Did you immigrate to Switzerland? What are your experiences?

Mimi56 2025-09-16 11:28

I came to Switzerland in 1998 and lived and worked in Geneva for 20 years. I loved living in Switzerland. Came the time to retire and I would have loved to move to another canton and stay. Sadly, with my pension I couldn't afford to, I would have been living on the edge of poverty. As so many Swiss do nowadays, I went to live in Portugal actually purely for economic reasons. If I were to win the lottery I would go back immediately!

Anonymous 2025-09-04 16:25

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Hello

bonjour

Gife 2025-08-30 20:12

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

I am 53 years old, 35 of which is certified experience in tourism! I am currently a qualified Tourist Guide and Environmental Hiking Guide. I would love to move to Switzerland because I love their Democracy! For me, Switzerland is the only truly democratic country in the world, because the population not only elects, but also controls the elected through the instruments of Direct Democracy, the Referendum! In the past I have visited several places, both for work and for personal matters, primarily Zurich! I would appreciate your opinion on whether I should move and where I could start a new life working as a guide! Thank you

Ho 53 anni, 35 dei quali esperienza certificata nel turismo! Attualmente son abilitato Guida Turistica e Guida Ambientale Escursionistica. Vorrei tanto trasferirmi in Svizzera perché amo la loro Democrazia! Per me la Svizzera è l’unico paese al mondo realmente democratico perché la popolazione oltre ad eleggere, controlla gli eletti grazie agli strumenti della Democrazia Diretta, i Referendum! In passato ho visitato diversi posti, sia per lavoro sia per questioni personali, in primis Zurigo! Gentilmente gradirei avere un vostro parere se trasferirmi e dove poter iniziare una nuova vita lavorando come guida! Grazie

pdonker 2025-08-25 09:27

Over 20 years ago I met a Swiss girl, fell in love, moved here and married her. We now have 3 half Swiss, half Dutch children. To this day I don't know if I fell in love with the girl or her beautiful surroundings of lakes and mountains. My parents brought me to Valais as a child for just about each school holiday for years, so I'm familiar with the country as a tourist. But it always remained a bit of an enigma to me. The Swiss always seemed the "chosen people". Distant and confident history (and geography) was on their side. Now I am married into Swiss culture and I get to see it from the other side. Fascinating. The biggest myth that has crumbled for me is that of the xenophobic and reserved Swiss. I have found quite the opposite. But this holds largely only for family members. In my native Holland we don't seem to solidify as much within families. People easily move out of their region of birth and family relations get watered down. Here people don't seem to move as much and family remains a very important vector for friendship.____One thing I grossly underestimated was landing a job "at my level" once I got here (I didn't have a decent command of any national language). I gave up my career in Holland to be with my wife. But I've never been able to continue it. Instead I began working for myself. This was incredibly easy (kudos to the Swiss way of not getting in the way of entrepreneurship in this way).____Final theme: openness. I am absolutely blown away by the fact that all nationalities mix, here. Most of my children's friends have some roots outside of Switzerland. And they all feel comfortable begin proud of that and showing it by wearing football shirts of their second homeland. Never have I heard a Swiss person complain about this for "lack of patriotism". This is maybe the most precious to me. I've grown up being moved across the world, but I always felt an outsider. Here society seems to embrace different backgrounds.

MEJRC 2025-08-24 23:45

I came to Switzerland with my parents

De Castro 2025-08-24 14:43

The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.

