Useful Info

Welcome to Switzerland

When you move here you have 14 days to register in the place you are living (commune/gemeinde office). There you can fill in an application form for your residence/work permit. Take along your employment contract, passport, Swiss property rental contract if you have one, possibly birth certificate, too. Even if you are staying in an hotel or with a friend for a few weeks, you must do the registration, changing your contact details later once you have a permanent address.

Formalities to be taken care of:

• health insurance
• customs and entry formalities
• notification to Residents' Register Office
• car insurance and car registration in Switzerland
• other types of insurance

Residence permits

Anyone who works during their stay in Switzerland or who remains in Switzerland for longer than three months requires a residence permit issued by the Cantonal Migration Offices. A distinction is made between short-term residence permits (less than one year), annual residence permits (limited) and permanent residence permits (unlimited).

There are several different types of residence permits:

• Permit B (residence permit): This is a residence permit with authorisation to work. The permit will be issued on production of a contract of employment with a duration of at least 12 months. It is valid for 5 years. No limitations on the type of work or place of residence.
• Permit C (settlement permit): Residence permit of unlimited duration, not linked to any particular conditions. Prerequisite for obtaining this settlement permit is regular, uninterrupted residence in Switzerland for 10 years.
• Permit L (short-term residence permit): This is issued for a limited duration (usually for less than one year) to persons with a certain reason for short-term residence in Switzerland. Permit L can be converted to Permit B ,if the contract of employment is extended.

Contact Migration Office of corresponding kanton for change of address, or birth of a child. Click here for the details and for the details of Justice, Migration and Security department of Basel Stadt Click here!

Bringing your family to Switzerland

Family members are defined as spouses, children and grandchildren under the age of 21, and parents or grandparents who are financially supported by the worker. Family members of employed EU/EFTA nationals are granted an EU/EFTA permit even if they are non-EU/EFTA nationals but live permanently in an EU/EFTA country. The validity of the permit is limited to the duration of the main holder's position. Family members are allowed to work, but must notify the cantonal authorities before doing so. For more information, see our article on bringing your family to Switzerland. It’s now simple to get international medical insurance for yourself and your family, wherever you are in the world. Get a free quote for Now Health insurance, which offers award-winning international health care with local expertise.
More information Visit www.bfm.admin.ch or contact your local authority.

Housing

Renting is common in Switzerland with less than 40 percent of people owning their own home.The habitable surface of Switzerland is very small. So in larger cities, prices are correspondingly high (over 20% of the average salary). Rental rates are even higher in popular cities like Zurich, Basel and Geneva and somewhat lower in rural areas. As so many people of all ages and family situations rent, there are a broad range of property types available, from chic city-centre apartments to former farmhouses and even the odd château or stately home.

Learning German

First and foremost thing to do in Switzerland is learning German. In the German area of Switzerland, people read and write High German and speak Swiss German. There are number of Language schools available, one can select according to their need and availability. Klubschule, Gewerbeschule and so..on

Shopping

Transportation

The country has a very dense and efficient, punctual public transport system. Day for day, many hundred thousands of passengers take the train or bus to work or school. This range of transport facilities also has its price train tickets are expensive. Many Swiss therefore have a so-called half-fare card, which enables them to travel at half price. Fares are also reduced for many other forms of public transport. Click here for the details

Junior card

With the Junior travel card for CHF 30, children aged 6 to 16 years can travel on public transport for a whole year, accompanied by a parent with a valid ticket.

Gemeinde Karte

One can get Day card for 40 CHF for a specified date, Click here to book the tickets!

Having Baby

In Switzerland pregnant women have a great deal of choice both for prenatal care and later when giving birth. Women can choose to use midwives, obstetricians or GPs for pre-natal checks and basic health insurance facilitates the choice of having a baby at home, in hospital or in a birth house.

Switzerland's healthcare system

Switzerland is known throughout Europe for its high-quality medical and paramedic services, and healthcare is always high on the political agenda.
This high level of healthcare in Switzerland comes at a price. Everyone living in the country is required to have basic health insurance (Soziale Krankenversicherung / Assurance maladie / Assicurazione-Mallatie). Non-Swiss nationals must obtain health insurance within the first three months of their arrival in Switzerland and babies must be insured within three months of birth.

Festivals in Switzerland

There is more to Switzerland’s great outdoors than lush meadows and Alpine peaks. For those who have an ear for music, an eye for film or a taste for the performing arts, Switzerland’s annual festivals are not to be missed. From rock and pop, through jazz and classical music, to opera, theatre and film, joining the masses for outdoor – or indoor – events is a must in Swiss summer, and all year round events are taking place.

