reblog

Introduction

Disclaimer: All information in this FAQ has been checked as far as possible for accuracy, however before you make any decisions based in the information here, you should only do so after consulting professional advisors. Neither the author nor the owners of rebgasse.com accept any responsibility for any damage material, financial or otherwise that results from actions based on information given here.

We’ve been in Basel since 2001 and found Switzerland a highly pleasant place to live. The quality of life is one of the highest in Europe. Climate depends on where you live, but expect hot summers and cold winters. There are more days of sunshine per year than in the UK, indeed enough that most places have wine production.

While it is not quite the utopia some Swiss like to believe, crime levels are certainly much lower than the UK and the streets certainly tidier. Switzerland has a reputation for having a high cost of living. Certainly eating out and groceries are more expensive than the UK; however there are things which are cheaper like public transport, consumer electronics. Also, cost of renting an apartment is cheaper than in London and taxes are generally lower than the UK.

For those who like sports, hiking and outdoor life; the facilities are some of the best on offer. Switzerland has an unrivalled network of waymarked walking paths and cycle paths, and going skiing for the weekend is a case of jumping in the car and driving to the resort.

General Information

Currency

The currency is the Swiss Franc

Language(s)

There are four official languages among Swiss nationals in reverse order of number of speakers : German (74%), French (24%), Italian (4%), Romanish (1%). The remaining 1% are accounted for by those foreigners who obtain Swiss nationality.

The distribution is mainly geographical; the German speakers occupy the central belt from cantons Basel, Bern and Sion in the west to Thurgau, St Gallen and Graubunden in the east. French speakers are concentrated over to the west while the largest concentration of Italian speakers is in canton Ticino which joined the Swiss Confederation in 1803. Romanish is a very old Latin-based language confined to a few villages in Graubunden and it is considered a dead language in that it does not acquire new words; instead it borrows words from other languages such as German.

If we consider the population as a whole (not just Swiss nationals), non-official languages form about 4% of all those spoken. For example, there are more Serbo-Croat speakers in Switzerland than there are Romanish speakers.

The “border” between German and French-speaking areas is referred to as the “Röstigraben” or “fried potato trench” and it reflects a perceived cultural divide between the two.

Note that Swiss German is a lot different from the High German (Hochdeutsch or more correctly Schriftdeutsch) you might learn at school. The dialects vary from canton to canton and whenever Swiss German speakers are featured on television programmes in Germany the dialog is subtitled.

Official documents such as forms produced at federal level will be printed in at least German, French and Italian.

Most Swiss can speak at least a couple of the official languages. Many Swiss speak English but this is not as widespread as in countries such as the Netherlands. You will also find many Swiss German speakers struggle to speak High German and will often slip into English more easily.

It is well worth making the effort to speak the local language. There are various places offering classes. The supermarket chain Migros runs a chain of adult education centres - Migros Klubschule - which is a good place to check for lessons. You can even take classes in Swiss German.

Cultural issues to be aware of

In spite of being landlocked, Switzerland can sometimes be mistaken for an island. Not being a member of the EU, the Swiss have a reputation of being mistrustful of all things foreign, unless you are a tourist when you will be welcomed with open arms.

Indeed if you read some of the expat fora you will see some horror stories that will lead you to believe that the Swiss are rabidly xenophobic.

This is perhaps a bit unfair, though you may encounter such attitudes in the more traditional cantons like Uri, Schwyz and so on. In more international places like Basel, Zürich, Bern, Geneva this is less likely to be a problem.

The first time you meet Swiss people - notably the older generation, the usual thing is to greet in formal terms - so they will expect to be addressed as Herr Jaeggi or Frau Guisan. With younger people, it will probably take a short time before you are on informal first-name terms with people. If you move to a new neighbourhood, it is often the done thing to have an open house one day where the neighbours can drop by for coffee and piece of cake.

