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MOVING TO SWITZERLAND

Five things you need to do when you move to Switzerland

When it comes to getting settled in Switzerland, many rules and regulations are different — and sometimes stranger —than those in other countries.

Five things you need to do when you move to Switzerland
Familiarise yourself with all the rules for new arrivals. Photo by AFP

These five rules are essential information for anyone moving here — not just foreigners, but anyone in Switzerland relocating from one address to another.

Residence registration

Whether you live in a big city or a small village, you are required to announce your arrival to your communal authorities (Gemeinde / commune / comunità locale) within 14 days.

Registration rules are strictly enforced. One of the reasons is that the amount of the income taxes and health insurance premiums you pay are based on your place of residence.

To register, you will need to show your identification card, residence/work permit if you are a foreign national, and proof of health insurance (see below).

It’s best to call your commune ahead of time to find out what other documents are needed. 

EXPLAINED: How to register your address in Switzerland

Health insurance

Unlike most countries, health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland for all residents.

Anyone living here on permanent basis must take out an insurance policy within three months of arrival. It can be purchased from any of the roughly 50 health insurance carriers operating in Switzerland.

Coverage for basic healthcare and hospitalisation, called LaMAL, is the same across Switzerland, but companies can compete on the price and features of non-compulsory supplementary insurance.

What if you don’t take out a policy? Chances are that sooner or later (probably sooner) you will be caught. This will happen when you seek medical help, or apply for a job or a new apartment — in all these cases you will be asked to show proof of insurance.

In the event you don’t carry insurance, the canton where you live will purchase a policy for you and send you a bill.

And anyone who doesn’t pay their health insurance premiums can be blacklisted. 

If you are on low income and can’t afford insurance for yourself and family members, you may be entitled to premium reductions through federal and cantonal subsidies. 

But skipping on the health insurance altogether is really not an option.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about health insurance in Switzerland

Radio / television license

It may seem silly to pay the radio, television and internet tax in this day and age, but Switzerland requires you to do it anyway. 

This money is used to subsidise Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and a range of private regional radio and TV channels.

Once a year, each household receives an invoice from a government-mandated agency called Serafe. 

Are you obligated to pay this fee?

The only people exempted from this tax are those receiving welfare benefits, people with disabilities (including those who are deaf and blind), and diplomats.

If you don’t fall under any of these categories, or can prove that you live in a cave away from civilisation, you are bound to pay.

READ MORE: Switzerland’s strangest taxes – and what happens if you don’t pay them 

Animals

If you own a pet, keep in mind that animal welfare is a right enshrined in the Swiss Constitution.

The Swiss Animal Protection Act sets out some rules that pet owners must follow. For instance, it says that small domestic animals like rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs tend to get lonely without a companion, so they must be kept in pairs.

Live goldfish can’t be flushed down the toilet.

And if cats are kept alone, they must have daily interaction with either a human being or visual contact with another cat, the law stipulates.

Also, every dog owner has to pay the dog tax, the amount of which depends on the dog’s size and weight.

But arguably one of weirdest legislations the Swiss have is one banning the boiling of live lobsters.

This law, which went into effect on March 1st, 2018, forbids this practice on the grounds that it’s cruel because lobsters can feel pain. 

Instead, the law calls for a more humane death for lobsters: “rendering them unconscious” before plunging them into scalding water. Two methods are recommended: electrocution or sedating the lobster by dipping it into saltwater and then thrusting a knife into its brain.

Apparently, someone decided these two methods are somehow more humane.

Garbage disposal

Wherever you live, know that disposing of one’s rubbish in Switzerland is highly regulated.

For example, throwing away all the waste in a trash bag without segregating it — mixing PET bottles with tin cans or paper — is an offence in Switzerland. 

It can result in heavy fines, the amount of which is determined by each individual commune.

And yes, municipal workers have the right to go through trash bags to identify garbage offenders — an unenviable but, it seems, very important task.

These are the rules to remember:

  • You can’t use just any bag to dispose of your trash. Each canton has either specially designated bags, priced according to their size (35, 60, or 100 litres), or a sticker to be affixed to a bag.
  • The bags are available in all supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores. However, you may not find them on the shelves and you will have to ask for them at the cash register. The reason is that the bags are expensive – over 30 francs for 10 of the smallest-sized ones— and people have been stealing them.
  • You should not throw away your recyclables, including PET bottles, glass, cardboard, paper, tins, aluminium, and batteries, into the trash bag. Instead, they must go into a specially designated collection point in your commune of residence.