I've been here since 2005, my family all stayed in Brazil and I only brought two small children at the time, I got married and had another child now I'm here for another 20 years and life is not being easy at all, complications to get a permanent job because temporary is what you have and then you don't work again, the bills come in every month and I don't receive any salary, which has been touching my pension savings to survive and even that is running out,...he doesn't have a boyfriend to support me, just a little bit from his ex to survive and I don't buy food at home very often, the social worker doesn't help me because of the flat I live in because the contract isn't in my name because I don't have a fixed income or a job.... The divorce left me with a debt that I currently have to pay off for years and years, while my ex has already paid off his 27k bill and I'm left with 25k, I'm depressed because of this situation. I'm 45 years old and they don't want to work anymore, but 25 year olds do. The years passed and my son left and I was left living with two sons, one Brazilian and the other Italian, my Italian father too of course... I opened an online shop as a dropshipping business but I haven't managed to make a profit because the competition is beating everyone to sell... And without working outside the home, I'm just investing in selling, I've asked for everything I had as a pension, I'm not yet 65 but until then I won't have a cent of pension left. I've worked in various jobs even though I didn't go to full time school in Switzerland, and so I kept looking for work and after a while I had nothing left but my savings to get by. Today I find myself alone, my son has an apprenticeship as a waiter, but as it's temporary and he earns very little per hour, he can't even support himself... but I have to help... the other son stays with his father at weekends, but I think it's good if he doesn't go hungry here at home.... Ah! RAV I spent two years with this institution, and they didn't help me at all, they didn't even give me a job interview. I don't leave the house because I know that going out always means consuming something and as I don't have any money to guarantee anything in life, I stay at home depressed because of this whole situation, 20 years living here and still with children, poor without a pension, old and divorced... nobody cares but they just want to take advantage of foreigners. And now the question is what I'm going to do with my life if my very existence is dying here, and even going back would be impossible because what am I going to take to support my family if I can't even survive here after 20 years? It's difficult and I'm on the edge of an abyss... it's sad but it's reality... in the meantime, I keep asking people to help me eat, the bills are wiping out my savings and so I have nothing left. I'm not even 65 yet, I'm 45 years old and everything is gone and I'm left in the lurch. Thank you to anyone who reads this. Freundliche Grüsse De Castro

Estou aqui deste 2005, minha família ficou toda no Brasil e trouxe somente dois filhos pequenos na época, casei e tive mais um filho agora estou com mais 20 anos aqui e a vida não está sendo nada fácil, complicações para arrumar um emprego fixo pois temporário é o que tem e depois fica sem trabalhar novamente, as contas todos os meses entra e eu sem receber nenhuma entrada de salário , o que foi tocar nas minhas economias de pensão para sobreviver e até isso está acabando,..não tem namorado para me sustentar apenas um pouco do ex para sobreviver e ainda não compro comida com frequência em para casa, social não me ajuda porque causa do apartamento que moro pois o contrato não é em meu nome pois não tenho renda e nem trabalho fixo.. plano de saúde está pesando tofos os meses mesmo com Premiê ainda não apertado pagar todas as contas, o divórcio me deixou uma dívida que eu atualmente daqui que eu termine de pagar vai demorar anos e anos enquanto o ex já quitou a conta de 27k e eu fiquei com 25k, tenho depressão por causa dessa situação. tenho 45 anos e já isso não querem mais trabalhar e sim os jovens de 25 anos. Os anos se passaram e meu filho foi embora e fiquei morando com dois filhos, brasileiro e o outro italiano, meu pai italiano também é claro... abri uma loja virtual como dropshiping mas não consegui fazer lucro pois a concorrência está quebrando o pau em cima de todos para vender... E sem trabalho fora de casa e sim só investindo em vender, pedi tudo que tinha como aposentadoria, ainda não tenho 65 anos mas até lá não tenho mais nenhum centavo de pensão. Já até trabalhei em várias profissões mesmo sem escola íntegral na Suiça e assim fui buscando trabalho e depois de um tempo não tinha mais nada.. a não ser recorrer as economias para sobreviver. Hoje me encontro só, meu filho tem estágio de garçom mas como é temporário e ainda ganha pouco por hora não dar para ele nem se sustentar sozinho...e sim eu que tenho que ajudar...o outro fica com seu pai fins de semana mas acho bom se não ele passaria fome aqui em casa... Ah! RAV tive 2 anos com essa instituição, e não me ajudaram em nada, nenhuma entrevista de trabalho eles me proporcionaram. Sempre peço ajuda a um e outro para comprar um pouco de comida., Não saio de casa pois sei que sair sempre tem consumir alguma coisa e como não tenho dinheiro para garantir nada na vida, fico em casa me deprimidindo por causa dessa situação toda, 20 anos aqui morando e ainda com filhos, pobre sem aposentadoria, velha e divorciada.. ninguém se interessa e sim só querem se aproveitar das estrangeiras. E agora fica questão o que faço com a minha vida se a minha própria existência está morrendo aqui e ainda voltar seria impossível pois o que vou levar para sustentar a minha família se não tenho nem como sobreviver aqui depois de 20 anos? Tá difícil e eu estou na beira de um abismo... é triste mais é realidade enquanto isso fico pedindo a um e outro ajuda para comer, as contas está acabando com minha economias e assim não tenho mais nada. E ainda nao tengo 65 anos e 45 años e tudo já foi embora e eu fiquei na míngua. Obrigada quem for ler esse relato. Freundliche Grüsse De Castro

