Did you immigrate to Switzerland? What are your experiences?
Many people who immigrate to Switzerland don’t settle here and leave again after some years.
Have you immigrated to Switzerland? What is your country of origin and what were the circumstances of your immigration to Switzerland?
Did you stay or move somewhere else again? And what motivated your decision to stay or leave? Let us know in the discussion below!
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I first came to Switzerland in 1971 as a diplomat from the second largest country in the world. I was initially fascinated with the country. I came back in 1978 and tried to buy a house. Finding none, I left. I came back in 1987, got married, settled down and raised two children.
I left after ten years as nothing about the superficial side of cheese and chocolates came true in the reality of culture, the economy or social life. I returned in 2010, dying from an incurable disease no Swiss doctor could assist. I left and found a cure elsewhere.
I returned in 2023 to make one last attempt to settle down, all the false narratives, hopes and understandings of the country being completely erased. It took me over a year to buy a house which ended up as a serious disappointment, having been repeatedly lied to by the seller, notary and the real estate agent. While fluent in Swiss German and French, I have learned to protect my mother tongue as the global lingua franca, and use the local dialects only when necessary.
My two Swiss children were given an exceptional childhood, education and introduction to the rest of the world, but in the end have disappeared into their own lives. I haven't seen or spoken to them in over a decade.
My former Swiss wife divorced me behind my back. After over 50 years of understanding the Swiss, I conclude that the country has a magnificent landscape, but the people remain deeply problematic with a culture that does not bend to the rest of the world, even after I adopted Swiss citizenship.
Having studied the people with microscopic care and understanding, I am happy to live in my little bubble in Chablais surrounded by +33% foreigners, and conclude that this minority is about all that I can cling to as my support and lifeline in accommodating the unique and difficult nation in which I am probably tied for the rest of my life.
I could easily write several volumes to express my feeling about the people and the country, but find it easier to simply survive quietly, keep primarily to my friends and neighbours whom I trust, and not worry too much about the eccentric behaviour of the rest of the people.
I moved to Switzerland in 2017 because my partner at the time got a job here. We had been living in London before, and I had an amazing job there.
The transition was very difficult for me, especially in terms of finding work in the IT sector. I faced a lot of rejection and eventually had to settle for a much lower position with a significantly lower salary. A couple of years later, we had a daughter. It’s extremely challenging to work full-time when you have no family or support system around. Eventually, my partner and I separated.
Living in Switzerland has left me feeling mentally and emotionally drained. From the outside, it all looks beautiful — but nobody really talks about how the system here doesn’t support working parents, especially mothers, who are expected to work 100% while managing everything else.
There’s a lot of sexism in the workplace and discrimination if you’re a woman. The system takes so much from you, and in the end, it doesn’t feel worth it. Money doesn’t bring happiness — and by the way, the idea that everyone in Switzerland earns amazing salaries is a myth (I work in IT).
Let’s not forget the cost of everything here. It may look pretty on the outside, but in many ways, it’s quite backwards on the inside.
I am 37 years old now and this summer planing to leave Switzerland. It took too much from me as person.
I feel you! Don't forget women were only allowed to vote in der Schweiz since 71, so yes, sexism and misogyny are baked in. I've seen how Swiss men treat women and it's a fn shame. And I hope you're not a woman of color...then...daaaaamn! I can't imagine what that must be like and I'm a black man from the states. This place is vampiric and will indeed try to suck the soul from you. God bless you on the rest of your journey.
Hello, I immigrated to Switzerland 35 years ago. I was 20 and had just met the man who was to become my husband.
I'm French, but this wasn't my first experience of expatriation; I'd already lived in Italy and England for many years.
I stayed because I got married and had 2 children.
My family moved to the US for a few years before coming back to Switzerland.
I didn't have any problems integrating in Switzerland, I studied to be a teacher and I've always found work without any problems.
I really like Switzerland, its mentality, its pragmatism, far from the hustle and bustle of my native country. Above all, I love its landscapes and the fact that everything works here. Most of the time, you can trust people, everything is of high quality and I feel safe here.
Bonjour, j'ai immigré en suisse il y a 35 ans. J avais 20 ans et je venais de rencontrer celui qui allait devenir mon mari.
Je suis française mais déjà à cette époque je n en était pas à ma première expérience d expatriation, j avais déjà vécu de nombreuses années en Italie et en Angleterre.
Je suis restée car je me suis mariée et eu 2 enfants.
En famille nous nous sommes expatriés quelques années aux US avant de revenir en Suisse.
Je n ai pas rencontré de problèmes à m intégrer en suisse, j'y ai fais mes études d éducatrice et j ai toujours trouvé du travail sans problème.
