Guide to moving abroad

Are you moving abroad or already living there? In our articles and interviews, we let experts have their say and provide essential background information on emigration and everyday life abroad.

Emigration advice
Living abroad
Banks and taxes
Health insurance and pensions
Children and family
Votes and elections
Returning to Switzerland
Swiss Abroad community

Emigration advice

A family of five paddling in the sea at sunset, on the beach.

Emigration: what steps should I take to leave Switzerland?

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 This article, along with a practical checklist, will guide you step by step through the emigration process – supplemented with further helpful articles and links.

Private relocation, two young ladies carry a crate into a house. packing boxes well is inmportant for Moving abroad

Moving abroad: a helpful checklist

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 Planning on emigrating? This checklist including expert tips will guide you through the logistical steps.

young woman sitting on the floor in an empty room with laptop and suitcase

What you need to know to get a job abroad

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 Emigrating from Switzerland in search of work in another country? Here is some sound advice.

From CV to interview: how to apply for a job abroad

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 Applying for jobs in other countries means adjusting to different standards and expectations.

Digital nomads: what to consider as a temporary Swiss Abroad

This content was published on Mar 1, 2023 Before the pandemic they were considered exotic; today digital nomads are in vogue. But the dream lifestyle is not without pitfalls.

Living abroad

From emigration to arrival: How to successfully integrate abroad

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 From culture shock to new friendships: experts share their tips for successful integration and making new friends.

Swiss passengers queuing to check in their luggage in a Swiss airport

Culture shock: The four phases of emigration

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 Moving abroad is an exciting but often challenging experience. Many emigrants experience different phases between culture shock and assimilation.

How a small cooperative extends a lifeline to Swiss abroad

This content was published on Mar 19, 2023 Every year 30,000 Swiss choose to leave their homeland. A little known cooperative can help them with unforeseen challenges.

Banks and taxes

Files next to a globe on a desk in an office of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office in Neuchatel in the canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland, pictured on November 6, 2010.

Tax information when emigrating from Switzerland: what you need to know

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 Tax liability in Switzerland does not always end at the country’s border – here’s what you should bear in mind when moving abroad.

Bank account for Swiss citizens living abroad

Five things to know about your Swiss bank account before emigrating

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 Swiss Abroad frequently pay significantly higher fees at Swiss banks than their compatriots in Switzerland. You can find an overview of prices here.

How do you deal with high banking fees for the Swiss Abroad?

Are you a Swiss expat? Have you found a solution to this problem? Do you still have a Swiss bank account in Switzerland at all?

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Mar 14, 2022

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81 Comments

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Are neobanks the answer for the Swiss Abroad?

This content was published on Feb 9, 2022 A new generation of digital banks could better meet the financial needs of Swiss citizens living abroad.

Health insurance and pensions

Swiss abroad health insurance – what are the options?

This content was published on Jan 6, 2025 Should you take out insurance abroad? Or with a health insurance company in Switzerland? Is that even possible? We explain.

Swiss state pensions abroad and what you need to know

This content was published on Apr 8, 2023 How can I claim my state pension abroad? Can I still make voluntary contributions from outside Switzerland? Answers to some FAQs.

Children and family

Emigrating with family: what to do if a child doesn’t want to move

This content was published on Dec 17, 2024 New surroundings, new school, new friends – emigration can be a daunting prospect for children. Two experts share their tips.

Family with children hiking - taken from behind

Advice for Swiss families moving abroad

This content was published on Dec 12, 2023 Despite all the anticipation, emigrating with your family can be accompanied by numerous uncertainties and worries. Here is some help.

Votes and elections

Voting from abroad: How to register for Swiss elections

This content was published on Oct 16, 2024 Switzerland grants voting rights to its citizens living abroad. If you want to exercise your voting rights, you must first get on the electoral register.

Returning to Switzerland

Laptop, coffee, mobile phone and notepad on the table

Unemployed abroad? Returning to Switzerland requires careful preparation

This content was published on Dec 23, 2024 For Swiss nationals planning to return to Switzerland after living abroad, it pays to prepare the ground carefully in order to avoid surprises – especially if job-seeking is on the cards.

Swiss Abroad: hurdles to studying in Switzerland remain

This content was published on Nov 13, 2022 Foreign diplomas and financial issues can make it difficult for young Swiss expats to study in Switzerland.