AFarrugia 2025-08-03 00:28

I got relocated to Switzerland with work 2 and a half years ago with my than 9 year old daughter and absolutely love it.__The system works, public transport couldn’t be better and the country is beautiful! So many things to do and visit and we have activities for every season…Integrating with the locals was easy and we try to speak German whenever possible.

Simon444 2025-07-28 11:34

The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

I moved to Switzerland 2 years ago with my girlfriend (who is Swiss). At first I found the job market a bit more difficult than I was used to in Germany/Luxembourg, but then I found a job before I moved. I'm very happy here so far. The wages are good, things "just work" and the country is of course beautiful. Sure, certain things could be improved, but that's the case everywhere.

Ich bin vor 2 Jahren mit meiner Freundin in die Schweiz gezogen (die Schweizerin ist). Den Jobmarkt fand ich anfänglich etwas schwieriger als ich es in Deutschland/Luxemburg gewöhnt war, habe dann aber dennoch vor Umzug bereits einen Job gefunden. Ich bin bisher sehr zufrieden hier. Die Löhne sind gut, Dinge "funktionieren einfach" und das Land ist natürlich wunderschön. Klar gewisse Dinge könnten verbessert werden aber das ist ja überall so.

citizen H 2025-07-23 08:03

I came to Romandie to study French in 1973, another troubled time, for a year and ended up teaching English then a variety of other professions due to the many opportunities I encountered ... and never looked back. ____Yes, it is always quite difficult at first to go from a comfortable, secure place one understands to a new one that challenges us to go beyond the "known and controlled" to discover how "others" see our world

60seconds.info 2025-07-22 07:53

Everything here is disproportionately expensive relative to the quality offered. The society feels overly regulated and restrictive — a constant “no, no, no.” While it’s possible to earn a higher income, the cost of living is equally inflated, resulting in no real improvement in quality of life. Most cities and towns are seriously dull, with little to offer in terms of vibrancy or excitement. Access to good food is extremely limited, yet prices remain unjustifiably high for subpar quality. Discrimination is not only widespread but also publicly tolerated, as it is not treated as a crime in this country. The winters are excessively long, and both healthcare and housing are financially unsustainable.____2025 will be my final year here — I no longer have any interest in staying.

SwissTex00 2025-07-23 18:43

@60seconds.info

wow! after immigrating 25 years ago and becoming Swiss as well, I find all of your comments as entirely polar opposite to what I'd share. literally the opposite of every comment I would share as my perspective and its why i became Swiss and will never leave. Having grown up in the US and spent years in France, I feel we have an incredibly high quality of life here. But it isn't paradise, not is any country. Women's rights and equity are below par and yes, descrimination of all kinds exists (as elsewhere), including age..

Martin Werner - DocsGoSwiss 2025-07-21 08:54

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I have been living in Switzerland as a German since 2016 - my partner (a doctor) joined me later. Our two children were born here and are now growing up in Switzerland - their home country. ____I now pass on my knowledge as a self-employed expatriate architect from DocsGoSwiss to doctors who want to live and work in Switzerland. In my experience, cultural onboarding in Switzerland is key to ensuring that doctors and their families feel at home from day one, understand the culture and learn to live it, thus laying the foundations for understanding and integration. As this topic is often underestimated by German and Swiss employers, misunderstandings quickly arise. These are the seeds for the idea of leaving Switzerland again.

