Did you return to Switzerland after living abroad? And did you have problems reintegrating into Swiss society?
Tell us about the circumstances and your experiences.
I moved out of Switzerland to the US as a teenager with my parents. I always wanted to return and FINALLY did in 2021. I love being here, The ONLY difficult thing is reintegrating professionally. I am a teacher in special education with a lot of experience and good references. I am also bilingual (French and English). Though I read article after article that there is a need, Bern took 2 years to get back to me about my equivalency and they want me to go back to school for 1.5 years. The problem is that to go back to school it would be during the day (no night classes offered) and I need to make a living. I have sent so many applications and hear nothing back or I can sub, but I am looking for a full time job. I am 53 and I am nervous about getting into subbing because they cannot keep me long term without the Swiss equivalency. I started working for myself teaching English and accent modification, and do not want to lose those clients to take a temporary job. I hope that my luck turns in 2023. I wanted to be back here for 30 years and this has been the biggest shock.
Thank you for your interesting insight. It is true that several cantons have a shortage of teachers, but they are still very careful about educational equivalence. As an adult, it is difficult to go back to school without a way to earn a living. What a dilemma!
Despite all this, are you satisfied with your return to Switzerland?
Emilie
Yes, I must like to return to Switzerland and I have no problems reintegrating into Swiss society.
Thanks
Ashok Mukherjee
from Kolkata State
It feels strange coming to Switzerland after an international career and seeing that all the newcomers, asylum seekers and others, are better integrated than me. With the Swiss cost of living it would mean a huge step downwards in the standard of living. If you earn 10'000 sfr plus per month it is fine, otherwise better look elsewhere. Greetings from Lombok, Indonesia, 100 steps from the beach.
I guess all those returning ran out of money.
We'll probably do the same eventually. For now selling a house in canton Zurich for 1.5-2 million pays for a life-time in Germany renting a home in the country side.
I am no professional in this area and not even a citizen of Switzerland.
I would not be giving up my Swiss Citizenship unless it was costing me an outrageous amount of time, energy and money to keep it.
I would advise that if 'the country' or 'Gemeinde' is treating you badly that you contact the local politician and complain to them and if that doesn't work go to the President of Switzerland and let them know what is going on. If anything it would be good to get all this 'garbage' off ones chest.
I suggest some of this because I worked for a company in my homeland where the HR people/management 'secretly' pushed to an edge in order that, that person would resign and thus save the company many dollars on payouts etc. It is the oldest trick in the book to push people in the hope that they leave and the company is no long responsible for them. It might seem crazy but here in Switzerland the Kanton is responsible for you and that could cost them money if you come back after all these years !!
Just some thoughts and good luck!
I was born in Switzerland, but I lived most of my life in the US as my parents moved there when I was 3 years old.
I came to Switzerland on a 5 year contract with my American family. The country is treating foreigners very badly. So much in fact that I am considering returning my Swiss passport. Yesterday my last year of the contract started and I am already preparing to move back to the US. We've been treated like third class people by the local authorities and this has been awful.
Thank you for your contribution. I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. In which part of Switzerland are you living?
We have a similar experience. I was born here, in Lugano, while my husband was born in Germany but grew up in Canada. He was treated really badly by the local authorities in canton Zurich (not in the city), after they decided to create his paperwork using his canadian passport.
Now we're in the process of moving to Germany. We'll get a lot more for the money we get for our current apartment and I'm pregnant with twins.
In 5 years I plan to give back the Swiss passport when I get the German passport.
We have a similar experience. I was born here, in Lugano, while my husband was born in Germany but grew up in Canada. He was treated really badly by the local authorities in canton Zurich (not in the city), after they decided to create his paperwork using his canadian passport.
Now we're in the process of moving to Germany. We'll get a lot more for the money we get for our current apartment and I'm pregnant with twins.
In 5 years I plan to give back the Swiss passport when I get the German passport.
I was born in Switzerland, but I lived most of my life in the US as my parents moved there when I was 3 years old.
I came to Switzerland on a 5 year contract with my American family. The country is treating foreigners very badly. So much in fact that I am considering returning my Swiss passport. Yesterday my last year of the contract started and I am already preparing to move back to the US. We've been treated like third class people by the local authorities and this has been awful.
I'm thinking of returning to my own country (the UK) when I retire, as my pension will go a lot further. I could buy a house, in cash, for example, with my 3rd tier pension. But, I fully expect re-integration problems, as I'm used to living like a Swiss, driving on the wrong side of the road, being able to speak to anyone in bars with very few problems from neanderthals who think all women belong to them. I'm not looking forward to the clannish attitude of the Brits. But, this is only Plan A. I have Plans B to Z too.
Not just thinking, but have bought in the UK and can’t wait to leave.
I was born in Switzerland from Swiss and French parents. I hold both passports. Even though I lived most of my life in Switzerland other than when I got the university degree at Sorbonne.
Now with the forced work from the office I am considering moving to France where my colleagues can all continue to work from home.