The Swiss are very much into shaking hands - even with people they know well and have only seen the previous week; something the Brits might find a bit disconcerting. Also, if you are out for a walk in the mountains or the forest, expect passers-by to greet you with “Grüezi” or “Grüessech” depending on where you are in the country.
Matt adds: The French speaking cantons are generally more tolerant of foreigners than the German ones. I’ve had this reported by Swiss from the German side, and certainly found it to be true when we’ve visited.

Where to get food

The main supermarket chains are Migros and Coop which can be found in most towns.

The range of goods on offer in either is not nearly as varied as you find in the UK, so for example at Migros you will find only Pepsi and not Coca-Cola - which you buy at Coop. Coop tends to sell more branded items however the quality of fresh items is better than in the UK in the author’s opinion.

Meat is generally more expensive than in the UK but the quality is MUCH higher.

The Swiss tend to go more in for seasonal foods so in the summer the supermarkets will sell skewered meats ready for the barbecue, then in autumn and winter foods like pumpkins, game meat, fondue cheeses will become more prominent. Unlike in the UK you won’t find fresh strawberries in December.

Many people who live close to a neighbouring country do their grocery shopping over the border as often it is cheaper. The supermarkets in Germany will give you a green form to fill in for the customs when you make your purchases. You use this form to reclaim VAT from the German customs point (17.5%), and then you are supposed to pay the Swiss VAT (7.5%) at the Swiss customs point. This scheme does not work everytime - some German customs officers will insist you need a permanent residency permit from the Swiss (i.e. a C-permit) before you can reclaim the EU tax. Not strictly true but there is no arguing with a stroppy customs officer.

How electricity/gas/water works

220V 50Hz; 2, 3 or 5 pin plugs.

Electricity, gas and water supply are provided by local companies, many of which cover all three services. Bills are sent out every quarterly and meters read every six month, so the first bill issued will be based on an estimate of usage. You are likely to be asked to pay a deposit when registering for supply.

Although natural gas is piped into Switzerland it is used only rarely for domestic energy purposes, due to its high cost compared with electricity.

Most apartments in Switzerland have communal central heating systems. Bills are based on the electricity actually used by individual tenants, and the heating can be adjusted within apartments. Tariff systems are often available, with electricity being provided at lower cost at night-times and weekends.

Immigration/visa requirements

EC/EFTA nationals taking up a job in Switzerland may stay in Switzerland without a residence permit for foreign nationals for three months in a calendar year. However, they are obliged to register with the authorities before they arrive.

For a stay longer than three months, the main kinds of permit are as follows:
- L: Short stay permit, valid for one year. Used in conjunction with contracts less than one year in duration.
- B: Valid for 5 years. Issued to those with contracts one year or more in duration.
- C: Permanent settlement permit. Issued to EU citizens who have lived in Switzerland continuously for five years.
- G: Cross-border (Grenzübergänger) permit. This is a special certificate which is issued for employed and self-employed cross-border commuters. Until the end of May 2007, holders of this permit will be entitled to change jobs and occupations in all the border areas of Switzerland. On 1 June 2007, the border areas will be abolished.

The L and B permits are subject to annual quotas of 15,300 and 115,700 respectively. So there have been situations where people on long contracts have nonetheless been issued with an L permit as the Bs have been used up. The disadvantage of an L permit is it makes it difficult to get things like a mobile phone with subscription, landline phone etc.

At the time of writing (November 2006), the whole work permit situation is in a state of flux following the bilateral agreement with the EU on the free movement of persons which was signed in 1999. By the end of May 2007, the quotas will be abolished. The Swiss have reserved the right to review the situation - in case of high unemployment among the local population - until 2014.

Before the agreement came in, a Swiss company wishing to employ a foreign national had to prove that they could not find a Swiss person able to do the job. The bilateral agreement puts EU nationals on level pegging with Swiss nationals in this regard.

Embassy contact details

There are British embassies and/or consular representation in most of the larger towns as listed at this link.