Seit 2016 lebe ich als Deutscher in der Schweiz - meine Partnerin (Ärztin) ist später nachgekommen. Und so sind inzwischen unsere beiden Kinder hier geboren und wachsen in der Schweiz auf - ihrer Heimat. ____Mein Wissen gebe ich inzwischen als Selbstständiger Auswander-Architekt von DocsGoSwiss an Ärzte und Ärztinen weiter, welche in der Schweiz Leben und Arbeiten wollen. Denn so meine Erfahrung, ist das kulturelle Onboarding in der Schweiz ein Schlüssel dafür, dass sich die Ärzte/Ärztinnen und ihre Familien vom ersten Tag wohl fühlen, die Kultur verstehen und leben lernen und damit die Basis für Verständnis und Integrations. Da dieses Thema von Deutschen und Schweizer Arbeitgebern oft unterschätzt wird, entstehen schnell Missverständnisse. Diese sind die Saat für den Gedanken, die Schweiz wieder zu verlassen.

Schuhmi 2025-07-20 01:19

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We have been living here for a few years and never really intended to stay here.__Switzerland is simply too expensive and a "bubble" as far as money is concerned.__Nobody (foreigners) can afford that in old age..not even the Swiss can manage that.__As I myself have lived here before and never fully understood the Swiss mentality, there was never any question of that elsewhere either.__To anticipate speculation :__It was never just about money or other monetary benefits.__We work in the social sector.__We simply wanted an environment worth living in.__Unfortunately, as a foreigner (and here it doesn't matter from where) you are basically subject to discrimination.__We feel we are to blame for everything that doesn't work here.__We work a lot and pay everything including AHV, health insurance, rent...whatever... just like everyone else (Swiss) in this country, but we are blamed for the fact that there are no flats that are affordable and we are to blame for everything else.__We originally wanted to stay longer, but have now decided that we no longer want to be the whipping boy and leave the country again...__Not because it's not nice or worth living here, but because there is simply no respect for our contribution.__I want it to be clearly understood that this does not apply to everyone and everything.__But... if we are not wanted... OK...__We just don't have a house or a flat on the towbar, so as not to burden the Swiss construct...__Good luck to the Swiss in solving their problems without foreign workers.__And I mean that completely seriously.____ A German immigrant and a German emigrant again.

Wir leben seit ein paar Jahren hier und hatten tatsächlich nie vor hier zu bleiben.__Die Schweiz ist schlicht zu teuer und eine "Bubble", was Geld betrifft..__Das kann sich kein (Ausländer) im Alter leisten..nicht mal die Schweizer bekommen das hin.__Da ich selbst schon früher hier gewohnt habe und die schweizer Mentalität nie ganz verstanden habe, stand das auch anderweitig nie zur Debatte.__Um Spekulationen vorzugreifen :__Es ging uns nie nur um Geld oder sonstige Geldwerte Vergünstigungen.__Wir arbeiten im Sozialbereich .__Wir wollten schlicht ein lebenswertes Umfeld.__Leider ist es so, daß man als Ausländer ( und hier ist es egal von woher) grundsätzlich Diskriminierung ausgesetzt ist.__Wir sind hier gefühlt an allem Schuld, was nicht funktioniert.__Wir arbeiten viel und bezahlen alles incl der AHV, Krankenversicherung, Miete..was auch immer.. genauso wie jeder andere (Schweizer) in diesem Land auch, werden aber dafür verantwortlich gemacht, daß keine Wohnungen da sind, die bezahlbar wären und auch sonst sind wir an allem Schuld.__Wir wollten ursprünglich länger bleiben, haben aber jetzt beschlossen, daß wir keine Lust mehr haben der Prügelknabe zu sein und das Land wieder zu verlassen...__Nicht, weil es hier nicht schön, oder lebenswert wäre, sondern, weil der Respekt vor unserem Beitrag schlicht nicht vorhanden ist.__Ich möchte ganz klar verstanden wissen, daß das durchaus nicht jeden und alles betrifft.__Aber.. wenn wir nicht erwünscht sind... OK..__Wir haben eben kein Haus oder eine Wohnung an der Anhängerkupplung, um das schweizer Konstrukt ja nicht zu belasten..__Viel Glück den Schweizern beim lösen Ihrer Probleme ohne ausländische Arbeitnehmer.__Und das meine ich völlig ernst.____Ein deutscher Zu- und wieder Abwanderer.

