Zürich – an incredibly beautiful, clean,expensive and well organized city, situated at a lake with a view on the Swiss Alps. I moved here in September 2015, after finishing university and finding a job.
“Zürich? Like, one of the most expensive cities in the world? How are you gonna do that with no money?”
“I heard it is not easy to find to get a job in Switzerland”
“Switzerland is not EU, right?”
Those where my 3 most-heard sentences when I was talking about my plans – which is understandable; there are some common misconceptions about Switzerland, which I’ll try to clear up.
But first: 3 reasons to move to Switzerland
- Public Transport: I’m serious. We have a car here and we’ve only used it once. The busses and trams in Zürich ride every 7 minutes until 23h. After that every 10 minutes until 00h30. Then you have the night busses and trams. The trains, trams and busses are always punctual – it makes your life so much easier. There is almost no location in the country that is not reachable by trains or other public transport.
- The sights and landscape: Mountains, Lakes, beaches, rivers, water falls, valleys, woods, … there is almost nothing Switzerland doesn’t offer.
- The living standard: I can’t tell you how they do it exactly, but it is true: you pay little taxes and somehow the living standard is generally higher than other countries
About Zürich & Switzerland
The calmness of a city
I love Latin America, I love the Spanish language and in general the southern culture.
But the place I’ve found myself feeling comfortable the most, is here in Zürich, even though I never thought I could live somewhere where organization, structure, patriotism and hard work are the main values. I guess sometimes we surprise ourselves 🙂
Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland, yet I don’t feel like I’m living in a big city. The lake makes everything more quiet. There is so much nature in the city (a river and woods right in front of our door!), that everything turns green in the summer. The city is also surrounded by hills, giving you the feeling you’re living far away from other human things.
The buildings are beautiful, the streets are clean and the fact that everything runs on time, makes it so stress-free to get somewhere – it’s incredible.
Punctuality
I always preferred the South-American way (the bus? oh yeah.. it’ll come today.. sometime.. well, maybe today, maybe tomorrow. // You’re late for the meeting? Come on in! How are you? want some empanadas?) over the stressed life in Belgium or London, where everything is timed by the minute. However, I now noticed, it is more the fact that in Belgium you CAN’T rely on everything being punctual (eg.trains & busses in Belgium), but still are expected to be punctual yourself.
In Zürich, You are also expected to be punctual. However, public transport and everything else is punctual AS WELL. This makes everything so much easier and more relaxed.
Patriotism
Everyone who knows me, knows I’m not the typical Belgian girl.
I would die for Belgian chocolate and please don’t tell me your Swiss chocolate with way too much sugar is better, because IT IS NOT.
I don’t drink beer though and I also don’t think Belgian fries from a “Frietkot” are the best in the world. They’re greasy and taste like oil (I might not survive my next visit to Belgium). I don’t get the Flemish “nationalism” and love the fact that we have 3 official languages. I love Brussels, it’s my favorite Belgian city, but I will speak Dutch to you there as long as it’s officially bilingual.
Anyway, back to Switzerland. I always describe the country this way: “Switzerland is very Swiss”. The people who’ve moved there, will laugh and know exactly what I mean.
Switzerland has always been unique in Europe. They’re not EU, they don’t have the Euro, they were neutral during the world wars (in Belgium there’s an expression “I’m gonna be Switzerland” to say that you’re the neutral party in something) and kind of every important organization has their headquarters there (Red Cross, UN, CERN, …).
The best example to explain how Switzerland views itself: when you go to a super market, all products that are Swiss, have the Swiss flag on it – and trust me, there are a lot of them!
In every restaurant, it is displayed where eg. meat or other ingredients are from (Switzerland!). They say it’s because of quality and environmental reasons, could be, but that little bit of land-loving is definitely also part of it. They are also VERY passionate about their language “Schweizerdeutsch”. A vote by the people resulted in the obligation of speaking Swiss German at all German-speaking Kindergartens. For me, that’s the same as having to speak flemish dialects at the Kindergartens in Belgium: it doesn’t make sense.
Funny thing is that, for example in Zürich, 30% of the population are foreigners. That’s a lot! Oh and don’t tell them their chocolate is not the best in the world, because you might not survive 😉 They love their country and their culture and even though this level of country-loving was weird for me, they do have all the reasons to do so 🙂
Switzerland in Europe: EU & Schengen
Switzerland is NOT part of the EU.
It is, however, part of the Schengen-Zone. Therefore crossing borders does not require identification (although they sometimes do check your ID). It’s always good to have both your national ID-card (or passport) and your Swiss residence permit with you, if you’re leaving/entering the country.
Languages
The official languages of Switzerland are French, German, Italian and Romansh.
The first three are most common.