I can very much agree with the article above. I myself moved back and forth between USA, Canada several times in my younger years for one or more years. In the 80s and 90s, the US was a different than today or I just see it differently. Lived later more or less 16 years back in Switzerland. Then in Taiwan for 2.5 years and now in the Midwest for 13 years. I think once you leave Switzerland it's hard to really feel at home there again. But you can get used to it again. But you learn in the years abroad to think a little bit more cosmopolitan and that there are other things and you see that the world is also different. But you also see that we are doing very well in Switzerland and that we can consider ourselves lucky. I always like to come to Switzerland, but I also like to go away. Where do I feel at home? Today I define it like this; where I have my things, where I have furnished my 4 walls. I have noticed that I can feel at home anywhere. It's a head thing. For many years I was torn between two places. When I was in Switzerland, I wanted to go back to the USA. If I was there, I wanted to go back. That went on until I was about 40 years old. Then I came to rest and home is where I currently live. When I retire, it will certainly be a new place again. Where I don't know yet, but I will settle down there again. If you are open and you are looking for it, you will quickly find friends again. But you have to want it and come out for it. The others don't wait for you! But my wife and I also like to be alone and we don't always need entertainment. We enjoy nature and don't have to deal with everything that today's cities offer. If you want everything it costs too much.
Home is not necessarily where you were born or what passport or passports you have. Home = Feeling good!
Ich kann mich dem Artikel oben sehr gut anschliessen. Ich selber bin in meinen jungen Jahren mehrmals für ein oder mehrere Jahre zwischen USA, Kanada hin und her gezogen. In den 80iger und 90iger Jahre war die USA eine andere als heute oder ich sehe es einfach anders. Lebte später mehr oder weniger 16 Jahre wieder in der Schweiz. Dann in Taiwan für 2,5 Jahre und jetzt seit 13 Jahren im Mittleren Westen. Ich glaube wenn man einmal die Schweiz verlassen hat ist es schwierig sich dort wieder wirklich daheim zu fühlen. Aber man kann sich daran wieder gewöhnen. Aber man lernte halt in den Jahren im Ausland etwas weltoffener zu denken und das es noch anderes gibt und sieht das es auf der Welt auch anders geht. Man sieht aber auch das es uns in der Schweiz sehr gut geht und wir uns glücklich schätzen können. Ich komme immer gerne in die Schweiz, gehe aber auch immer wieder gerne weg. Wo fühle ich mich zu Hause? Das definiere ich heute so; dort wie ich meine Sachen habe, dort wo ich meine 4 Wände eingerichtet habe. Ich habe gemerkt das ich mich überall wohl fühlen kann. Es ist eine Kopfsache. Über viele Jahre war ich zwischen zwei Orten hin und her gerissen. War ich in der Schweiz, wollte ich zurück in die USA. War ich dort wollte ich zurück. Das ging bis ich etwa 40 Jahre alt war. Dann kam ich zur Ruhe und zuHause ist wo ich momentan wohne. In der Pensionierung wird es sicherlich wiederum ein neuer Ort sein. Wo weiss ich noch nicht, aber ich werde mich auch dort wieder einleben. Wenn man offen ist und man es sucht findet man auch schnell wieder Freunde. Man muss es aber wollen und sich dafür outen. Die anderen warten nicht auf dich! Meine Frau und ich sind aber auch gerne alleine und wir brauchen nicht immer Unterhaltung. Wir geniessen die Natur und müssen uns nicht mit allem was heutige Städte bieten auseinandersetzen. Will man alles kostet es auch viel zu sehr.
Heimat ist nicht zwingend wo man geboren ist oder welchen Pass oder Pässe man hat. Heimat = Sich wohl fühlen!
Thank you so much for your post! You live up to your name :)
Vielen Dank für Ihren Beitrag! Sie machen Ihrem Namen alle Ehre :)
6 years of long distance relationship Switzerland-Finland, my partner came to Switzerland after her studies, got a 5 months internship after 3 months of research. Found her dream job in Finland so I followed her last year...
We have been in Finland for 15 months now, and the differences, whether cultural or linguistic, make everything interesting, although Covid does not allow us to live this experience fully (and I to integrate).
We are lucky to have the white cross passport which allows us to be quite free in our choices of movements!
6 ans de relation à distance Suisse-Finlande, ma partenaire est venue en Suisse après ses études, obtenu un stage de 5 mois après 3 mois de recherche. A trouvé le job de ses rêves en Finlande donc je l'ai suivi l'année passée...
On est maintenant en Finlande depuis 15 mois, et la differences qu'elles soient culturelles, ou linguistiques rendent tout ceci intéressant bien que Covid ne nous permet pas de vivre cette expérience pleinement (et moi de m'intégrer).
On a de la chance d'avoir le passeport à croix blanche qui nous permet quand même d'être assez libre dans nos choix de mouvements!
What about you, have you found a job in Finland? And do you speak Finnish?
Et vous, avez-vous trouvé un emploi en Finlande? Et parlez-vous finnois?
The magic of Finland is that education is free (for Europeans and Swiss) and really encouraged.