TGP 2025-07-18 01:45

The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

Almost 20 years ago, I spontaneously immigrated to Germany straight after my apprenticeship due to an unexpected job offer. For the first few years it was very difficult to survive on a low salary. __Now I work in an industry where the Swiss don't want to work (night shift, railway construction) and I am well paid.__The authorities work quickly and effectively and I can see that my taxes are well invested - unlike in Germany. The Swiss are very friendly and human relations are cordial, more so than in Germany.__I am critical of the current rapprochement with the EU, which I believe will end disastrously. The centralised control from Brussels will also ruin Switzerland, a complete decoupling is urgently needed to protect our civil rights.__Whether I will be able to spend my retirement in Switzerland remains questionable and depends on my pension and the political decisions of the future. However, it would be desirable for me to stay here in Switzerland.__I will definitely not be returning to Germany; in scenario B, I will end up spending the rest of my life in south-east Asia.

Ich bin vor knapp 20 Jahren direkt nach der Lehre in Deutschland spontan, auf Grund eines unerwarteten Jobangebote eingewandert. Die ersten Jahre war es sehr schwer mit einem tiefen Salär zu überleben. __Jetzt arbeite ich in einer Branche in der Schweizer nicht arbeiten wollen(Nachtschicht, Gleisbau) und werde gut bezahlt.__Die Behörden arbeiten schnell und effektiv und ich sehe, dass meine Steuern gut investiert werden - im Gegensatz zu Deutschland. __Die Schweizer sind sehr freundlich und zwischen menschliche Beziehungen herzlich, mehr so als in Deutschland.__Kritisch sehe ich die derzeitige Annäherung an die EU, die aus meiner Sicht katastrophal enden wird. Die zentralistische Steuerung aus Brüssel wird auch die Schweiz ruinieren, eine vollständige Abkoppelung ist dringend nötig, um unsere bürgerlichen Rechte zu schützen.__Ob ich meine Rente in der Schweiz verbringen kann, bleibt fraglich und hängt von der Pension und den politischen Entscheidungen der Zukunft ab. Ein Verbleib hier im Lande wäre allerdings wünschenswert.__Eine Rückkehr nach Deutschland wird es für mich auf keinen Fall geben, es läuft im Szenario B auf den Lebensabend in Südost Asien hinaus.

Dave456 2025-07-07 18:51

After finishing my Bachelors degree in Economics, I applied for over 80 jobs in the region Bern. No luck, no single interviews. I apply for 3 positions in England, got invited for all three and got two job offers. So I moved to England. After working there for several years in IT sector, tried my luck again. I applied from a HR broker who hides the names when applying. Bingo, I got about a dozen invitations for interviews but no one took me. I continued my job and later relocated to Switzerland from London through company transfer. They adjusted by salary to local level, so Im now swimming in Luxury in Zurich area. Payment is great, its clean, beautiful and access to other countries is really great. I have nothing to complain at all. Life standard has grown in comparison to UK. I have an EU B Permit. __All in all, I would say, even in IT sector, if you are a coloured person, you will have lots of difficulties getting a place. Swiss are friendly and polite people but they reject you politely. I can see in my company in other departments, if you are white, christian and have similar cultures and come from Germany or France, it will be easier for you to get a job in Switzerland. If you have non-European sounding name, have darker skin, sorry to say this but it will be very hard for you. Still, I like the fact that the Swiss are rigid in this case, otherwise we will have a situation like in France or some part of Germany here. Some part of Zurich are already chaotic, specially around the train station. People trying to sell drugs, rough drinking in public area, dirty streets etc. and you barely see any Swiss. Most areas are covered by recent refugees from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ukraine, Syria etc. No doubt that there are many nice people from these countries but there are also many who do not adapt to Swiss law and rules and as a person who were welcomed by the Swiss as " those who need safety", they are making other peoples lives less safer. I think, this is the area where the government has lot to work on but everything else, its perfect and im happy to be here and contributing to the society in terms of tax and as a good citizen.

