You’re ridiculously excited about making the big move to a country famed for its icily cold winters and beautifully hot summers.
Luggage Shipping » International Removals » Ultimate Guide On Moving To Switzerland
Switzerland, commonly known by its nickname, ‘Helvetia’ and less widely known as ‘Confoederatio Helvetica’, is a central European country.
Contrary to popular belief, Switzerland isn’t a member of the European Union.
However, it is part of the EU’s single market, meaning that Swiss citizens enjoy the same rights to live and work in other EU member states.
With a population of around 8.7 million people, Switzerland is ranked 20th highest population in Europe.
Famed for its extraordinary alpines, mouth-watering chocolate and luxury watches, the country is politically stable, innovative and welcoming.
Switzerland’s popularity for foreigners is usually because it has a highly stable and impressive economy.
As a result, job prospects in the country are varied, and salaries for specific jobs can be double or triple salaries for similar roles in other European countries.
Culturally diverse, with more than 25% of its population being foreign, the country is welcoming and enjoys some of the highest quality of life rankings globally.
Before you move anywhere, it’s always a good idea to learn as much about the country as possible.
And by doing your research beforehand, you’ll ensure your big move is seamless, fun and exciting.
Here are some of the main things you should know about Switzerland before you move.
Visas
Visas are never the most exciting topic when you’re planning to relocate.
However, ensuring you’re legally allowed to live in Switzerland should be your main priority.
Like all European countries, you’ll need to have the correct visa to live and work there permanently.
The visa you need will ultimately depend on your home country and whether there are already immigration agreements in place between your home country and Switzerland.
Switzerland is part of the Schengen Zone, which means if you are an EU or EEA national, you will only need an ID document to enter the country.
The type of visa you need depends on the purpose and length of your stay in Switzerland.
The main types of visas are:
For comprehensive Switzerland visa information, visit the Swiss Government’s visa website.
Whether you’re moving to Switzerland for a gap year, studying, or considering moving there permanently, you’ll have ample choice between rented and owned housing.
However, the Swiss Government have made it harder for ex-pats to buy property, so renting may be your ideal option.
Of course, whether you rent or purchase a property will depend on how long you’re planning to stay.
It’s worth noting that Switzerland has an extremely high cost of living.
Zurich ranked as the most expensive city globally, 21% more than notoriously expensive London.
As a general guideline, you can expect to pay around 20% of your monthly salary on rent.
Of course, living costs such as renting or buying a home are all relative.
However, with high salaries on offer, most people moving to Switzerland can meet those higher costs.
The Swiss people are known as quite reserved and private.
But, as you’d expect, with a country with four official languages, Switzerland is a diverse and culturally-rich place.
The country is landlocked with five countries (France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein).
As a result, you’ll find that your new home enjoys an incredible amalgamation of cultures and customs.
Boasting more than 600 museums, such as the Swiss National Museum in Zurich and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, you’ll enjoy various arts, history and culture.
Unusually, Switzerland has four official languages: French, Italian, Romansh and German.
And while you’ll find people speaking these in different parts of the country, they are mainly confined to specific country regions.
Swiss German is the most widely spoken language in Switzerland, with over 60% of the country speaking it.
But don’t worry if you’re reading this and wondering how you’ll fare as an English-language speaker.
English is the most common non-official language, which is spoken by nearly half the Swiss population.
The prospect of moving all of your possessions abroad can be daunting, time-consuming and stressful.
But thankfully, several options can be low-cost, simple and stress-free.
That’s why it’s vital to understand each of your options; it’ll save you time and money in the long run.
And don’t forget, some options might be perfect for you while others can be disregarded.
We know you can feel a little worried about handing them over to a removals driver when it comes to your possessions.
Don’t worry; My Baggage is proud of being a company you can trust with your most precious items.
You want an affordable option for international shipping, and you’ve come to the right place.
Our easy-to-use, reliable service offers excellent value for money.
We offer a massive 30kg/66lb weight allowance per item for as little as, for example, £44 per item from the UK Mainland to Switzerland.
Even better, you have the option to send as many items as you like with us.
From the moment you say goodbye to your suitcases and boxes, you’ll be able to follow their journey to Switzerland with our online tracking service.
If you opt-in for text and email notifications, we’ll provide you with regular updates on where your items are right now and when they’ll arrive to meet you in Switzerland.
