Looking for German Expats in Zurich?

Why German expats move abroad (& how they like it)

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats — asking them about various aspects of their life, from work to leisure. Learn what motivated our German members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.

What Germans expats have to say about living in Zurich

We asked tens of thousands of expats about their lives abroad in our Expat Insider surveys. In addition to our standard questions, we invite them to share what they like or dislike about their experiences in their own words. Here, we’ve selected some of the most interesting or representative quotes about expat life in Zurich from Germans, grouped into positive and negative opinions.

Let’s start with the positive ones.

Opinions

What I like about Living here is that I feel very safe in Zurich, I can walk around at any hour without worry.

Opinions

Opinions

I really like that the people in Zurich are genuinely kind and open; their friendliness and welcoming attitude have made it easy for me to feel comfortable and form meaningful connections

Opinions

Opinions

The metro system here is clean, safe, and reliable, which makes getting around the city both easy and stress-free

Opinions

Opinions

The city has a strong sense of security, and is truly one of the best aspects of life here.

Opinions

Opinions

I appreciate the rich cultural scene here and love having easy access to nature and outdoor activities

Opinions

On the downside, here's are some negative experiences from German expats in Zurich

Opinions

What bothers me most are the issues with the education system, the aversion toward Germans, disadvantages for children and in the job market, the distance from family and home, rigid rules for drivers.

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Opinions

My biggest challenge is that it’s difficult to make local friends; people are friendly but tend to keep their distance.

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Opinions

Since I moved here, I have struggled with the high cost of living, which has made it challenging to manage my expenses.

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Opinions

In experience, people here tend to be conservative and frugal, making it less social and less protective of workers than Scandinavian countries. I find that there’s a fear of losing benefits, openness to populism, and resistance to public projects and more vacation time.

Opinions

Opinions

As a mother, I feel there is a strong presence of traditional role models and a noticeable prejudice against working mothers in Switzerland.

Opinions

German Expats in Zurich Share Their Experiences

InterNations is a place where German expats in Zurich exchange experiences and tips to support each other. The "Cultural Capital Of Switzerland" can be a great place for expats - our community helps you make the most of your experience!

• Browse our Members Network to get to know Zurich’s German expats.
• Take part in our Expat Forums to obtain first hand tips from fellow German expats in Zurich.
• Use the Expat Guide for Zurich to find information on your host city.

Meet Fellow Germans in Zurich at Our Events

Our community in Zurich is also very active offline. Our InterNations Ambassadors organize regular events and various expat activities, e.g. a dinner in Zurich’s hippest restaurant or an outing with other German expats to explore the mountain resort of Zermatt. These activities are a casual way to get to know expats from Germany in your local community as well as Germans in Switzerland nationwide. Interested? Simply become a member and we’ll be happy to welcome you among our Germans living in Zurich!