kmar 2025-07-07 14:53

I came to Switzerland around 16 years ago, and nowadays, I work in public administration. The graph showing the nationality of public servants in Switzerland was predominantly Swiss, with very few employees from EU, and even less from other countries (my case). ____I feel very lucky to be where I am today, and also very proud. Switzerland is my home, as much as my country of origin. It's weird belonging to two different places, but also rewarding, which doesn't mean easy. ____As an immigrant trying to integrate, you will always be alone, in the sense that you will always be the immigrant in a group of Swiss nationals. You will miss certain cues, certain jokes, contexts, expressions, etc. German does not make anything easy, as well. And yes, we can be highly qualified, but that can sometimes mean absolutely nothing in Switzerland, which can be frustrating. I certainly understand the immigrants who leave.____On the other hand, if you're an immigrant in a group of immigrants, you will always have a common denominator: everyone is an immigrant. You're not so alone, but then you might miss chances to explore and understand a rich and intriguing culture. Staying in the immigrant bubble is great, and comfy. I prefer English a thousand times over German. But getting out of our comfort zone is also a fantastic experience. Discovering Switzerland is amazing. That's why I also understand the immigrants who stay.____Integration is hard, and a continuous effort, but with time and patience, it is absolutely worth it.

Sloch 2025-07-07 12:11

I moved from Slovenia and work in IT. The process was very smooth, minimum bureaucracy, and everyone is super friendly. ____I speak fluent German so I think it plays a big part in the integration and how people accept you. But I also adapt to the local customs - I think as a foreigner you need to know you are a guest and you need to respect your host. I think this is the main problem with immigration in Europe - people come from abroad and do not integrate in the society and follow its norms. ____In Slovenia we always say we want to be the second Switzerland, and since living here I can only agree to that goal more and more - the people are polite, everything is clean, the infrastructure is good, the public services are really a service to the people etc. The quality of life is very high.

TITI17 2025-07-15 08:08

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

@Sloch

what quality of life means

que veut dire qualite de vie

JustTheFacts 2025-07-02 11:24

Having moved to Switzerland due to a being head hunted, one can say that in Government services to do with permits, car registration and other requirements, there is a stark contrast between the Kantons of Zurich and Zug. Whilst public servants in Zurich have been pleasant to deal with - an example of adding value, Zug on the other hand seems to have public servants that behave like they have power of people. When discussing this with other immigrant high achievers, the consensus seems to be do with the fact that Zug is small; only 20 - 30 years ago they were a farming village and the attitudes of small village.__.__It has also been noted that the agreement between the United Kingdom and Switzerland of 2019 (Brexit agreement), fails in its parity for Swiss citizens in the UK and British citizens in Switzerland. __.__Why? __.__Swiss citizens can obtain a permanent resident permit (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK, without the integration requirement of language. Which is not the case in Switzerland for British citizens.__.__Without being able to retain top talent, business cannot compete. Frankly, the Swiss, due to their legacy of the apprenticeship work approach and lack of phD qualified c suite will increasingly not be able to compete and there is the real danger of businesses shifting workforce to countries where the high education talent is more accessible.__.__Smile, shake your head and wait is not a long term strategy in todays world.

BDAM 2025-06-29 13:19

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Of Spanish origin, I arrived in Switzerland at the age of three. I did all my schooling in French-speaking Switzerland. I don't know anything else: I've been living here for 37 years now.____But I'm told that to obtain Swiss nationality, I have to go through a complicated administrative procedure and pay a lot of money. Honestly, it's vexing.____Like many other EU nationals who have spent more than 90% of their lives in Switzerland, the idea of retiring elsewhere in Europe actually seems quite logical. We don't really get the impression that the Confederation wants to keep us here.____ Obviously, this feeling has nothing to do with life experience, which is excellent. It's just another administrative absurdity in this beautiful country.

D’origine espagnole, je suis arrivé en Suisse à l’âge de trois ans. J’ai fait toute ma scolarité en Suisse romande. Je ne connais rien d’autre : cela fait maintenant 37 ans que je vis ici.____Pourtant, on me dit que pour obtenir la nationalité suisse, je dois suivre une procédure administrative lourde et payer une somme conséquente. Honnêtement, c’est vexant.____Comme beaucoup d’autres ressortissants de l’UE qui ont passé plus de 90 % de leur vie en Suisse, l’idée de prendre ma retraite ailleurs en Europe semble finalement assez logique. On n’a pas vraiment l’impression que la Confédération ait envie de nous garder.____Évidemment, ce ressenti n’a rien à voir avec l’expérience de vie, qui est excellente. C’est juste une absurdité administrative de plus dans ce beau pays.

