Important information for immigrants
Looking for a flat in Switzerland: Search
for a rented flat,
freehold flat or a house in Switzerland?
House-hunting is done easiest through the Internet. In the property market, comparis.ch collects and rates the advertisemets of the major
Swiss internet property marketplaces. Subscribe to a search subscription for free and receive offers by e-mail according to
your requirements.
Search for a flat in Switzerland.
Viewing flats in Switzerland:
Take enough time to view the flat thoroughly. Is the flat as described in the advertisement? Amount of rooms, living space,
balcony/terrace/garden/standard of finishes? How many power outlets/telephone extensions/TV extensions does the flat have and
where are they located? How does the sun shine into the flat and what is the view like? When viewing the flat, one should also
take the location of the property into consideration (distance to local traffic, shopping etc.).
Good to know: The advertisements for flats in Switzerland usually give information on the amount of rooms (without kitchen and bathroom!)
rather than on the space in sqare metres.
The ancillary expenses cover services that are not covered by the rent. Whilst in the past this usually meant heating, hot water and
general electricity, today they often include costs such as domestic servicing and maintenances, cleaning of the stairway and
gardening. The kind of costs that need to be paid have to be mentioned in the rental contract, otherwise they are not allowed to be
charged.
Application for a flat in Switzerland:
In order to raise the chances of your application, we recommend you to enclose the following information and documents:
Name and address of employer; Proof of a regular income (e.g. copy of contract of employment); Copy of residence permit, registration
document or passport; Current place of residence / address; Contact details of your previous landlord; Name of a contact person
in Switzerland.
It is possible that the landlord demands an abstract of the prosecution register. The abstract of the prosecution
register shows if there are prosecutions concerning a certain person are on hand.
Swiss household insurance: Die
Household insurance is one of the recommended social insurances in Switzerland. It covers damages that happen to household effects because of fire, water,
theft or breakage of glass. A household insurance is compulsory in the Cantons of Nidwalden, Vaud, Fribourg, Glarus and Jura.
Compare the premiums of Swiss providers of household insurances.
The compulsory basic insurance in Switzerland:
The basic insurance is compulsory for all persons with residence in Switzerland and covers all basic health benefits.
The basic insurance exclusively covers the services that are effected in the canton of residence of the insuree.
Exception: Services that are effected in another canton due to medicinal urgencies or in cases of emergency.
Except for certain cases, dental treatments are not covered by the basic insurance. The benefits of the basic
insurance are covered by private health insurances and are identical with all health insurance companies, as they
are strictly defined through the Health Insurance Laws (KVG).
The health insurance premiums in Switzerland depend on the place of residence, the age of the insuree
and the health insurance company, even though the benefits of all insurance companies
are identical. The sex does not influence the premium for the basic insurance. The Health Insurance Laws (KVG)
oblige the health insurance companies to take every applicant, independent of their age and state health.
Therefore, everybody can take out an insurance with the company of their choice. In Switzerland premiums are
based on a per capita system; therefore, a family of four pays two premiums for adults and two for children.
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Compare the premiums (basic insurance)
of Swiss providers of health insurances.
Optional supplementary insurances in Switzerland:
Supplementary insurances are optional in Switzerland.
The benefits of supplementary insurance products vary
from health insurance company to health insurance company. They can be split into the categories
"outpatient supplementary insurace products" and "hospital supplementary insurance products".
The outpatient supplementary insurance products e.g. cover benefits for alternative medicine,
medication not covered by basic health insurance, glasses and contact lenses, dental treatments etc.
The benefits are generally limited to a maximum amount per calendar year.
Die hospital supplementary insurance products cover inpatient benefits:
-he supplementary insurance general ward for within all of Switzerland provides
the insurees the right to be treated in the general ward of hospitals outside the canton of residence
as well. (The basic insurance only covers costs for the treatment in the general ward within
the canton of residence. Exceptions from this regulations are only those cases in which a treatment outside
the canton of residence is medically urgently necessary.)
-The supplementary insurance semi-private ward within all
of Switzerland provides the insuree with the right to a two-bed room. In public hospitals,
treatment of semi-privately insured patients is generally performed by a senior physician..
-The supplementary insurance private ward within all of Switzerland provides the insuree
with the right to a single room. In public hospitals, treatment of privately insured patients is
generally performed by a chief physician.
The premiums for supplementary insurances depend on the benefits, the place of residence,
age and sex of the insuree as well as on the health insurance company.
In Switzerland premiums are based on a per capita system; therefore, a family of four pays
two premiums for adults and two for children. more
Compare the premiums (supplementary insurance)
of Swiss providers of health insurances.
Import (import and tax terms):
If you have owned your car for more than 6 months prior to your immigration to Switzerland
you can import it into Switzerland with the same certificate needed for your personal property.
If you do not sell your car in the first 12 months in Switzerland, you do not have to pay import or VAT.
If you have owned your car for less than 6 months it is classified as a new vehicle and you cannot
tax it as a moving item. Import fees for your car are composed of tax fees, consumer fee (4%) and VAT (7.6%).
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Registration of the motor vehicle in Switzerland: The registration period
for cars imported as moving items is 12 months and for those imported as new vehicles 1 month.
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Swiss motor insurance: All cars allowed in Switzerland need a third party insurance.