The main ones are as follows:

Berne:
British Embassy, Thunstrasse 50, 3005 Berne;
Tel: (41) (31) 359 7700; Fax: (41) (31) 359 7701; info@britishembassy.ch

Zurich:
British Vice-Consulate, Mr Antony McCammon, Mrs Yvonne Wespi;
Hegibachstrasse 47, 8032 Zurich
Tel: (41) (44) 383 6560; Fax: (41) (44) 383 6561; Zurich@british-vice-consulate.ch

Basel:
British Vice-Consulate, Dr Alan Chalmers
Gewerbestrasse 14, Innovation Centre, 4123 Allschwil
Tel: (41) (61) 483 0977; Fax: (41) (61) 483 0977; Basel@british-vice-consulate.ch

Need to obtain a local ID card

The work/residency permit (Ausländerausweis) is recognised as an ID card. If you live in a border area you can use it instead of a passport to cross over. It is not compulsory to carry the ID, but the legislation says you must produce it within reasonable time if asked to do so. In practice, if you can’t identify yourself when asked by a police officer, you will be taken to the police station while they confirm who you are.

Native freelance market

The freelance market is mainly based around the pharmaceutical, chemical, telecommunications and financial industries; however the market as a whole has hit the doldrums with the large companies driving to force contractors to take permanent positions. As a result, contract rates have taken quite a tumble of late.

Average rates are SFr95-110 per hour depending on skill set and industry sector.

SAP skills appear to be much in demand from the pharmaceutical and chemical companies, as well as knowledge of the industry such as clinical trials. Skills such as Java, J2EE, Websphere are in demand with the financial institutions and there is a niche market for people with legacy and mainframe knowledge.

Are there any prevailing permie attitudes to be aware of?

Contractors on the whole are better treated than their UK counterparts – for example contractors are more likely to be invited to staff social events. I have observed very little in the way of an ‘us and them’ mentality towards contractors.

Finding Work

Unless you have any network here, the best bet is through the usual agent and Jobserve route. The better known UK agents (Elan, Stamford, Computer People et al) all have a presence in Switzerland.

Recommendations count for a lot here so if you know someone working at a place you are interested in; it is wise to have them put a word in for you with the relevant hiring manager.

Can you operate through your UK limited company?

Technically you can operate through a UK Ltd, however if net income is being generated in Switzerland, it could be liable both to Swiss taxes and UK taxes subject to dual taxation treaties. When we looked at this as a possibility the advice we were given by professionals was this would present a potential minefield so the idea was dropped.

If so, what about things like IR35?

Unless you are able to declare that you are not resident in the UK and not ordinarily resident, then there is a risk that UK taxes could apply - including IR35. If you are fully resident in Switzerland, UK taxes will not apply. Switzerland does not have an equivalent to IR35.

If not, how can you operate?

To work as a contractor you must operate through a corporate structure of some sort. This can either be a company owned by yourself or an umbrella.

Many agents recruiting contractors for the Switzerland market operate an umbrella service; alternatively there are companies which provide factoring-only services for contractors. One such company is UFD of Basel – http://www.ufd.ch

Setting up your own company is possible if you are an EU citizen. The following website (German/French/Italian only) gives detailed info about the different corporate structures:
http://www.kmu.admin.ch/gruendung/00182/index.html?lang=de

The two main types of interest to contractors will be Sole Trader (Einzelfirma/La raison individuelle) and the Limited Liability company (GmbH or Gesellschaft mit beschränkte Haftung/SARL or societé à responsabilité limité).

According to the government website an Einzelfirma costs about SFr1000 to setup. The disadvantages are personal liability and, if you plan to use it to handle long-term contracts with the one client at a time then the social security department could decide that the relationship between you and the client is one of employment and start making your life difficult. Some cantons require you to have three separate clients in order to register.