German-speaking cities: Zürich, Zug, Luzern, Bern, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, …
French-speaking cities: Lausanne, Geneva, Fribourg, Neuchâtel,…
English is also very common, there are quite some English-speaking jobs in Switzerland. However, don’t expect every one to know English, it’s mostly the business language.
There is, of course, also the important difference between “Schweizerdeutsch” (Swiss German) and “Hochdeutsch” (‘High German’). Schweizerdeutsch is not to be underestimated: A German person (from Germany) does not necessarily understand Schweizerdeutsch, neither does someone who has learnt Hochdeutsch as a second language. It takes some getting used to. First of all, the accent and pronunciation of letters and words. Second of all, they have a lot of words that don’t exist in Hochdeutsch. Most difficult is, every dialect is different – people from Zürich speak different than does from Bern.
It is uncommon for German-speaking foreigners to adapt the Swiss accent (unless they’ve moved here as a child) and therefore it is very normal to talk Hochdeutsch and get your answer in Schweizerdeutsch. It is also not unpolite to ask if someone can speak Hochdeutsch with you – they know it’s not easy for foreigners.
Who can live in Switzerland?
There is not 1 answer to this question, but a good rule is: make sure you find a job – that makes everything easier.
EU-27/EFTA-citizens: If you live in the EU, the general rule is that you can stay as a tourist in the country for 3 months and get a residence permit if you’ve found a job there. Special conditions apply for citizens from Croatia.
EU-2 (Bulgaria & Romania): Quota are applies per year for citizens from these countries
TIP: Detailed information about every country can be found on the official website.
NON-EU-citizens (not married to an EU/Swiss citizen): This one is generally very difficult, because even if you find a job, your future employer needs to be able to proof that it is impossible to find someone with your qualifications in Switzerland/the EU. This is a very complex process and for most employers not really worth it. And even if it’s worth it, it is very difficult for them to “win” this.
NON-EU-citizens (married to an EU/Swiss citizen)The easier option: a non-EU-citizen who is married to a EU or Swiss citizen, gets (more or less) the same rights as a EU-citizen. This means, if you can find a job, you can get a residence permit under the same conditions as a EU-citzen.
TIP: of course, there are also other permits possible, like cross-border commuter, asylum seekers, etc. All this info can be found here
Finding a job in Switzerland
Finding a job in Zürich, for example, was not different than trying to find a job in Belgium. If you’re qualified, willing to travel to Switzerland for an interview and speak the required language, there is no reason why it should be more difficult.
TIP: Job sites: jobs.ch, monster.ch
Diploma Recognition
The only thing that COULD be more difficult, is if you are practicing a certain profession that requires a specific diploma, stated by law (eg. a teacher, psychologist, lawyer,…).
These specific diplomas need to be recognized in Switzerland by official institutions. Basically, they check if your diploma is equivalent to a Swiss diploma.
TIP: on this website of SBFI you can find a list of regulated professional activities in German, including the institution that’s responsible for its recognition.
Moving to Switzerland: the practical side
So you’ve found a job and got your diploma recognized (if necessary)? Congratulations! You are now ready to move to Switzerland! Here’s some practical information about your arrival and all the administrative things you need to do:
Checklist:
– Place to live
– Residence permit
– Bank account
– Health insurance
– Sim card
– Public Transport
– Expenses per month
A place to live
The best way to find a place to live in Switzerland is online via comparis.ch or Facebook Groups (Wohnung, Zimmer, WG – Zürich / flat, room, shared apartment, Roomster ; Accommodation Zürich: WG, Zwischenmiete, flat-share, Zimmerbörs).
Prices in Zürich:
Room: 600 – 1200 CHF
Studio: 1000 – 1600 CHF
1-bedroom appartement: 1600 – 2000
2-bedroom appartement: 2000 – …
The further from the center and depending on the Kreis, prices may be lower.
You usually need to show your work contract, ID & sometimes residence permit.
The deposit should be about 2 months rent & put on a locked deposit bank account.
Residence Permit: Application process in Zürich
With your official documents, you go to the Kreisbüro of the “Kreis” where you live to apply for your residence permit.
You then receive a confirmation of application. It can take a while before you get your actual permit.
Documents: work contract, ID/passport, rental contract and money.
Cost: 85 CHF
Timing: within 2 weeks after your arrival in Switzerland, you need to apply for your permit.
Here a short overview of the different kinds of permits:
Tourist: You are allowed to stay 3 months in Switzerland as a tourist/visitor without a permit. You can’t work during this time without a permit.
L: This is a short-term permit with which it is possible to work. Duration ranges from 3 months up to one year. if, for example, you are doing an internship from which you don’t earn enough money to be fully financially independent, they’ll probably give you an L.
