Living and working
in Switzerland

If you only work here for a short period of time - i.e. up to 3 months or 90 days per calendar year - you do not need a permit. The only condition: The employer must register you no later than the day before you start work.

If you work longer, you need a residence permit. This is done before starting work at the municipality of residence. For this you need an ID or a passport. In addition, in the case of employment, the employer's declaration of employment or a certificate of employment, e.g. an employment contract. In the case of self-employment, you must prove that you earn your own living by means of business books. If you have to apply for social welfare later, you will lose your right of residence.

Citizens of the EU or EFTA can enter Switzerland to look for a job. For a job search of up to 3 months you do not need a permit. For a longer job search you will receive a short stay permit for 3 months/calendar year. Condition for the stay of max. 6 months (3 months search plus 3 months work) is that you have the financial means for living.

Here the regulations are stricter. You may only come to Switzerland if you already have a job offer and a work permit from the canton. In addition, the requirements for professional qualifications are higher. Self-employed persons also need a permit from the first day, and this from the canton and the federal government.

If you require a visa, the cantonal migration authority authorizes the Swiss representation abroad to issue you a visa. Within 14 days of your entry into Switzerland, you register with the residents' registration office, after which you are allowed to start work. A distinction is made between residence permits of different durations.

You might first clarify whether there is an association in your language in your region. If you find one in another region, they may have a tip for offers near you.

Examples:

Foreigners' clubs in the canton of Zurich (there are the largest number of clubs for foreigners here): http://migrantenvereine.ch/ with links to 240 clubs, e.g. Deutscher Club Zürich or English Speaking Club of Zurich and many other origin clubs across the world. In some languages there are even several clubs. It is best to look through the list.

Communities for different regions worldwide - also in Switzerland: InterNations.org

The most popular leisure activities and occasions/places in Switzerland:

Meeting friends (at home or out), attending city, neighborhood and village festivals, playing sports, attending sporting events, cultivating hobbies, going to the movies/theaters/concerts, clubbing, visiting zoos and parks.

The choice of leisure activities in Switzerland is huge. The best way to find out about the regional offers is on the Internet.

The ten most popular actively practiced sports in Switzerland:

Hiking Cycling, swimming, skiing, jogging, fitness training, strength training, yoga, dancing and gymnastics.

The five most popular sports on TV: Football, skiing, tennis, athletics and cycling.

The range of sports on offer in Switzerland is huge. The best way to find out about the options in your area is on the Internet.

Total area: 41,285 km2
Of which about 75% is populated and used for agriculture
North-south extension: 220 km
East-west extension: 346 km
Highest point: Dufourspitze in the Monte Rosa massif at 4634 m.a.s.l.
Lowest point in Lago Maggiore (Canton Ticino) at 193 m.a.s.l.
Number of lakes: 1'184
Number of glaciers: 140
Population: about 8 million (about 1 per mille of the world population)
Number of cantons: 26
Capital city: Bern
Largest cities: Zurich (377,100), Geneva (188,300), Basel (164,600), Bern (125,700), Lausanne (129,400), Winterthur (103,100), Lucerne (78,100), St. Gallen (73,600), Lugano (55,200)

The insurance class is decisive for the inpatient hospital stay: The basic insurance covers the hospital department „General“. The „Semi-private“ and „Private“ departments can be insured via the supplementary insurance.

All persons living or working in Switzerland must have compulsory health insurance. This applies regardless of where you come from and how long you stay. This means that insurance is compulsory even for stays of less than three months.

Only cross-border commuters who work in Switzerland but live in a neighboring country have a choice. Either they insure themselves at their place of residence or in Switzerland.

After you have moved to Switzerland from abroad, you have three months to take out basic insurance with an approved health insurance company. Which of these health insurance companies you choose is up to you. For control purposes, you will be asked by the authorities to submit a copy of your policy or insurance card.

However, there are exceptions to this insurance requirement.
For example:

• for pensioners, provided they exclusively receive a pension from an EU or EFTA state;
• for gainfully employed persons who work in an EU or EFTA state;
• for students who are only temporarily staying in Switzerland and have equivalent insurance;
• for staff of international organizations, embassies and consulates and their family members.

Compared to other countries in Europe, Switzerland has the most kilometers of rail. And no one takes the train more often than the Swiss.

Not surprisingly, the trains are reliable with a punctuality rate of 95%. Only 5% are delayed by more than 5 minutes. On average, a train passes through a station every twelve minutes. This makes Switzerland's rail network the busiest in the world.

The public transport offer is distributed among national and regional trains as well as suburban trains in the agglomeration traffic, post buses, which also drive over alpine passes into remote mountain valleys, urban streetcar and bus lines, mountain railroads and cable cars as well as ships on lakes and rivers.

Swiss public transport customers benefit from a system that is unique in the world: Direct Transport (DV). DV is a long-established national tariff community.

„Direct Transport“ means that a one-way ticket is enough to travel all over the country in one day - regardless of the means of transport. The DV comprises around 250 transport companies in a tariff association. The best-known offers of the DV are the general and the half-fare cards. Incidentally, the „Half-Fare Card“ is the world's most widely sold public transport discount.

In addition to transport services over land and water, there is also aviation. Switzerland has three international airports for civil aviation in Zurich-Kloten, Geneva-Cointrin and Basel-Mulhouse. In addition, there are ten regional airports. As Switzerland's largest airport, Zurich-Kloten is one of the most important hubs in Europe.