The GmbH is the closest thing to a UK Ltd. You require two initial founders who must supply minimum SFr10,000 (i.e. SFr20,000) each as the start capital (Stammgeld) for the company. The two founders must be resident in Switzerland. The value of the company at any time must be at least SFr20,000. To setup a GmbH you need the help of a lawyer who will draw up the company statutes setting out the business area of the company and the legal obligations of the directors. The directors must pay the SFr20,000 into a temporarily frozen bank account (Sperrkonto) and a receipt obtained which will be handed to a notary along with the company statutes. The notary will invite you to his office and will certify that you understand your responsibilities as directors and confirm that the SFr20,000 has been submitted as the start capital. The directors sign the company statutes which are then submitted for entry into the register of companies (Handelsregister/registre de commerce), after which the company legally exists.

Including legal costs, opening a GmbH will cost between SFr4000 and SFr6000 depending on level of complexity.

A GmbH is similar to a limited company in the UK in that it is a separate legal entity from you. You will work as an employee of the company and as such you will need to draw up a contract of employment and ensure that the company’s legal obligations are met such as submitting accounts once a year to the Companies Department (Handelsamt/Bureau commercial), tax returns, VAT returns, ensuring all employees have adequate accident insurance etc etc. All documentation from the authorities will be in one of the official languages and if you are not confident with the local language then you are strongly advised to seek help from a professional.

One possible pitfall to be aware of is some clients (especially big banks) will consider your company to be acting as a body-shop (Personalverleih/Personnel location) and insist via the contract that you have ‘permission’ from KIGA (Fr. OCIAMT) (Cantonal Department for Industry and Work). KIGA’s role in this regard is to ensure that if the company goes belly-up, there is money somewhere to pay final salaries. This may be in the form of money in a frozen bank account or an insurance policy. Some Cantons (for example Baselstadt) take the view that if the person being hired out is also the company director then he is doing so at his own risk therefore such permission is not needed. In either case, the client will require you to have a piece of paper from KIGA confirming the situation.

How much tax would you expect to pay?

Each Canton sets its own tax rates, however the company will be expected to pay tax on profits made - so the key is to ensure the company never makes much of a profit.

Unlike in the UK where the company pays out a small salary and large dividends as personal remuneration, dividends here can attract tax of 35%. Our lawyer advised us to pay out a regular living salary and to pay an annual bonus. One year we divided a bonus into two, paying one half in December and the other half in January - when the tax year finishes and starts. As the personal tax rate went down by 1% from one year to the next, we saved about SFr1000 in the process.

Can you get money you make “back home” easily?

There is no limit on the amount of money you can take out of Switzerland; however you might need to check with your bank on charges for transferring large amounts. Note if you transfer more than SFr25,000 in a single transaction, the bank will need to make some anti-money laundering checks.

Transport information (trains/buses/boats)

Switzerland has one of the most comprehensive and best integrated public transport systems in the world, and there is massive encouragement for people to use it. Trains, trams and buses are clean, easy to use and punctual.

Individual fairs can be quite expensive; however there are many options for season tickets and discounts. For example, in the Basel area there is the ‘Umweltschutzabonnement’ or ‘U-Abo’ for short (= Environmental protection subscription). This is a ticket costing about SFr65 / month or SFr650 /year which gives you unlimited use of all trains, trams and buses in the Northwest Switzerland region. The train company - SBB - operates a “Halbtax Abo” – Half Fare Card which for about SFr150 / year gives you half price fares throughout Switzerland and quarter price in Germany. The “General Abo” gives you unlimited use of most public transport (trains, trams and buses) throughout the country for Sfr2990 / year (second class) or Sfr4700 (first class). The Halbtax and GA also get you discounts in Germany and Austria.

The SBB (Fr. CFF) (Swiss Railways) website – http://www.sbb.ch – has a comprehensive timetable search facility which will not only allow you to find train times, but you can even put in two addresses and it will figure out the precise combination of trains, trams, buses, cablecars etc you need to get to your destination.