I put off studying for years, so yes the main idea was to find a job but you have to be flexible and seize opportunities ;). So I went back to school and did a bachelor in economics!
However, without English it would be much more complicated ;)
Minä puhun vähän suomea mutta se on monumutkainen kieli... with its 15 cases :P ;)
La magie de la Finlande est que l'éducation est gratuite (pour les Européens et Suisses) et vraiment encouragée.
J'ai repoussé les études pendant des années, alors oui l'idée principale était de trouver un travail mais il faut savoir rester flexible et saisir les opportunités ;). J'ai donc repris le chemin des bancs d'école et fait un bachelor en économie!
Par contre sans l'anglais ça serait vraiment plus compliqué ;)
Minä puhun vähän suomea mutta se on monumutkainen kieli... avec ses 15 cas :P ;)
I'll never go back to Switzerland, and I can't afford it.
On the other hand, a Swiss like me, living in Uruguay, can ask himself how come I can't sell my little farm in Uruguay, since four years (well the pandemic ok)?
No doubt they are all in cahoots to make a living from it???
Revenir en Suisse, jamais de la vie, d'ailleurs je n'en ai pas les moyens.
En revanche, un suisse comme moi, vivant en Uruguay peut se demander comment se fait-il que je ne puis vendre ma petite ferme en Uruguay, depuis quatre ans (bon la pandémie ok)?
Sans doute, ils sont tous de mèche pour en vivre???
I think it is important to distinguish between the reasons for expatriation:
Work
Family
Financial reasons
Quality choice.
For retired people, I think that in the majority it is a question of living better and more comfortably abroad rather than in Switzerland.
A forced expatriation and not chosen with a light heart.
My experience is with France which is not among the cheapest countries.
My car insurance is almost half of what it is in Switzerland, the car tax does not exist, the coffee is more than half, the rent is incomparable, the health insurance ....... etc etc.
If you want to go into details, the list is very long.
The conclusion is that life in Switzerland is too expensive for the pension of the average person.
In the last century there were emigrants for work reasons: Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese who came to Switzerland. Now there are Swiss emigrants who are looking for a cheaper life because the pensioner is no longer enough.
However, people still believe that Switzerland has one of the highest standards of living in the world!
Je pense que il faut bien distinguer les raisons de s'expatrier:
Travail
Famille
Raisons financières
Choix de qualité.
Pour les retraités, je pense que dans la majorité il s'agit de vivre mieux et plus confortablement à l'étranger plutôt qu'en Suisse.
Une expatriation donc forcée et non pas choisie à cœur leger.
Mon experience est avec la France qui n'est pas parmi les pays les plus bon marché.
Mon assurance auto est presque la moitié qu'en Suisse, La taxe Automobile n'existe pas, le café est plus que la moitié, le loyer est incomparable, l'Assurance Maladie ....... etc etc.
Si on veut entrer dans les détails, la liste est très longue.
La conclusion est que la vie en Suisse est trop chère pour la retraite de Monsieur Tout-le-monde.
Dans le siècle passé existaient les émigrants pour raisons de travail: italiens, épagnols, portugais qui venaient en Suisse. Maintenant existent les émigrants suisses qui cherchent une vie plus bon marché car la retraité ne suffit plus.
Pourtant on continue à croire que la Suisse a le niveau de vie parmi les plus hauts du monde !
Hello, I am originally from Solothurn, and have lived mostly in Zurich, I love these 2 cities and Switzerland in general, but the mentality of the Swiss forced me to leave my country! Indeed, I married a French woman, very good in all respects: serious, clean, kind....but impossible to find a place to live because of her nationality! I had to say that she was from the French-speaking part of Switzerland! my own family never welcomed her with open arms, she gave birth in Zurich hospital and was really insulted because she didn't speak the language (yet)....On the other hand, her family was very welcoming, very kind, even though I spoke very little French! I had no choice and I now live in France..... on the border with Geneva and I regret nothing
Bonjour, Je suis originaire de Soleure, et ai surtout vécu à Zurich, j'adore ces 2 villes et la Suisse en général, mais la mentalité des Suisses m'a obligé à quitter mon pays! En effet, j'ai épousé une française, très bien sous tous rapports: sérieuse, propre, gentille....mais impossible de trouver un logement au vu de sa nationalité! il a fallu dire qu'elle était romande! ma propre famille ne l'a jamais accueillie à bras ouverts, elle a accouché à l'hôpital de Zurich et s'est véritablement fait insultée parce qu'elle ne parlait (pas encore ) la langue....Par contre, sa famille a été on ne peut plus accueillante, d'une grande gentillesse alors que je parlais très mal le français! je n'ai donc pas eu le choix et je vis désormais en France.....à la frontière avec Genève et je ne regrette rien
Thank you for your contribution! Would you like to try to move back to German-speaking Switzerland one day? And have you passed on Swiss German to your children?
Merci de votre contribution! Aimeriez-vous essayer de revenir vivre en Suisse alémanique un jour? Et avez-vous transmis le suisse allemand à vos enfants?
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