This map shows where the one closest to you is located.

Trash talk: What are the rules for garbage disposal in Switzerland?

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ECONOMY

How the strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss economy will impact you

While the economies of many countries are struggling, Switzerland’s is doing well in comparison. What exactly are its strengths and weaknesses? And how will they impact you?

How the strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss economy will impact you

In its new analysis published on Tuesday, the Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) lays out the forecast for Switzerland’s economy.

Some of it is positive, and some less so.

On the whole, however, and given the difficult situation of the past two years, the outlook is promising (read more about this below).

Things are not always what they seem

Economists, like KOF’s director Jan-Egbert Sturm, point out that though the public’s perception of the current economic situation is skewed toward the negative, it is not necessarily so.

“The increase in prices in Switzerland was significantly lower than in neighbouring countries,” he said in an interview with Blick newspaper. 

So is inflation: even at its height in 2022, when it exceeded the 3-percent mark (a very high figure for Switzerland), it was still well below the EU average.

Today, the rate stands at below 2 percent — still lower than elsewhere in Europe

READ ALSO: Why Switzerland’s inflation rate has stayed low compared to elsewhere

 Another ‘misconception’ is that consumption habits in Switzerland have been impacted by inflation.

The general view is that “there is some reluctance to buy new, larger goods like washing machines or cars. But if we look at the figures closely, we see that consumption is evolving in a relatively stable manner,” Sturm said.

“The Swiss economy is generally quite solid,” he added.

Another plus: “the labour market remains robust, especially thanks to the services sector,” Sturm pointed out.

Companies are more reluctant to let employees go not only because there are not enough qualified workers to fill job vacancies, but also because employers “learned during the pandemic that they must be careful not to lay off workers too quickly,” so as not to create shortages when the crisis passes.  

Why does Swiss economy generally fare well in crises — and in general?

There are several reasons for that: 

Low unemployment / high employment

This dynamic fuels economic prosperity because it means that as people earn income, they not only spend more (thus boosting consumption), but they also pay taxes which fill up the government’s coffers.

And when that happens, everyone in Switzerland benefits: the cantons and their finances profit from the strength of the Swiss economy, as the federal government distributes some of its profits to cantons.

The government’s role

The Swiss are financially-savvy, which bodes well for the economy.

Take the debt brake, for instance.

According to the government, it is a mechanism designed to “prevent chronic deficits and keep federal debt from soaring”.

Just as it is for private spending, the government must be careful not to exceed the set ‘expenditure ceiling.’

“With a debt ratio of around 30 percent of gross domestic product, Switzerland remains in excellent shape by international standards,” the government pointed out. “The debt brake has not only significantly helped Switzerland to overcome multiple crises relatively well; it has also allowed for a considerable reduction in federal debt.”

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), “Switzerland’s public finances rank amongst the best in terms of solidity.”

READ ALSO : What is Switzerland’s debt brake and how does it affect residents?

All these factors combined have kept Switzerland’s afloat (or at least from drowning) during various global downturns, including the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which sparked spiralling inflation in many places. 

But there are weak points as well

One of them is the strong franc.

Actually, its strength vis-à-vis the euro and US dollar is a double-edged sword.

On the positive side it benefits the import industry and, ultimately, the consumer.

But it is quite the opposite for exports.

Switzerland relies heavily on trade with the EU, mainly Germany, but when the euro is weaker than the franc, Swiss goods are too expensive abroad — especially if countries concerned are in recession and simply can’t afford to buy from Switzerland.

For this reason, Swiss industries that depend on exports, usually feel the ‘crunch’ more than import-based sectors.

Also, the strong franc may very well enable Switzerland-based earners to enjoy numerous stays abroad, but it also makes holidays in Switzerland very pricy for overseas tourists. This, in turn, has a negative effect on the Swiss economy as well.

Therefore, the state of Switzerland’s economy is not entirely in its own hands, but depends on forces beyond its control.

As KOF puts it, “the sluggish global economy is slowing the growth of the Swiss economy” as well.

What can we expect ahead?

This is where the good news comes in.

“Real wage increases are expected following the declines of recent years,” KOF says. “This will boost purchasing power and, together with population growth, should support private consumption.

Therefore, “households’ spending is expected to increase in the coming year. This trend will be supported by a gradual levelling-​off of inflation and a sharper rise in disposable incomes.”

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