Rules for driving/renting cars

A UK driving licence can be used in Switzerland for maximum one year from when you arrive. You must obtain a Swiss licence before the year expires. EFTA nationals do not need to take a driving test to obtain a Swiss licence, however if you don’t apply for one in time you risk being made to do one.

The Swiss driving test comprises a theory and practical part and you are allowed to fail up to three times, after which you are required to take a psychological test before you can take the driving test again.

Renting cars is quite straightforward if expensive – the main rental companies are represented here. If you are close to a border, it is worth checking out rental companies on the other side as you can often get a better deal.

In Switzerland you pay an annual motorway tax, even if you’re only using the motorways for an hour or two. A vehicle sticker, or vignette, (costing CHF40 for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum total weight) must be displayed on the windscreen by all vehicles. Of course, if you don’t need to use a motorway you don’t need to pay, although it’s difficult to cross the country without doing so. If you don’t display a vignette you’ll be liable to a fine of CHF100 plus the cost of the vignette. You can buy the stickers in the UK from the Swiss Centre. Call them on freephone 00800 100 20030 for information. You can also buy them in Switzerland from customs offices at the frontier or service stations, garages and post offices.

The tax regime and if/when it applies to you

An individual who has moved his centre of life to Switzerland or has a habitual abode of 30 days with employment activity or 90 days without employment activity in Switzerland is subject to unlimited taxation. Such individual is obliged to declare his worldwide income and wealth in Switzerland.

Income from real estate or permanent establishments situated outside Switzerland are not taxed in Switzerland but taken into consideration for the determination of the applicable tax rate.

There are three levels of tax: federal (Bundessteuer), cantonal (Kantonalsteuer), and local (Gemeindesteuer). All three are paid via the income tax system.

There are 4 types of tax in Switzerland: income tax, wealth tax, tax on succession, capital gains tax.

Taxation is made according to your type of resident permit, either based on a self-declaration, or on a pay as you earn system. Usually, people with a B, G or L permit have a PAYE (Quellensteuer) system. C permit holders and Swiss nationals receive a tax declaration form that they have to complete. If your household’s annual income exceeds SFr120,000 then you will receive a tax declaration anyway. The tax declaration is in the local language but if you have a rudimentary grasp of the language they are not too bad to fill in – certainly a lot simpler than the UK. It is worth filling one out as generally if you are on PAYE you may be slightly overcharged and you can get a few francs back.

The amount of tax you pay depends on where you live as different cantons and councils charge different rates. The overall rate is calculated as a percentage your “net worth” which combines your income from salary and investments, assets in Switzerland and abroad minus deductions for things like travel to work, medical costs. On the whole, tax rates in Switzerland are lower than in the UK.

Some local authorities charge a “fire brigade tax” where there is a volunteer fire service and the man of the house does not enlist.

There is also a church tax which is levied on those who declare themselves to be of certain religions – i.e. Reformed, Catholic, Swiss Protestant. You declare your religion at the time you register in your local community. If you are on PAYE, church tax is automatically levied anyway and you have to reclaim it – though in some cantons like Baselland you can have it discounted from your PAYE automatically. There are churches that will happily have you tax free – Methodist, Anglican etc.

Schooling

As an expat you have the choice of sending your children to one of the privately run international schools or to a Swiss public school. Swiss schools educate the children in the local language and foreign children will be put back a year, and/or given additional tuition to bring them up to speed with the language. Experience from expat friends is younger children (<10 years) have an easier time with learning the language than older children and teenagers. My impression is the quality of education at Swiss schools is good, but that they stream the children earlier than UK schools do.

The International Schools run different exam programmes such as GCSE, IB and if you have older children they might be an option, but the International Schools are expensive. Some employers will include help towards the cost of an international school in the remuneration package but this is generally reserved for the higher echelons of management.

Public schools are run by the canton – the federal government has little influence on this.

