Switzerland, for graduates
Before you read on
Notes from members who have made the move or the trip. They are a starting point, not legal or tax advice, and Swiss rules differ by canton. Where it matters, check with the canton, the U.S. Embassy, or a professional. If something here is out of date, tell us.
Visiting
Getting around
The train network reaches almost everywhere and runs on time. Buy tickets in the SBB Mobile app. For a stay of a week or more, compare a Swiss Travel Pass (unlimited rail, bus, boat, and most city transit) against a Half Fare Card; for a single long trip, Supersaver tickets bought in advance can cut the fare by half or more. Renting a car is rarely worth it in the cities, and motorway use requires a vignette, sold at the border and at petrol stations.
Money and language
The currency is the Swiss franc. Cards and phone payments are accepted nearly everywhere; keep a little cash for mountain huts and small kiosks. Switzerland has four national languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh); English gets you through daily life in the cities, and a greeting in the local language is appreciated. Service charges are included in restaurant bills, so tipping means rounding up, not adding a percentage.
Rhythm of the country
Most shops close on Sundays and public holidays, and many close early on Saturdays. Quiet hours in apartment buildings are real. Plan a Sunday around trains, trails, museums, and restaurants, which do stay open.
Coming for an event
Our gatherings are in the cities along the main rail corridor (Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Geneva), all within about two and a half hours of each other by train. Check the events page and let us know you are coming; members are glad to meet a visiting grad for a coffee between events.
Moving here
Permits
U.S. citizens need a residence permit to live and work in Switzerland, normally arranged by the employer or university before arrival. The common types are the L (short-term, up to a year), B (annual, renewable), and C (settlement, after a number of years of residence). Non-EU hiring is subject to quotas, so an offer from a Swiss employer is the usual route in.
First two weeks
Register with the residents' office of your commune (Gemeinde, commune, comune) within 14 days of arrival. Bring your passport, rental contract, and employment contract. This registration drives everything else: the permit card, tax status, and the health insurance deadline.
Health insurance
Basic health insurance is mandatory and must be in place within three months of arrival, backdated to the day you arrived. It is bought privately from one of the approved insurers; coverage is the same across insurers, premiums are not, so compare. Supplementary insurance is optional and medically underwritten.
Banking
Opening an account as a U.S. person is possible but slower than for other nationals because of U.S. reporting rules. The large retail banks and the cantonal banks generally do accept U.S. clients; some smaller banks and most investment platforms do not. Expect to be asked for your Social Security number at account opening.
Taxes
Two systems apply at once. Switzerland taxes residents at the federal, cantonal, and communal level, with wide differences between cantons; most newly arrived foreign employees are taxed at source through payroll in their first years. The United States continues to tax its citizens on worldwide income, so an annual U.S. return and an FBAR for foreign accounts remain due. The foreign earned income exclusion and the U.S.-Swiss tax treaty prevent most double taxation, but filing is unavoidable. Find a preparer who handles U.S. expatriates before your first April.
Driving
A U.S. licence is valid for twelve months after you take up residence. Exchange it for a Swiss licence within that window; after it expires you would need to retake the test. The exchange usually requires an eye test and, for some states, a practical check.
Housing
Vacancy rates in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne are very low. Applications are competitive and typically ask for a permit copy, an employer letter, and an extract from the debt collection register (which you will not have at first; a letter explaining that you have just arrived usually suffices). Deposits of three months' rent are standard and are held in a blocked account in your name.
Veterans and U.S. matters
U.S. Embassy
The U.S. Embassy in Bern handles passports, notarials, and federal benefits questions for Americans in Switzerland. Enroll in STEP (the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) so the embassy can reach you.
VA care abroad
The VA Foreign Medical Program covers treatment of service-connected conditions outside the United States; you pay the provider and claim reimbursement. Non-service-connected care is not covered abroad, which is one more reason the Swiss basic insurance matters. Disability compensation and the GI Bill continue to be paid to residents overseas; GI Bill use at a Swiss university requires the programme to be VA-approved, and several are.
Voting
Register and request an absentee ballot through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (fvap.gov) each year. Ballots for most states can be returned electronically or by post.
Reserve and retirement
Reservists living abroad should confirm their status with their unit or the IRR before moving; drilling from Switzerland is not practical. Military retirees can have retired pay deposited to a U.S. account and use it from a Swiss one; TRICARE Overseas coverage is available to retirees but works on a pay-and-claim basis, so most retirees carry Swiss basic insurance as well.
Other graduates in Europe
West Point societies exist in several European countries, and graduates of the Naval, Air Force, and Coast Guard academies live in Switzerland too. The society directory lists the active societies; our events are open to graduates of the sister academies.
Add to this page
If you have found a good U.S.-expat tax preparer, a bank that was easy to work with, or a canton that did the licence exchange without fuss, send it in. Member recommendations are the most useful thing this page can carry.