J'aime beaucoup la suisse, sa mentalité, son pragmatisme, loin de l agitation de mon pays natal. J'aime avant tout ses paysages et le fait que tout fonctionne ici. La plupart du temps on peut faire confiance aux gens, tout y est de qualité, je m'y sent en sécurité.
Thank you for your contribution! I'm delighted to read that your experience of immigrating to Switzerland has been a positive one.
Merci pour votre contribution! Ravie de lire que votre expérience d'immigration en Suisse a été positive.
I arrived in Switzerland from Canada on Jan. 1,2023. I came alone and knew no one here. I had secured a job approximately 4 months before. I had made the decision early in 2022 while visiting Prague that I would like to live in Europe and actively searched for employment for 6 months. Switzerland was considered a great country to work in as Dental Hygienists had been coming from America and Canada for many years due to the shortage here. My initial goal was only 3-5 years. At the 3 year mark I was considering returning but decided to give it another year. Year 4 I had met ‚my Swiss partner‘ and wanted to see where the relationship would take me. Year 5 … decision to stay for good.
I think the biggest obstacle for many foreigners is the language. Once a native language is mastered, the possibilities regarding forming lasting friendships and also gaining better employment opportunities become increasingly apparent. I am very proud to say I have obtained my Swiss Citizenship after a lot of hard work and added study. It is my goal upon retirement to spend half of the year in Canada and the other 6 months traveling between Switzerland and other European countries. I am very thankful for my life here and consider myself very lucky to call Switzerland ‚home‘.
Thank you very much for your message. It's true that while English is a passport to employment in many countries, in Switzerland a command of a national language is often required. Congratulations on overcoming the difficulties of integration, and I'm delighted to read that you're now at home in Switzerland!
Merci beaucoup pour votre message. Effectivement, si l'anglais est un passeport pour l'emploi dans beaucoup de pays, en Suisse la maîtrise d'une langue nationale est souvent requise. Bravo à vous d'avoir surmonté les difficultés d'intégration et ravie de lire que vous êtes désormais chez vous en Suisse!
I moved to Switzerland very recently after getting married to my wife who is a Swiss citizen. Some of the problems I faced up untill now was not getting a job because of not having the required language skills although I am fluent in English and B1 in German but I was not able to get a job. Then I decided to find admission so that maybe a Swiss degree will help. I applied in many Swiss Universities but to no avail. I applied with the same research proposal that was accepted at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. but for some reason not sufficient here. Also I have a masters degree from the U.K. which I thought should make my job search easy but so far it has been a rough journey. Having the B-type residence permit and renewing it each year is another hurdle as many jobs want permanent residents or someone who have lived for more than 3 years in Switzerland. Some jobs would even say oh your residence permit is expiring next month , we can’t guarantee you a job. Also there is an inherent biases against certain countries from the Middle East, or South Asia. I was doing an odd job of packet sorting for a delivery company. They would tax me extra thinking that I am a refugee which I only got to know later. Same thing was repeated at another company. My connection to the family and wider friends and family network was great and I intergrated here more than in other countries I have lived in. Still hopefull to secure a good job :)
Thank you very much for your interesting contribution. The language barrier and the non-recognition of diplomas are often cited as obstacles to professional integration in Switzerland, which in turn guarantees a residence permit. I hope you find a job that suits you!
Merci beaucoup pour votre intéressante contribution. La barrière de la langue et la non reconnaissance des diplômes sont souvent évoqués comme obstacles à l'intégration professionnelle en Suisse, elle-même garante du titre de séjour. Je vous souhaite de trouver un emploi qui vous convienne!
My advice to you (to get a job) is to network more with peers from same job industry and also speak Swiss-German where possible. It is not what you know but WHOM you know.
Also never give up! Good luck!
We immigrated here in 2009. We came with a job and had no intention of returning to our home country.
We wanted a fresh start for us and our 4 children because life in our home country was untenable. Education for our children was the biggest hurdle we faced.
Our kids were 10, 7, 6, 3 years old when we moved here. They went to the local schools and had an education and childhood that we never could have given them in our home country. We were amazed at the experiences and trips and education available to everyone in the local schools.
Yes, of course there was bad mixed in with the good. But 16 years later, after much hard work and integration, this is the life we wanted to give our kids and our family, but could never have in our home country. We have no intention of leaving.
Hello,
Thank you very much for your contribution! May I ask what country you were born in?
Bonjour,
Merci beaucoup pour votre contribution! Puis-je vous demander quel était votre pays d'origine?
I was born in Mexico and grew up in the USA.
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