Compulsory education at primary school begins at age six or seven. Before that there is a voluntary kindergarten. At about 13 years old, more academically able children are given the option of going to Gymnasium, which will prepare them for a University education. The alternative to Gymnasium is a vocational education (Berufslehre) but it is not unknown for kids following a vocational path to transfer to the academic one later on.

At Gymnasium, students study towards the Swiss “Matura” exam which is roughly equivalent to A-levels and is recognised by universities in Switzerland and other countries like the UK and USA.

If your stay is likely to be longterm, and provided your children are young enough to handle the change, the Swiss state system provides a good way for the children to learn the local language and for the parents to integrate a bit more with the Swiss.

Housing

Most people in Switzerland live in rented accommodation. Availability and price depends on where you are going to live. In places like Zürich and Geneva there is high demand and prices are generally high. Basel has seen things move more in favour of the renter.

When we initially came to Switzerland, the agent found us a small apartment – not ideal but okay in the shortterm - and we insisted on having a contract with a month’s notice. Most of the time rental contracts have a 3 month notice clause.

Once we had found our feet, we looked for a place ourselves in the local press and real estate websites (e.g. http://www.homegate.ch). There are also accommodation search services but these can be costly and don’t guarantee results. If you have a basic grasp of the language or can enlist the help of a friend or colleague who speaks it and has local knowledge, then this will more likely bear fruit.

Apartment sizes are advertised on number of rooms and size in square metres. For example our place is 3.5 rooms / 93 sq m. This translates to two bedrooms (2 rooms), a large lounge/dining room (1.5 rooms), a kitchen, hallway and bathroom, which is more than adequate for a childless married couple. If you have children, you need to think of a place with 4.5 rooms / 100sq m and up. If you live in a town and own a car, you should check if a parking space is included in the rent.

Rental is quoted as a monthly cost and may or may not include service charges (Nebenkosten or NK/charges locatives) for things like lighting and cleaning of hallways and the lift. For example, our rent is SFr1830p.m. plus SFr200 NK. Usually you pay via standing order or the landlord will give you a number of payment giros (Bezahlschein/Bulletin de Versement) which you can use to transfer the money at a bank or post office, or use the details from the giro to pay online.

Other things to take into consideration when choosing a place to rent are:
• Proximity to public transport / amenities / pubs etc
• In an apartment building, the average age of the neighbours – i.e. a block full of wrinklies can make life misery for a family with small children
• Proximity of churches or shooting ranges – the main sources of noise on a Sunday morning
• Many apartments come without a washing machine – or space to install one – and you are obliged to share the communal laundry area with other residents (Waschküche) according to a rota. I have had expat friends unable to come to the pub on a Friday because that is their night to use the laundry room – I am not joking.
• Number and location of TV / Radio outlet sockets – important if you want an internet connection

Once you have looked at a place and registered an interest with the landlord or letting agent, you will be asked to provide references from your employer (your agency will do) as well as a certificate from the local chamber of commerce stating that you have no outstanding debts or judgements (Betreibungsregisterauzug). If there are several people interested in the same apartment, the landlord will decide which ones to offer the place to. The decision making process can take a while so don’t hold your breath waiting.

Before you move into a place, you will be asked to sign a rental contract (Mietvertrag / contrat) which usually is for an initial period of one year and thereafter can be terminated with 3 calendar months notice. Husband and wife will be required to sign the contract. Before signing, make absolutely sure that you have understood all the small print – if you are unsure of the language then have a friend or colleague look over it. If you are in any doubt at all, get it checked by a lawyer.

Deposits required for rental

The law allows for a deposit of up to three months rent – how much depends on where you live. In Basel, one month appears to be the norm. This is returnable with interest when you move out. Note that if the property is not spotlessly when you move out – and they will run white gloves over all the surfaces – then deductions will be made from the deposit. If the landlord tells you to use a particular product to clean the cooker, that is the one to use.