Themeparks / Amusementparks

Here are the list of funparks

Crèches

There are widespread facilities available in Switzerland for very young children and crèches will take children from 0 – 4 years of age. Their main function is to facilitate parents who are working and so they are often open from 7 am to 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday. Parents can enroll children by approaching the crèche directly. Places are often in great demand so that waiting lists are commonplace. This means that it is never too early to approach the centre, preferably during the pregnancy. However crèches will generally prioritise children who are living in the commune so if you are local your chances of a place will be better.

Nursery

Children in Switzerland begin compulsory formal education at the age of six but usually have two years of nursery school before then. Almost 100 percent of children attend pre-school for 1 year and approximately 86 percent attend for two years. In addition to nursery schools there are alternative childcare options available such as crèches and home day care.
There are different play groups available locally, And also there are different meeting points for mothers and kids. Click here for its addresses for openings.

Preschool/Kindergarten

Kindergarten (école enfantine/scuola dell'infanzia) attendance is mostly voluntary, although the majority of children attend preschool for at least one year. Children are not divided into achievement groups at this level. Public kindergarten attendance is free of charge, with local government providing financial support. There are different play groups available locally,usually for kids go at age 5 and 6, other kindergartens like Montessori More Info:

Primary school

Primary school (Primarschule / ecole primaire / scuola primaria orelementare) attendance is obligatory and free of charge for all children. The minimum age is six years in all cantons except Obwalden, where it is 5 years and 3 months. Primary school lasts six years in 20 of the cantons and four or five years in the other cantons. At this level, children are not divided into achievement groups. Cantons are responsible for determining the curricula of the primary schools. All of the cantons teach one national language (German, French, Italian, or Romansh) and two foreign languages, in addition to maths, history, geography, and science. In some cantons, a student’s sixth-grade work is important as it determines the track they will follow for the rest of their education in Switzerland. Pupils are separated into groups based on whether they speak French, German or Italian as their first language. More Info:

Lower secondary school

Pupils between 12 and 16 years of age attend lower secondary schools. In most cantons, this level is divided according to performance and career intentions: schools with basic courses promote practical abilities and prepare students for apprenticeships, while schools with expanded courses prepare students for general education schools or more demanding apprenticeships.

Upper secondary school

After nine years of compulsory education, adolescents continue to the upper secondary level, which is split into vocational and general education. Basic vocational education lasts between two and four years and provides practical and technical training. Education takes place at companies that provides apprenticeships, in vocational schools and in cross-company courses. General education students attend Matura schools and specialised middle schools (Fachmittelschulen). Matura schools’ curricula include languages, humanities, economics, maths, science, visual arts, music, and sport. Specialised middle schools prepare pupils for higher vocational education in healthcare, social service, teaching, communication and information, and the arts.

Validity of your driving license

Switzerland allows drivers to use a foreign license for one year, after which the license must be exchanged for a Swiss one (an exception is made for holders of an 18-month residence permit). Any driver who does not apply for a Swiss license within the first year of residence must pass a Swiss driving test. During this first year it is prohibited to lease or sell a car to a third party. During the first twelve months of your stay in Switzerland you may, without further formalities, drive a vehicle corresponding to the categories listed in your national driving license, provided you have reached the minimum age (at least 18 for motorcycles, cars). After this period you must exchange your foreign driving license for a Swiss one .You can exchange your driving license at the road vehicle office in your canton. The following documents are required for your application:-fully completed and signed application form, passport or identity card, initial or permanent residence permit, original driving license, current passport photograph.

Learning to drive in Switzerland

You must be 18 years of age to learn how to drive in Switzerland. The process begins with a 10-hour first aid course in which you learn how to give assistance to traffic accident victims. Then, you must follow eight hours of obligatory theory (traffic-awareness course), called VKU in german. Once you begin to drive, you must be accompanied by a person over 24 years of age who has had his or her license for at least three years. You must also attach a sticker (a white L on a blue background, can bought in Migros) to the windshield of your car to show that you are a "learner" driver. You are not required to take driving lessons with a professional instructor to obtain your license, although it is recommended since the instructors know exactly what the examiners expect... It's at your own risk. Bear in mind that it will cost you approximately 90-100 Swiss francs an hour. Moreover, constant pressure is placed on the government to raise driver training standards for young drivers, in the name of road safety and to the great benefit of driving school instructors.
The Swiss driving test includes a written exam (that can be taken in English or in other foreign languages, only in certain exam centers) and a practical test. The practical test can be taken only three times.
To obtain an international driving licence, it is necessary to provide a residence permit, a copy of the lease or a confirmation from the local authority of residency within the canton, a passport photo, and CHF 40. The international driving license is only valid for three years.

Motorway

Vehicles using the motorway system must have a motorway sticker (vignette). This costs CHF 40. per year and can be purchased at the customs as well as at post offices and petrol stations. Click here for more Info:

Mobility Car

It is a car share system. Whenever you want – without the commitments that owning your own car entails. Mobility has 2'650 vehicles waiting for you at 1'380 stations throughout Switzerland. Around the clock and on a self-service basis. Click here for more Info: