Whether you are a foreigner or a Swiss citizen, sometimes you are faced with problems and are not sure who can help you handle them.

Joining a group that will offer practical or legal advice specific to your situation, protect your rights, and generally simplify your life, can be invaluable.

Here are some that are worth the (usually reasonable) membership fee:

Tenants association

If you are a tenant, as most people in Switzerland are, you could benefit from joining your local tenants’ group.

Not only will it be a good source of information relating to your rights and obligations, and answer any questions about your tenancy, but it will also advocate for you if you ever have a disagreement or conflict with your landlord (provided, of course, that you have a defendable case).

These groups are divided according to linguistic regions, which means you can easily find one in your area:

Swiss German
Swiss French
Swiss Italian

The annual membership fee is about 100 francs. You can find out what it entitles you to (and what additional fees there are for specific services) on your section’s website.

Consumer rights group

As is the case with the tenants’ association, consumer protection organisations also provide guidance and legal advice to its members on all kinds of problems they could be facing.

They have experts on all aspects of consumer law handling a variety of complaints — whether relating to questionable ingredients found in certain foods, or unfair/abusive business practices.

Here too, the association has branches in the three linguistics regions — German, French, and Italian — and the annual fee varies according to the branch and membership level.

Automobile club

In Switzerland, the Touring Club Schweiz / Touring Club Suisse / Touring Club Svizzera — TCS — offers benefits that extend far beyond those relating to driving. 

Aside from the very useful 24/7 emergency roadside service, which includes (but is not limited to) changing flat tyres, re-starting batteries, and towing disabled vehicles to a service station — the TCS also provides services that are not strictly associated with motoring.

For instance, once you join the organisation — basic fees range from 55 francs to 111 francs a year, depending on age and whether they are individual or family memberships — TCS will also provide (for an additional fee) services such as medical evacuation and global health insurance that covers the medical costs incurred abroad and not refunded by the Swiss policies.

Rega

While primarily intended to rescue injured skiers from mountain areas and other places that are not accessible to land ambulances — its crew consisting of a pilot, emergency doctor and paramedic — this air service is also operating far beyond Switzerland’s borders.

According to Rega website, it can “organise and execute medical evacuations and medically escorted repatriations from virtually any country in the world” back to Switzerland thanks to its three long-range Challenger 650 ambulance-jets, which are fitted out as intensive-care units. 

You can become a ‘patron’ (REGA doesn’t use the word ‘member’) for a mere 40 francs a month.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Switzerland’s air rescue service

Reka

Not to be confused with Rega, Reka is not so much a service or an organisation but rather a money-saving voucher system.

It can, for instance, be used for holidays, leisure activities, transport, and meals.

Its main benefit is that you will receive a discount every time you shop with the Reka card or vouchers, and can save up to 20 percent on purchases.

The article below explains this consumer-friendly system.

READ ALSO: What is Switzerland’s Reka payment system and how do I use it?

And don’t forget the apps!

A good way to find your way around Switzerland is to download some very useful apps — they will not only provide important information, but also make your everyday life easier:

READ ALSO: Seven apps to make your life in Switzerland easier