Living In Switzerland: The Pros & Cons For Expats

Switzerland has become the international hotspot for wealthy expats looking for a new home overseas. 

If you’re looking for a haven to relocate to, where there is employment in your particular field of expertise, a high living standard, and a good quality of life, Switzerland is probably the place to consider.

Read on to get the rundown on the good and the bad aspects of living in this particular European country.

Is Switzerland a good country to live in?

The nation is easily accessible from Europe and beyond.

It is an incredibly conservative and stable country – which can appeal to those seeking the finer things in life. Its rising popularity amongst expats is making it perhaps a little less stuffy!

But Switzerland isn’t perfect.

And whilst its tax rates are incredibly competitive compared to those in some other parts of the world, anyone seriously thinking about relocating their entire life overseas needs to know the pros and cons of living in Switzerland before they make a firm commitment to the country.

Living in Switzerland – the pros

1. Easy relocation

The good news is that if your company is relocating to Switzerland, and you’re offered your ‘old’ job back, you can probably move to live and work in Switzerland relatively easily. 

Switzerland is not the easiest country to relocate to permanently. You can’t just decide one day to move to Switzerland with no residency permit or work visa – unless you are very, very wealthy indeed.

However, as stated, if you have an offer of employment, you can get a visa and relocate.  The financial services sector in Switzerland is strong and remains strong even in the face of the global economic downturn.

You can find more information on visas, residency, renting, opening bank accounts, and other relocation issues in our Moving To Switzerland guide.

2. Flexible taxation

The highest tax rates in Switzerland are far lower than the highest tax rates in many other countries, despite the fact that you have to pay tax to the Canton in which you live as well as the City and the Federal Government. 

Tax rates differ across the country and according to your wealth status, with the super-rich able to apply to different cantons for their own unique tax status. 

Why else do or have famous people such as Tina Turner, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Roger Moore, Yoko Ono, Michael Schumacher, and William Wordsworth all made Switzerland home at some point?

Aside from the tax aspect, what else has Switzerland got in its favor?

3. Great lifestyle

It is a geographically stunning nation with amazing mountains and beautiful lakes, pretty villages, and highly polished cities.

You can shop for diamonds in Switzerland and ski on the best slopes, dine in the best restaurants in the world and live in a crime-free society. 

Your children can receive the best education, and you can receive the best healthcare (all for a price), and you can purchase or have constructed absolutely fantastic real estate.

4. English-speaking communities

More English-speaking expats have been moving to Switzerland recently. Britons especially love the country for being so close to their homeland.

There are now even British pubs such as Lady Godiva in Geneva (ladyg.ch), and the Mr Pickwick chain in the likes of Baden, Basel, Zug, and Zurich (pickwick.ch); there’s even a shop selling British groceries in Zug, which is not exactly the largest town in Switzerland. 

So you can make a home from home in Switzerland if you have the money and the determination to do so.

5. Safe and pleasant

Finally, points worth mentioning include the fact that the standard of living in Switzerland is high, the nation is clean, has excellent infrastructure, and functions well on all the essential levels. 

You won’t get a foot of snow crippling the country, you won’t get (much) disaffected youth causing trouble at all times of the day and night in all types of communities, and as a result, Switzerland feels like a very good place to live.

Living in Switzerland – the cons

1. Adjusting to the rules and regulations

Switzerland can be an exceptionally difficult place to adjust to on every single level.

For example, whilst you may relish the fact that the trains and trams run on time all day every day, you may be rather horrified to discover that you are banned from the likes of evening ablutions in your own apartment in case you disturb your neighbors. 

If living in Germany, the other nation famed for its rules, you’re not allowed to hang your washing out on a Sunday, in Switzerland, they take it to a whole new level.

If you rent apartments with laundry rooms in the communal cellar space, you can find that there are washing machines for Swiss and separate washing machines for ‘Auslaender’ – i.e., ‘foreigners!’ 

So, the rules and a certain degree of underlying ‘alternative racial awareness’ are perhaps reasons to like Switzerland a little less.

2. You might find it boring

The country is often accused of being boring – but then, is Britain exciting because its town and city centers are boozed up carnage every weekend? 

There is a balance, but perhaps parts of Switzerland are a bit too far the other way, and one occasionally wonders what goes on behind all those locked doors and window blinds of an evening!

3. High property prices

Switzerland’s real estate is expensive, and on all levels, it can hardly be called a cheap or even an affordable country. 

But hey, if you’re super-wealthy or at least nicely affluent, you’d probably rather spend your money on yourself and your family while living in a prosperous, safe, and stable environment. 

Pockets of employment for the international workforce are generally limited to the likes of Zurich and Geneva. This can restrict where you live. 

4. Learn the language

Finally, of course, you’ll need to work on your Swiss German (and even a bit of Swiss-French) in order to really settle in – or at least cope with all the bureaucracy that comes in letter format through your door every week.

So, is it a good place to live?

No doubt, Switzerland is one of the top countries to live for expats. If you’re seriously contemplating an escape from your country and the thought of Switzerland is luring you, plan an extended break to the nation. 

Travel around, get to know different areas, and don’t just look at the surface charm; scratch a little deeper and see if you still like the look of the country. 

Speak to other expats – if not in person, then on forums, and ask all the questions you need of the nation before you commit to it.  It certainly has a lot of plus points, but some of the negatives are genuinely enough to drive you mad.

You might find useful:

• The Best Places To Live In Switzerland As An Expat – a detailed overview of Switzerland’s most popular expat locations.
• Moving To Switzerland As An Expat: A Step-By-Step Guide – the essential paperwork and practical steps to help you settle down in Switzerland.
• Living In Geneva As An Expat – discover what life in Geneva is like
• Haven’t found what you were looking for? Contact us or comment below with your question and we’ll do our best to help.