House Rules

Make sure you are familiar with the house rules (Hausordnung / réglement d’immeuble) which will govern things like noise levels at certain times (e.g. no using a drill on Sundays, no flushing the loo between 10pm and 7am). The expat fora abound with tales of neighbours reporting minor transgressions to the caretaker (Hauswart, conciérge) – but it really depends on your neighbours. The other residents in our building are mainly East European and even me playing the Fasnacht piccolo of an evening has not elicited a grumble.

Rubbish Collection

The policy is to encourage people to recycle, and most areas operate a system of expensive “taxed” rubbish sacks which is the only thing you are allowed to put on the street for collection. So the intention is you only put items in that cannot be recycled in any other way. Bottle banks and tin banks are rarely more than a 50m walk from any residence; items like paper and metal will be collected on designated days of the month – in Basel the council publish a schedule. Transgressions can result in a large fine.

Good/bad areas for expats to live in

Most of the companies likely to use contractors will be situated in or close to the large cities – Zürich, Basel, Bern, Geneva – and all have sizeable and active expat communities.

On the one hand it is nice to try and integrate with the Swiss but if you are new to a place it is also useful to have the expats on hand for when you run into situations that a Swiss person might not encounter such as work permit problems.

The Swiss can be notoriously reserved when it comes to making friends with foreigners, but this is less the case in larger towns with an international community.

Health Matters

Every individual in Switzerland is required by law to have private medical insurance (Krankenkasse/Assurance Maladie). For a family, both parents and the children must be insured. Every company is required to offer a basic minimum level of insurance and there is no lockout for pre-existing conditions. The basic insurance will get you a room shared with one other patient if you go to hospital; while most companies offer a first-class which will get you a private room.

Medical insurance can represent a big chunk of your outgoings and it is a good idea to shop around. The website http://www.comparis.ch lists and compares the different deals on offer.

The quality of medical care in Switzerland is space-age compared to the NHS

Money

Where to bank if you want to bank locally

One thing Switzerland is not short of is banks. The main players are UBS, Credit Suisse, the Kantonalbank, plus the supermarket chains like Coop and Migros offer banking services. To open an account, go along to any branch with proof of ID (passport or Ausländerausweis).

All account holders will get a customer card (Kundenkarte) which can only be used at the bank’s own ATMs. You can also apply for a Maestro card which can be used at other banks ATMs and outside Switzerland. Some banks will want to see 3 months salary having gone through the account before issuing a Maestro card, and may charge for a Maestro if total assets at the bank are less than a certain amount – e.g. SFr10,000.

All offer online banking facilities; UBS also has a “Multimat Machine” in most branches which allows you to do money transfers, pay bills, check your balance. If you want to do an international transfer to the UK you will need an IBAN and Swift Code.

In terms of bank charges, Migros is the cheapest for domestic banking while UBS is at the upper end of the scale; however Migros can get expensive when you do things like international transfers.

Where to get currency

There is an extensive network of ATMs throughout the country.

Mobiles

Switzerland has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in Europe and mobile phones are now part of day-to-day life.
There are three main providers competing in the mobile (referred to generically as “Natel”) market:

• Swisscom – http://www.swisscom.ch - The mobile provider of former PTT Telecom has been offering its services since 1993. It still has the best network coverage in Switzerland, but also the most expensive rates.
• Orange – http://www.orange.ch - Entered the market in 1998. Network connectivity is not as good as Swisscom’s.
• Sunrise – http://www.sunrise.ch - Established in 1998. Offers competitive rates but network coverage might be limited in remote areas of the country.

Switzerland operates on a GSM network. For Europeans and many other countries, this means that your current phone will probably work in Switzerland.

To use a GSM phone with a new Swiss SIM card, you need to check whether your phone is unlocked (some phones are specific to the network you already have, for example some Orange handsets). If your phone is not locked to your former provider, you just need a new SIM card.

