended for the entire duration of the procedure.