In Switzerland there are 4 different levels of car insurance coverage: Liability, partial coverage, collision or fully
comprehensive, passenger accident coverage.
With the exception of liability insurance all other types of coverage are optional.
Furthermore, liability and partial or fully comprehensive types of coverage insure the vehicle and not its owner.
Damage is therefore covered irrespective of who was driving at the time.
Car insurance premiums can vary enormously - it's worth comparing.
Find the cheapest car insurance to suit your needs quickly and easily and request an offer that matches your needs.
more
Compare car insurance premiums of various Swiss
providers of car insurances.
Swiss driving licence: Foreign driving licences are valid for the first
12 months in Switzerland. After this deadline a Swiss driving licence is mandatory.
During the first 12 months in Switzerland you can exchange your foreign driving licence for a Swiss licence
at the vehicle and driver registration office in your canton. Attention: If you miss this deadline, you will be obliged to take the Swiss driving test.
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Speed limits in Switzerland: Speed limits in Switzerland are 120 km/h on motorways, 80 km/h on
main roads outside urban areas, 50 or 60 km/h in urban areas and 30 km/h in residential zones.
Swiss fixed network providers:
At present, only Swisscom Fixnet provides fixed network lines throughout the whole of Switzerland.
An analogue connection costs CHF 25.25, an ISDN connection CHF 43.00 per month.
While fixed network connections are only available through Swisscom Fixnet,
there are many different providers for telephony. You can chose a single provider
through which you make your calls as a standard and automatically. But you can also phone with different providers.
In order to do so, dial the according five-digit code before dialing the actual phone number.
It is easiest to order your phone line through the Internet page of Swisscom
who will also allocate you a phone number. more
Compare the prices of different Swiss telephone providers.
Swiss mobile network providers: In Switzerland there are three mobile networks:
Swisscom Mobile, Sunrise and Orange. Apart from these three network providers
also other companies such as Migros, Coop or Mobilezone offer mobile network services.
These providers use the Swisscom, Sunrise or Orange networks.
more
Compare the prices of different Swiss mobile network providers.
Internet in Switzerland: ADSL and Internet via cable are prevalent in Switzerland.
Various providers offer ADSL. Please note: Generally one has to obligate
oneself to surf via ADSL for at least 12 months. The necessary modems are usually given out for free.
Often though in this case the obligation has to be made to make phone calls with the chosen provider.
The connection to the Internet via TV cable is available in many places in Switzerland.
Often surfing is possible for a monthly fixed price. With many providers one has to
obligate oneself to surf the Internet via cable for at least 12 months. Plese ask your landlord or
local cable net provider if you can use Internet via cable.
more
Compare the prices of different
Swiss Internet providers.
TV in Switzerland:
You can receive TV programs via cable, satellite or phone network. Households that possess
at least one device with which it is technically possible to receive radio and/or TV programs
have to register at the Swiss Bureau for Radio and TV Fees (Billag AG) and pay reception fees.
more
Compare the offers of different
Swiss providers.
Taxation at source in Switzerland:
All foreign work forces who hold a residence permit
type B, G or L and have tax-based residency in Switzerland have to pay taxation at source.
Taxation at source is directly deducted from
the salary by the employer and transferred to the tax administration. This amount varies from canton to canton.
With the taxation at source the social welfare and church taxes and in some cantons the fire brigade compensation
tax are also paid. If the taxpayer is not a member of a national church the church tax does not have to be paid.
Further, the deductions for social insurance contributions, professional expenditure as well as family burden is
considered within the taxation at source scale.
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Social insurances in Switzerland:
The Swiss social insurance system is composed of
Old age insurance (AHV), Invalidity insurance (IV), Supplementary benefits to old age and invalidity insurance (EL),
Occupational benefit (BVG), Bound financial security (Pillar 3a), Accident insurance (UVG) and
Unemployment insurance (ALV).
Every employee in Switzerland has to be insured for old age (AHV).
Half of this is financed by the employer, the other half by the employee.
Everybody who is a member of old age insurance (AHV) is also a member of invalidity insurance (IV). The invalidity
insurance protects its insurees from the economic and social consequences of invalidity.
People who have had continuous residence for 10 years in Switzerland immediately before
(qualifying period) can receive supplementary benefits in order to cover the subsistence level when
at the same time receiving an old age or invalidity benefit.
The occupational benefit insurance (BVG) is a compulsory insurance for all employees in Switzerland from the age of 17.
From the age of 17, the insurance covers the risks of demise and invalidity. From the age of 24 old age benefits
have to be financed. The contributions from employer and employee are accumulated and charged with interest, similar to
a life insurance. When an employee takes a new job in Switzerland, the old occupational benefit insurance company
transfers the leaving benefit to the new financial security institution.
The investment into the so-called 3rd pillar (Pillar 3a) is optional.
The contributions to the bound financial security can be deducted from the assessable income.
Accident insurance (UVG) is compulsory for all employees in Switzerland.
The insurance companies are the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA), private insurance companies,
recognized health insurance companies and public accident insurance companies.
Half of the unemployment insurance contributions (ALV)
are paid by the employees (deduction from salary), the other half by the employers.
Employees are entitled to unemployment benefits if they have been employed in Switzerland for at least
12 months within the last two years.
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