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9. Moving to Switzerland

Switzerland at a Glance

Moving to Switzerland

Switzerland is a very diverse country in terms of population, language and culture.

Despite tight restrictions on foreigners moving to Switzerland from non-EU countries, the country has a very high non-Swiss population. Switzerland attracts refugees from poor countries and migrants from wealthy nations alike. The latter often move to Switzerland due to exceptionally low taxes and a high standard of living.

Owing to Swiss neutrality, which has remained unchallenged since 1815, countless European intellectuals and artists opted for a move to Switzerland during the political turbulences of the early 20^th century, among them also one Vladimir Illyich Ulyanov, a.k.a. Lenin. These days, it is the country’s economic power and affluence that tempt various “exiles by choice” to move here.

Moving to Switzerland: General Information

Most foreigners have a very clear concept of what to expect when moving to Switzerland. However, despite its small area (41,285 km²) and low population figures (ca 7,600,000), it is a diverse country both in terms of its geography and people. Thus one’s experience depends very much on where one ends up when moving to Switzerland. Switzerland is right in the center of Europe, sharing borders with Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

Foreigners moving to Switzerland will discover that all neighboring countries have had a major influence on the culture of Switzerland. French, German and Italian traditions still live on in the respective parts of the country. This pluralism has also influenced Switzerland’s politics and style of government. Many people who move to Switzerland from countries with a more centralized administration are surprised at the high degree of autonomy granted to each of the 20 cantons.

Most foreigners moving to Switzerland are, however, aware of the country’s no less than three official languages, German, French, and Italian. Some people moving to Switzerland might nevertheless be surprised to find out that there’s a fourth, semi-official, language: Romansh, a group of old Rhaeto-Romance dialects spoken by roughly 1% of the population in the upper valleys of the Rhine and Inn.

Move to Switzerland: Geography

Geographically, Switzerland can be divided into three areas: the Alps, the Central Plateau (the “middle land”) and the Jura. People moving to Switzerland should be aware that different regions may be subject to different weather conditions.

While Switzerland has a moderate continental climate, people moving to Switzerland’s southern parts feel the Mediterranean influence when it comes to temperatures, but also experience more precipitation than the rest of the country. The latter is due to the mountains, which block the way of rain clouds which move to Switzerland’s northern parts. While snow and frost are common everywhere in winter, expats moving to Switzerland’s higher Alpine regions should be prepared for much lower temperatures.