In addition, we also provide full online tracking for every shipment, which you can access anytime in your My Baggage account.
Our Customer Support is legendary, too; check out all of our independent 5-star reviews.
And don’t forget; we’re just a phone call, email or live chat away from helping you with any issues or queries.
11 hours ago
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14 hours ago
Excellent experience
20 hours ago
Absolutely delightful to work with drivers…easy to prepare and very convenient service. Such a relief for my 86 year old mother not having to worry about getting transport to pick her at the airport with the large amount of luggage.
21 hours ago
Second experience was even better than the first - once I knew to take inventory *before* closing everything up. Seriously though, this is so smooth and heaps less expensive than alternative shipping options. DC>Sussex, England in 2 days! FL>Sussex in 3 days! Amazing.
a day ago
We booked my baggage to pick up a box from Portugal and deliver to the UK. Even though I don’t think it’s guaranteed we received a call to tell us a two hour window of when the box would be collected. The service was extremely simple, printing off the labels and putting them on the box. The service took quicker than the expected time and was delivered safely to its address. We will use this service again.
a day ago
Excellent service. Smooth pick-up and delivery. Box was delivered within 24 hours, one day earlier than expected. I would definately recommend MyBaggage. I've been using it for years.
a day ago
excellent service
2 days ago
Superb service. Kept um the loop with regular updates.
2 days ago
Very professional great customer service my luggage arrived sooner then l expected.
2 days ago
Seriously well instructed and helpful. We sent a total of 5 boxes international and they arrived so quickly. And the tracking and customer support along the way was very detailed and helpful.
2 days ago
everything was very smooth and instructions were clear and precise. My baggage arrived with no problems just a few days later. it was very good to have this service be so easy and convenient. Would use again! make sure you have access to a printer and tape, but they explain everything. the customs was very easy to fill out too.
2 days ago
Easy and no bs shipping of luggage from US to Europe (Denmark). I was shipping my duffelbag back home after travelling in the US for a while. The bag arrived before the expected day, and the experience from purchasing, to customs handling, to shipping was perfect. Everything went as expected.
11 hours ago
I cannot recommend MyBaggage enough! I was very skeptical at first but I am so glad I trusted them because the process was incredibly smooth & easy & affordable and now I have my luggage taken care of! I was afraid of the customs forms and the whole customs clearance dynamic but it was super easy and without any issues. They also have the best customer service: I have emailed them at midnight and got a response in 15 minutes. 1000/10 for MyBaggage
14 hours ago
Excellent experience
20 hours ago
Absolutely delightful to work with drivers…easy to prepare and very convenient service. Such a relief for my 86 year old mother not having to worry about getting transport to pick her at the airport with the large amount of luggage.
21 hours ago
Second experience was even better than the first - once I knew to take inventory *before* closing everything up. Seriously though, this is so smooth and heaps less expensive than alternative shipping options. DC>Sussex, England in 2 days! FL>Sussex in 3 days! Amazing.
a day ago
We booked my baggage to pick up a box from Portugal and deliver to the UK. Even though I don’t think it’s guaranteed we received a call to tell us a two hour window of when the box would be collected. The service was extremely simple, printing off the labels and putting them on the box. The service took quicker than the expected time and was delivered safely to its address. We will use this service again.
a day ago
Excellent service. Smooth pick-up and delivery. Box was delivered within 24 hours, one day earlier than expected. I would definately recommend MyBaggage. I've been using it for years.
a day ago
excellent service
2 days ago
Superb service. Kept um the loop with regular updates.
2 days ago
Very professional great customer service my luggage arrived sooner then l expected.
2 days ago
Seriously well instructed and helpful. We sent a total of 5 boxes international and they arrived so quickly. And the tracking and customer support along the way was very detailed and helpful.
2 days ago
everything was very smooth and instructions were clear and precise. My baggage arrived with no problems just a few days later. it was very good to have this service be so easy and convenient. Would use again! make sure you have access to a printer and tape, but they explain everything. the customs was very easy to fill out too.
2 days ago
Easy and no bs shipping of luggage from US to Europe (Denmark). I was shipping my duffelbag back home after travelling in the US for a while. The bag arrived before the expected day, and the experience from purchasing, to customs handling, to shipping was perfect. Everything went as expected.