| Living in Switzerland is part of Dutch national Mark's dream to leave Holland and immerse himself in the cultures of other countries. After having lived in Switzerland for over two years, he shares with us some of his observations about the behavior of the Swiss, the expensive cost and standard of living there, and the importance of observing the local customs. |
 Mark Monteiro |
August 16 2006
-Where were you born?
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
-In which country and city are you living now?
Switzerland, in the city Reinach. Reinach is approximately 10 minutes away from Basel.
-Are you living alone or with your family?
I'm living here with my girlfriend.
-How long have you been living in Switzerland?
I've been in Switzerland since April 1st 2004. I've been in Reinach since August 2004.
-What is your age?
40 years
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Switzerland?
Since I was 19 years old I've wanted to leave Holland to experience other cultures and countries. The main factor to move to Switzerland was my girlfriend. Although she's a Canadian, she has been living in Switzerland for 22 years. Furthermore, my company made it possible for me to move to Switzerland.
The company created a position for me to keep me within the company and help me fulfill my private wish to move to Switzerland
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No. As I had a job offer it was pretty easy to obtain a residence and working permit.
-How do you make your living in Switzerland? Do you have any type of income generated?
I have a fulltime job, created for me by the company. Everything was arranged for before I moved from Holland to Switzerland. Another possibility would have been to apply at one of the many multi-nationals located in and around Basel. A lot of pharma companies have offices and plants in and around Basel. That's why Basel and the Basel region have so many expats.
-Do you speak Swiss or the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Yes I do speak the local language. I think in this region it is not that important to speak the local language as it is very international, but it's always a big plus when you do speak the local language. In the city of Basel you can get around with English, but as soon as you move to a smaller town speaking the local language is a must. Switzerland is multi-lingual. The native languages are German (Swiss-German!), French, Italian and for a small part Rumansch.
Local customs should be observed as the Swiss are in general very conservative. Peace and quiet on the Sunday is still appreciated and highly respected. Otherwise, Switzerland is a very clean and safe country when I compare it to Holland.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
No, I don't. I'm enjoying the fact that I can fulfill one of my dreams, so I don't miss Holland. I go back to Holland regularly to visit family and friends and they come over to Switzerland as well. This way we keep the contact strong and lively.
My favorite activities are rollerblading and walking. For this purpose Switzerland is excellent. The only thing I really miss is the seaside and the beach I could visit whenever I wanted when I lived in Holland.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
Yes. In 12 months my girlfriend and I will move to Canada. As indicated above, my girlfriend is a Canadian. We have finalised our preparations; that means I have prepared mine as she doesn't need anything else other than her Canadian passport to return to Canada. I have to go through the full immigration process. Entering Canada is much more difficult and time consuming than entering Switzerland.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
My girl friend already had an apartment, so I didn't need to look for one.
Houses are very expensive in Switzerland, especially in the regions of Basel, Geneva, and Zurich. I have rented a house. Basically I pay more in rent than it would cost me to buy a house and pay for the mortgage. The difficulty in Switzerland to obtain a mortgage is that you have to make a down payment of 20% of the value of the house in cash. For example, considering houses on average, a 150m2 one that has three bedrooms would cost approximately CHF 500.000-700.000. This means you have to come up with a down payment of CHF 100.000-140.000 in cash.
-What is the cost of living in Switzerland?
The cost of living is very high. In general, prices of clothes are 30-40% higher than in surrounding countries.
Groceries are expensive, 20-30% higher than in the surrounding countries. The only thing that's less expensive is alcohol, both wines and spirits. This is due to the level of VAT and state taxes on those goods. Tip: VAT in Switzerland in general is 7,6%, Germany 19%, Austria 20%, France 16%. All prices displayed in stores include VAT.
Insurance is also more expensive than in surrounding countries. Health insurance is very expensive compared to Holland. Example: In Holland I paid €156 for my health insurance including dental care and a no claim of maximum of €200 per annum, meaning I had to pay max €200 out of my own pocket for any medical and dental care per annum. All other costs were covered 100%. In Switzerland I pay the same for insurance without dental care (this costs me approximately CHF 700 per annum) and a no claim of CHF 1500. This means I pay for all my dental care privately, and all medical costs up to CHF 1500 I have to pay privately before the insurance starts paying.
-What do you think about the Swiss people?
The Basel region is very open. The same goes for the regions of Geneva and Zurich. In general the Swiss are very correct and polite. The inner part of Switzerland is very, very conservative (Cantons like Schwyz, Uri, Appenzell, Luzern). People here are still correct and polite, but much more closed and reserved.
In general I think Switzerland is a very nice country to reside in.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Switzerland?
Positive: clean, safe, quality of life, lots of nature and beautiful landscapes. Quality of meats and vegetables is excellent. Low taxes.
Negative: no seaside, keeping the peace and quiet on Sunday (e.g. no Sunday shopping, no drilling holes in walls, no laundry). Conservative locals, especially those in the inner part of Switzerland. People will stay friendly, but you'll never know what they really think or how they judge you.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Switzerland?
Visit the Web sites of Berne, Basel, Geneva, and Zurich to get an idea of the different cities. Read books about the history of Switzerland, look at the different cantons as income tax-rates vary from one canton to another. Prepare, if you want to come over for a longer period of time, your language skills. Check for any customs regulations to see what you may bring across and what you can't bring. Swiss customs are very strict in this respect.
Maybe it is wise to come over and visit Switzerland to get a feel for the country and the people before determining you want to get established here.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Switzerland?
Here are some Web sites:
The CanadianSwiss Blog
The Big Finn's Big Blog!
Adventures in Switzerland
Basel site
mybasel.ch
Zurich Schweiz
Why Geneva
Switzerland portal