JustTheFacts 2025-07-02 11:39

@BDAM

"We don't really get the impression that the Confederation wants to keep us here”__.__I would argue the confederation does. The issue is with the Kantons and more specifically the staff within the State migration services. I have noted that most of the staff do not have a higher education, such as a masters or PhD and therefore fall into the trap of behaving like ‘communists’; enjoying having power over the public. __.__I have a Spanish friend and with a Spanish passport, I learned that one can live in almost any latin American country and obtain their passport after 1 (Argentina) to 5 years (Chile). In addition, the Spanish passport holder has visa-free access to is more. My friend plans to get his C permit next year, then put it on hold for four years, get his Chilean and UK passports (he has Chilean girlfriend and IDLTR in UK). He will then return to CH to work and possibly apply for Swiss passport down the road.__.__As Andrew Henderson says; “Go where you are treated best”.

TITI17 2025-07-15 08:12

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

@BDAM

FOR ME IT WAS THE SAME THING; WHEN I ASKED TO BE SWISS I WAS CHARGED 10000 SFR; AT MY RETIREMENT IT COST ME 300sfr; SWITZERLAND AND MONEY A VICIOUS LOVE STORY

POUR MOI CE FUT LA MEME CHOSE;QUAND J'AI DEMANDE A ETRE SUISSE ONT M'AS RECLAME 10000 SFR;A MA RETRAITE CELA M'AS COUTE 300sfr;LA SUISSE ET L'ARGENT UNE HISTOIRE D'AMOUR VICIEUSE

citizen H 2025-07-23 11:18

@BDAM

Most don't realise that naturalisation involves fulfilling certain criteria and applying through the commune (municipality) and canton where the applicant resides. ____Therein lies the difference. It is not the federal administration that sets naturalisation rules

António Nazaré Rodrigues 2025-06-23 19:57

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I'm Portuguese, born in Angola, passed through Iran (when it was a decent country) and then went to Switzerland, fortunately. I started working in a restaurant in Zurich, by the lake "Fischerstube", then I returned to Portugal and soon afterwards I worked again at the "Gesundheitszentrum für das Alter Entlisberg" and finally for many years at the "Pro Senectute Kanton Zürich".__My wife and I were very happy in Switzerland where I have my Luso/Swiss children living.____I would like to add that we regret having voluntarily left the Switzerland that I miss. I visit this marvellous country almost every year.

Sou Português nascido em Angola, passei pelo Irão (quando era um País decente) e logo após fui para a Suiça Felizmente. Comecei trabalhando num restaurante em Zurique, à beira do lago "Fischerstube", voltei a Portugal e logo de seguida novo trabalho no __"Gesundheitszentrum für das Alter Entlisberg" e finalmente e durante muitos anos na "Pro Senectute Kanton Zürich".__Fomos muito felizes eu e minha Mulher na Suiça onde tenho os meus filhos Luso/Suiços vivendo.____Acrescentar que estamos arrependidos de termos deixado, voluntàriamente, a Suiça de que tenho saudades. Para mitigar visito quase todos os anos o maravilhoso País.

Metta.M 2025-05-12 14:52

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Love people and a small, beautiful, clean country. Public services are excellent. I have never been treated so well in my life. I am truly impressed. I made an appointment for passport services and it was completed before the scheduled time, exceeding all expectations. Every time I contact the government, I receive excellent service. I am studying the language and becoming a nurse assistant, which is effective and fast. I am able to find work and earn an income. After three months, I started working and have been doing so until now, for four years.

J'aime les gens et ce petit pays magnifique et propre. Les services publics sont excellents. Je n'ai jamais été aussi bien traitée de ma vie. Je suis vraiment impressionnée. J'ai pris rendez-vous pour obtenir un passeport et tout a été réglé avant l'heure prévue, dépassant toutes mes attentes. Chaque fois que je contacte les autorités, je reçois un excellent service. J'étudie la langue et je suis en train de devenir aide-soignante, ce qui est efficace et rapide. Je peux trouver du travail et gagner ma vie. Après trois mois, j'ai commencé à travailler et je continue depuis quatre ans.

Rissa 2025-07-22 02:07

@Metta.M

Which country were you from originally

Did you immigrate to Switzerland? What are your experiences?

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