4 August 2022

Life as an expat in Switzerland

Update: September 2026

Switzerland is a promising working place to many expats; beautiful sceneries, charming villages, big cities and organized daily life. Expats in Switzerland enjoy high salaries, excellent healthcare, strong schools and a famous work-life balance. At the same time, the country has high living costs, precise administrative rules and a competitive housing market. In this guide, we cover what you need to know before and after your move: working in Switzerland, permits and registration, finding a home and furnishing it for the length of your stay.

Working in Switzerland as an expat

In Switzerland, people value punctuality and respect against colleagues and executives. Communication is direct but polite, and decisions are often made by consensus, which can take time but leads to broad support. They work very hard but after hours, Swiss always tend to keep work and private life strictly separated.

Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Which one you need depends on the region. In international companies in cities such as Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Zug, English is widely used at work. Learning the local language still makes daily life and social contacts much easier.

Work and residence permits

Most expats need a permit to live and work in Switzerland. The most common types are:

L permit: short-term residence, usually for stays of up to one year;
B permit: residence permit for longer stays;
C permit: settlement permit, available after several years of residence;
G permit: for cross-border commuters who live in a neighbouring country.

Citizens of EU and EFTA countries benefit from the free movement of persons. For non-EU citizens, the employer usually applies for the permit, and quotas apply. Always check the current rules for your situation on ch.ch.

Your first weeks as an expat in Switzerland

A few obligations need your attention right after arrival:

Register with your municipality (Gemeinde/commune) within 14 days of arrival, and before you start working.
Take out basic health insurance within three months of arrival. It is mandatory for everyone living in Switzerland, and you choose your own insurer.
Open a Swiss bank account for your salary and rent payments.
Check how you are taxed: foreign employees without a C permit usually pay tax at source, deducted directly from their salary.

Housing solutions after moving to Switzerland as an expat

Things are getting real; You decided to take this adventure and you'll be moving to Switzerland and work as an expat. Tons of practical arrangements are waiting for you, but we are guiding you step by step through all obligations and 'must-do's'.

One of them is of course finding a convenient place to stay, somewhere you feel at home to make your stay in Switzerland as enjoyable as possible. Below we are happy to discuss housing solutions for expats in Switzerland.

Renting or buying?

Most expats chose to rent a house when going abroad, since their stay is often temporary. You can find lots of temporary rental houses in Switzerland by yourself or with help of your new employer or an expat organization. Rental prices in Switzerland are rather high, but luckily the same applies to the wages.

Are you planning on staying in Switzerland for a longer time? Then you could consider the option of buying a property, although buying a house is really expensive, depending on the region you want to live. In addition it is rather challenging to buy a house in Switzerland as a foreigner, since you will need a specific residence permit (B or C permit) and it will be very difficult to qualify for a loan.

How to find an apartment in Switzerland?

The rental market in the big cities is competitive, so prepare a complete application file before you start viewing. Landlords usually ask for a copy of your ID and permit, your employment contract or recent payslips, and an extract from the debt collection register. The rental deposit can be up to three months' rent and is held in a blocked bank account.

Furnished or unfurnished accommodation?

Most Swiss rentals are unfurnished. Furnished apartments exist, mainly in the larger cities, but they are scarce, expensive and hard to judge from abroad. Is it really fully equipped? Does it meet your standards? Renting an unfurnished home gives you a much wider choice, but then you still need furniture for a stay of a few months or years.

Furniture rental for expats in Switzerland

That's where furniture rental comes in. Instead of buying furniture for a temporary stay, you rent everything you need and return it when you leave. In-Lease Switzerland, based in Winterthur, supplies furniture rental for expats with a few clear advantages:

It allows you to choose an unfurnished appartment or house, which widens your options within your budget.
You can choose a furniture package for every room in a style that suits you, including household items and electrical appliances.
It prevents you from buying and selling new furniture and electronic devices for a limited stay, which is both cheaper and more sustainable.
You rent for as long as you need, from a few weeks up to 60 months with our rental formulas.

Ready to build your home away from home? Discover In-Lease in Switzerland or view our prices.

Discover our rental plans

Start your expat life in Switzerland!

See? Deciding to go live as an expat in Switzerland is an amazing experience for your whole family that will come without a doubt with a few challenges. Tend to make your short or long term stay as pleasant as possible by choosing a location and housing where you can feel at home and by preparing your expat adventure beforehand.

Ready to build your home away from home? In-Lease is happy to be your partner to make your stay in Switzerland as pleasant as possible.

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