Cellular phones registered in Switzerland have their own area code. In the early days of mobile telephony, it used to be 086, now it is 076, 078 or 079 depending on the provider.

You can get pay-as-you-go cards as well as a regular subscription, however if you only have anything less than a B-residence permit they might ask for a large deposit if you want a subscription. You will need to produce ID – passport or Ausländerausweis – to get a SIM card.

As in the UK, mobile phones are sold through various outlets from dedicated mobile phone shops to department stores and larger supermarkets.

Telephone/Internet/TV/Radio

Telephone

The main landline provider is Swisscom (http://www.swisscom.ch), while cable-phone deals are offered by Cablecom (http://www.cablecom.ch). If you are on a short-term work permit, Swisscom may require a deposit of SFr500 and will bill you monthly rather than bi-monthly as they do for longer-term residents. The SFr500 will be returned with interest when you leave.

Internet

The main broadband providers are Cablecom (http://www.cablecom.ch) and Swisscom (Bluewin – http://www.bluewin.ch). Cablecom offer internet connectivity through the Cable TV/Radio socket; Bluewin offer an ADSL option.

Additionally, Swisscom Mobile offer “Mobile Unlimited” - a PCMCIA card providing EDGE, GPRS or UMTS connectivity which is useful if you spend a lot of time on the move.

Sunrise also offer fixed telephone (you still pay Swisscom line rental), and internet.

Public WLAN is in its infancy here so hotspots tend to be far and few between and expensive.

TV/Radio

A TV with an aerial will pick up the main Swiss terrestrial channels which represent the national languages. More often than not, programmes which were made in English will be dubbed – though some will be left with the original dialog and subtitled.

Some programmes are broadcast with dual language soundtracks, (e.g. English and German) and provided you have a stereo TV you just set it to pick up the right one.

Note from Matt: The Pratteln/Rheinfelden/Liestal/Augst provider, GGA, has free digital TV, including BBC1-4. All you need is a se ttop box. ( I still have to pay the regular cable fee of course ).

Likewise there are some radio channels that still broadcast over the air.

Most people get their TV and radio through cable – the main player being our old friend Cablecom. The channels you get will depend on the area you live in as the proportion of channels in a particular language is supposed to reflect the language split among the local population. On the German side of the Röstigraben we get mainly German language channels (from Switzerland, Austria, Germany), French, Italian, Turkish, Portuguese, East European, English.

English channels (until recently) were CNN, BBC World, BBC Prime, except Cablecom have shifted BBC Prime to their digital service only.

Cablecom radio offers BBC Radio 4 while there is a weekly English show (http://www.theenglishshow.ch) broadcast over the air in Basel.

Cablecom and Swisscom/Bluewin also offer a digital service – and there is a bit of a price war ongoing. Cablecom offers BBC1 and BBC2 while Bluewin (much to the disappointment of the expats) offers BBC2, ITV1, C4 – i.e. no BBC1; though this may change given the many emails sent to Swisscom on this subject.

You can also install satellite, though be careful as some apartment landlords don’t allow dishes to be setup on the balcony etc. By default you can get the Free-to-View; if you want Sky you will need an address in the UK from where you can order the card.

Note, if you have any kind of TV (including satellite) and radio (even one in the car), you need to obtain a broadcast licence from a body called Billag (http://www.billag.ch). Failure to do so can result in a fine – and they do inspect from time to time.

Information Sources

An excellent book is Living and Working in Switzerland by David Hampshire which goes into far more detail than is provided here on all aspects of living in Switzerland.

The various expat forums and websites are a good place to ask questions and search for answers:

http://www.baselexpats.com
http://www.englishforum.ch
http://geneva.angloinfo.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BaselExpat
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BaselLounge
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Expats-in-Zurich

For legal advice, I can recommend Grether MacGeorge of Basel:

http://www.gmacg.com

The help they gave us in getting setup and running our company proved invaluable.