Faq

Is my driving license valid in Switzerland?

When you move your residence into Switzerland, you can use your foreign license for one year.
Within this time, you are required to exchange your license for a Swiss national driving license. If you do not request a Swiss license within the first year, you will have to pass the Swiss driving test before you are authorized to drive
Holders of an African (except South Africa), Asian (except Japan), Central and South American, Portuguese or Turkish license must pass a practical exam.

Which personal objects I can bring with me from abroad without paying import fees?

Your household effects, collections, animals or car can be imported into the country free of tax. The only requirement is that the goods must have been used by you personally for at least six months prior to importation and must continue to be used by you once you are in Switzerland.
Also vehicles can be imported free of tax provided always they had been used personally for at least six months before your move. If the vehicle you want to import belongs to the company you worked for previously, you must submit also a company’s declaration certifying that the vehicle had been used by yourself.

Are pets considered household goods?

Yes, pets are considered household goods, so you have to include them in the list to submit to the customs authority.
Nevertheless for some animals’ restrictions can apply and some veterinary precriptions such as inoculations, etc. may be needed

When I relocate to Switzerland, I need to have a paid employment?

No, it is not necessary to have a paid employment if you are able to demonstrate sufficient financial means and have a medical insurance.

Which are the member states of UE/AELS?

The member states of UE-17/AELS are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The citizens coming from these states are not subject to any limitation.
The states of the follow UE enlargement belong of the member states of UE-8 and are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Hungary. The citizens coming from these states are considered the same as people coming from the UE/17 states, but with some interim regulations that give some limitations on the first access to the Swiss job market.
The enlargement of the UE to include Bulgaria and Rumania has not yet been recognized by the Swiss Authority, therefore these two countries are still considered as third states.

Which is the spoken language in Switzerland?

The official national languages of the Swiss Confederation are German, French, Italian and Rumantsch.
The linguistic region are subdivided into the German speaking part of Switzerland, that groups the northern Cantons and represents 63.7% of the population, the French speaking part of Switzerland, that groups the western Cantons and represents 20.4% of the population, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland, composed by the Canton Ticino and four southern valleys of Canton Graubünden and represents 6.5% of the population, and the Rumantsch speaking part of Switzerland, composed of Canton Graubünden only.
Some Cantons can be bilingual such as Bern, Fribourg and Valais where German and French languages are spoken, while Canton Grubünden is a trilingual Canton where German, Italian and Rumantsch languages are spoken.
In Switzerland the English language is frequently considered Lingua Franca in that it is spoken by a large part of the population.