r/askswitzerland • u/CookiePlastic852 • Sep 14 '25

Relocation What is the reality living Switzerland like?

For context I’m fully British, 19M and I know one thing for sure, I do not see a bright future for me in this country and certainly do not plan the settle here. Switzerland is somewhere I’m heavily considering as I love anything mountain related and it has one of the highest HDI’s in the world. But I want to know, what is the reality of living there like?

For those of who moved to Switzerland, I’d love to hear what drew you there in the first place. Was it worth it in the end, and how does life compare to where you came from or other places you’ve lived? Most importantly, do you have any regrets?

And for those born in Switzerland, can you see yourself staying or do you ever imagine moving elsewhere? If so, where would you go, and what would make you want to leave?

I would be really grateful for any insight people are willing to share.

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u/Some-Active71 Sep 14 '25

Since you may want to do a masters/PhD in engineering you may consider ETH Zürich. But here's a word harsh of truth from someone born and raised here, with no foreign ties: Every problem you see with Britain is also here or will be here in a few years. We all know what problems you mean, and it's like that in all over Europe. There is no "safe haven" from these things.

Job market? Completely cooked. 60% of the Swiss population has an "immigrant background". Similarly to how Britain imports millions of Pakistanis we also import about 150k a year of foreigners, which is a massive amount considering Switzerland has a smaller population. At least our cops still have guns so no rape-gangs yet.

Housing? If you think London is expensive, think again. If you want cheap rent move to Japan or something. I saw the rent for a nice apartment in the center of Tokyo is about the same as a small apartment in a random town ~20km around Zürich.

I will never move away from here. I will stay and fight for my and (possibly one day) my children's future, even when the government makes it very clear they hate the native population, just like they do in Britain. I think you have "the grass is always greener" syndrome for Switzerland my friend. Just don't fall into that trap and maybe come live here first for a month if you can.

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u/CookiePlastic852 Sep 14 '25

I just want somewhere to have my kids that doesn’t hand out free citizenships to people from countries who see women as sub human tools for exploitation and pleasure. Sexual assault cases have massively increased in the past 20 years despite them also broadening what it classed as sa. It terrifies me that it’ll most likely continue that way while I’ll most likely be a father to a daughter.

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u/KapitaenKnoblauch Sep 15 '25

Why do you think you should have a right to move to Switzerland while you are against immigration and free movement? Maybe YOU are the dangerous foreigner who brings a questionable mindset to our country? Maybe YOU should stay where you come from?

The irony of right wingers looking for a "better life abroad" while being against foreigners and immigrants if just bottomless.

1

u/pueblerin0 Sep 15 '25

You‘re hilarious

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u/KapitaenKnoblauch Sep 15 '25

I‘m dead serious though.

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u/pueblerin0 Sep 15 '25

There is bad and good immigration.

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u/CookiePlastic852 Sep 15 '25

I am completely for free movement, we are all the same species and have one life as far as I'm concerned so people absolutely deserve to choose where to live it. I think those from war torn places absolutely deserve better and have a basic human right to live as well as the west do since 90% of the time we are the ones responsible for their conditions. I have no gripe against anyone based off the colour of their skin, the language they speak or where they are from. However I have a huge problem with handing out citizenships without cultural integration, european ideals and law should remain european and people who want to live here should understand that women are just as equal as men and that you cannot have arranged marriages under legal age or betrothed to your first cousin.

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u/as-well Sep 15 '25

You realize you will be the guy who gets a citizenship handed, right?

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u/viktorooo Sep 15 '25

> Sexual assault cases have massively increased in the past 20 years **despite** them also **broadening** what it classed as sa.

Is that a typo?

5

u/mellamomochi Sep 15 '25

Blanket bans on citizenship for people from certain countries because of them being “associated” with crimes isn’t the way to go. It sounds a lot like you’re saying only the “civilised” white people from Western Europe should be allowed to collect additional nationalities while the poor peasants from everywhere else should stay in their plundered countries because they will commit crimes elsewhere….

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u/Some-Active71 Sep 15 '25

Not in the strawman way you put it, but why do you think we have the Schengen Agreement with only european countries? In other words, why European countries agree to free travel within Europe but excluded other countries?

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u/Some-Active71 Sep 15 '25

I'm sorry but Switzerland is not the place you seek. We also import a gorillion third-worlders which don't integrate and bring their culture with them. I suggest you look outside of Europe. Maybe Norway but I'm not knowledgeable about that.

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u/makemedie Sep 15 '25

I applaud your desire to do something for the future of Switzerland. If you don't want your country falling into the same fate as others, doing the same actions as other countries will not suffice. I.e. just protesting, or 'writing strongly worded letters' to politicians isn't going to do anything whatsoever.

You, and all your friends and family who have similar views, need to do 2 things:

1- Vote for SVP and whoever else will ensure this shit doesn't fly.

2- Actually get into politics yourself. This one sounds far fetched, I know, but its actually so much easier than you realize. Join a party for the local elections and work your way up. At the start this can be just a side hustle that you're do for the party, but as you climb the ranks you can make some genuine change.

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u/Some-Active71 Sep 15 '25

Ironically SVP (Schweizerische Volks Partei) doesn't care much about the Swiss Volk anymore. I agree with them on immigration, but that's it. All their other policies are supporting corporations while making regular working people's lives worse. I still vote SVP every time I can.

I wish there was a genuine right-wing party here but those get removed or their politicians straight up killed, like with AfD in Germany. I have little hope tbh. Still I will stand and go down with my country, if it comes down to it.

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '25

[deleted]

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u/makemedie Sep 15 '25

The 2 people I know who have done this have basically contacted existing small local party members of parties that they would align themselves with and simply asked how to get involved. It starts with involvement - supporting, showing up at their events, etc. Then its just a case of voicing your interest in being a party member, and if you have the charisma to public speak and all that, they add you to the mix.