B: This is a 5-year permit allowing you to work. If you have a job and salary of which you can live independently, you will normally get this one.
C: This is a long-term permit, eg for people who were born in Switzerland (you don’t automatically get Swiss nationality when you’re born here!) or if you marry a Swiss national.
F: This is a permit for recognized refugees.
Bank account
Probably the easiest step – opening a Swiss bank account, for which you just need your ID and your residence permit. For some reason, it’s (almost) not possible to open a Swiss bank account if you have a bank account or lived in the USA. I’ve had good experiences with UBS – they gave a great customer service and their online banking options are very good. You do have to pay 10 CHF per month for your bank account. I must say I didn’t really research other banks, so it’s possible that others have better rates.
Your bank account is only valid as long as you have a residence permit. When you leave the country, you have to move your money and cancel your bank account.
Health Insurance
Basic Health insurance is obligated in Switzerland. There are a lot of insurance companies, offering a lot of different things, and I have to say I choose mine because the company I work at recommended it: Sanitas.
Kinds of health insurance:
Basic: obligated – this can range between 350.
Additional: optional – for many different kinds of health solutions.
For your basic health insurance, you can have different kinds of services.
The most expensive one, is when you have your own doctor/General practicioner. The second one is where you are linked to a practicion, but not one doctor.
The cheapest one is where you are not linked to a doctor, but always call the medical hotline first – they then decide if you should see a doctor and if so, which one.
Cost? Your basic health insurance can range between 350 CHF up to 1000 CHF (or more) per month, depending on the service.
What to check? Dentist costs included?, Hospital insurance?, optical costs (glasses, lenses,..)
Timing: within 3 months after your application for your residence permit, you need to register with a Health Insurance company. Once you have the health insurance, it goes back to and is valid from the date when you moved to the country.
TIP: The website of Sanitas can give you a good idea on the different kinds of insurances
TIP: You can find and compare health insurance via kkv-vergleich.chor comparis.ch (Versicherungen – Krankenkasse)
TIP: Accident insurance: normally you are insured for both work-related and non-work-related accidents through your employer, so you don’t need to get that one extra with your private one.
Sim card
Getting a national sim card is key – since in Switzerland the “no roaming costs” of the EU doesn’t apply. An average monthly subscription costs about 50 CHF, which usually gives you unlimited national calls, texts and data. However, if you don’t need that much, the cheapest option is Salt, which has a cheaper subscription plan and even a Prepaid plan for 15 CHF per month (1 GB data). You can find all information here on their website.
Another option, especially if you’re calling abroad a lot, is a Lyca mobile sim card.
Public transport
Switzerland has a very large and well connected public transport network, including train, bus, tram, boat and mountain trains.
If you’re staying for about a year, you should absolutely get a “Halbtax” – a personal card from the SBB which gives you 50% discount on all trains in the country.
Price: 185 CHF the first year, 165 CHF from the 2nd year.
It seems like a lot, but a return ticket can easily cost CHF 100 if you’re paying the full price, so after taking the train only 4 times, you already get it back. It also gives you discount on some mountain trains and even ski lifts.
All info & where to buy it, can be found here on the website of the SBB.
Regional Transport
In Zürich you can buy a monthly or yearly subscription (NetzPass) which is valid for every kind of public transport within the Zürich area. If you’re staying for at least a year, a yearly NetzPass is cheaper than a monthly one. Prices & conditions can be found on the website of the ZVV.
Interregional Transport
The best thing about Switzerland is that you can buy end-to-end tickets for your itinerary, which can include a train ride, mountain train, boat, bus and tram all in 1 ticket. You can buy these via the SBB app or the SBB website.
If you use interregional public transport almost daily, it’s worth considering getting a “GA” (Generalabonnement).
Price: ca. 3000 CHF yearly
All info can be found here
Expenses per month
Yes – Zürich (and Switzerland in general) is expensive compared to the rest of the world. HOWEVER, the salaries are also A LOT higher compared to the rest of the world.
An example: if you have a Bachelor or Master’s degree and you start your first job, your salary can be between CHF 60’000 and CHF 80’000 per year (please note that these are just indications, of course it can still be less or more, depending on the sector).
That is between CHF 5000 and CHF 6600 per month gross.
Taxes are very low – let’s say between 12% to 17%.
This is an estimate of the costs in Zürich per month:
Rent: Room: 500-1000 // Studio: 1000 – 1600 // 2-room apartement: 1600 – 2500 // more rooms: 2500 – ……
Groceries: 400
Health Insurance: 200 – 300
Public transport: 60 – 100
Going out (drinks, movies, restaurant): 100 – 150
Note that this is not that much if you have eg. a net salary of 5000!