What is it like to work in Switzerland?

This content was published on Oct 28, 2020 Find out how and why the job market has evolved and where Swiss employers are placing their bets for the future.

Swiss Abroad community

The Swiss Abroad in five charts

This content was published on Oct 14, 2024 The number of Swiss people living abroad continues to increase, and many have more than one passport. Five charts explain their characteristics and geographic distribution.

Goodbye Switzerland, hello world!

This content was published on May 30, 2021 Around 30,000 Swiss men, women and children wave goodbye to Switzerland every year. But who are they, and where do they go?

What were your experiences of moving abroad?

Share your experiences with us.

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Nov 17, 2022

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40 Comments

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Did you emigrate for financial reasons?

Did life in Switzerland become unaffordable for you? Is that why you emigrated?

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Nov 7, 2024

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62 Comments

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Did you emigrate after retiring because you couldn’t make ends meet at home?

Each year, a certain amount of Swiss move abroad to avoid financial hardship. Are you one of them?

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Jan 11, 2024

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128 Comments

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Have you married abroad as a Swiss citizen? What was your experience with the authorities?

Are you living in a mixed-nationality marriage? What experiences have you had with the registration/recognition of your marriage? Tell us.

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Sep 4, 2023

16 Comments

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Do the Swiss Abroad have enough power?

Should Switzerland liberalise or restrict the political rights of its citizens living abroad?

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Jan 31, 2023

82 Comments

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Swiss Abroad

Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope

Swiss Abroad

Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship

"It is impossible to fully go back, neither physically nor as a person," says Chris/Nadia Brönimann.

Identities

Switzerland’s most renowned trans person no longer wants to be a woman

Swiss Abroad

Solothurn, the Swiss city that goes up to 11

Post Auto tested the first automated bus in Switzerland

Science

Explainer: Switzerland gears up for driverless transport era

Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?

Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?

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Nov 28, 2024

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17 Comments

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Have you ever heard anything peculiar about Switzerland that you found interesting?

Is there anything peculiar related to Switzerland that has caught your interest? Share it with us, and we might feature it in an article!

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Nov 13, 2024

30 Likes

31 Comments

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Did you lose or gain Swiss citizenship? How did that affect your life?

What impact has this had on your life? Tell us your story.

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Nov 1, 2024

53 Likes

86 Comments

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Guide to moving abroad

Emigration advice

More

Emigration: what steps should I take to leave Switzerland?

More

Moving abroad: a helpful checklist

More

What you need to know to get a job abroad

More

From CV to interview: how to apply for a job abroad

More

Digital nomads: what to consider as a temporary Swiss Abroad

Living abroad

More

From emigration to arrival: How to successfully integrate abroad

More

Culture shock: The four phases of emigration

More

How a small cooperative extends a lifeline to Swiss abroad

Banks and taxes

More

Tax information when emigrating from Switzerland: what you need to know

More

Five things to know about your Swiss bank account before emigrating

More

How do you deal with high banking fees for the Swiss Abroad?

More

Are neobanks the answer for the Swiss Abroad?

Health insurance and pensions

More

Swiss abroad health insurance – what are the options?

More

Swiss state pensions abroad and what you need to know

Children and family

More

Emigrating with family: what to do if a child doesn’t want to move

More

Advice for Swiss families moving abroad

Votes and elections

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Voting from abroad: How to register for Swiss elections

Returning to Switzerland

More

Unemployed abroad? Returning to Switzerland requires careful preparation

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Swiss Abroad: hurdles to studying in Switzerland remain

More

What is it like to work in Switzerland?

Swiss Abroad community

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The Swiss Abroad in five charts

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Goodbye Switzerland, hello world!

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What were your experiences of moving abroad?

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Did you emigrate for financial reasons?

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Did you emigrate after retiring because you couldn’t make ends meet at home?

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Have you married abroad as a Swiss citizen? What was your experience with the authorities?

More

Do the Swiss Abroad have enough power?

Popular Stories

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Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope

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Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship

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Switzerland’s most renowned trans person no longer wants to be a woman

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Solothurn, the Swiss city that goes up to 11

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Explainer: Switzerland gears up for driverless transport era

Most Discussed

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Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?

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Have you ever heard anything peculiar about Switzerland that you found interesting?

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