Just Landed in Switzerland? Your First 7 Days

Coverage is excellent nationwide, including deep in the Alps, in long rail tunnels and on most trains, with Swisscom generally offering the broadest reach. Prepaid SIMs and eSIMs all require ID registration by law, but they are quick to buy on arrival from provider shops, kiosks and supermarkets. Public Wi-Fi is common in stations, cafes and libraries, though data is so reliable you may rarely need it.

Typical cost: Prepaid data bundles start around CHF 20-30/month; unlimited postpaid plans typically run CHF 40-70/month, with cheaper deals from sub-brands like Yallo, Wingo and Lebara.

Switzerland uses the Swiss franc, not the euro, though shops near the German, French and Italian borders often accept euros at a deliberately poor exchange rate and give change in francs. Card and mobile payments are accepted almost everywhere, but it is worth keeping some cash for small kiosks, farmers' markets, mountain huts and the occasional cash-only Beiz. Watch dynamic currency conversion prompts on foreign cards and always choose to be charged in Swiss francs.

Opening an account: Traditional banks (UBS, PostFinance, Raiffeisen and the cantonal banks such as ZKB or BCV) usually require an in-person appointment and your permit, and may levy monthly fees. App-based banks Neon and Yuh let you open an account largely from your phone once you have a Swiss address and permit, and are popular with newcomers for low fees and good exchange rates on card spending abroad.

Cash: Contactless cards and Twint, the domestic mobile-payment app, dominate everyday spending, and even market traders and buskers now take Twint. Cash remains common for small purchases and among older generations, and it never disappears entirely, so carry a modest amount alongside your card.

Tipping: Service is included by law, so tipping is genuinely optional and never expected. Locals simply round up the bill or add a few francs for good service in restaurants, taxis and hair salons; there is no percentage convention, and no one will chase you for leaving nothing.

All new residents must register in person at the residents' registration office of the commune where they live, and this single act triggers issuance of your residence permit and connects you to the cantonal tax and administrative systems. You register in the commune, not centrally, so the exact forms, opening hours and fees vary by location. If you later move to a different commune, even within the same canton, you must deregister and re-register at your new address.

Deadline: Within 14 days of arrival, and before you start work.

Where: Your commune's Einwohnerkontrolle (German), Controle des habitants (French) or Controllo abitanti (Italian).

Public transport is world-class, punctual and fully integrated: a single SBB/CFF ticket can cover trains, trams, buses, funiculars and lake boats across operators. A Half Fare travelcard (Halbtax) halves most fares and pays for itself quickly, while the GA (Generalabonnement / abonnement general) gives unlimited travel and suits heavy commuters. Regional community fare networks like the ZVV in Zurich or Unireso in Geneva offer monthly and annual passes for local zones.

From the airport: From Zurich Airport, direct trains reach Zurich Hauptbahnhof in about 10-15 minutes for roughly CHF 7 one way. From Geneva Airport, trains reach Geneva Cornavin in about 7 minutes, and arriving air passengers can collect a free 80-minute public-transport ticket from a machine in the baggage hall. Taxis work but are expensive, easily CHF 50 or more into central Zurich.

Housing is scarce and fiercely competitive, especially in Zurich, Geneva, Zug and Lausanne, where vacancy rates sit near record lows and popular flats attract dozens of applicants. Expect to submit a full application dossier including your permit, an employment contract or payslips, and a recent debt-collection extract (Betreibungsauszug / extrait des poursuites) proving you owe nothing. Most rentals are unfurnished and stripped bare, frequently without light fittings, and sometimes without a fitted kitchen's smaller appliances.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat runs roughly CHF 1,500-2,500/month in cities like Zurich and Geneva, and CHF 1,100-1,700/month in smaller towns and outer suburbs.

Deposit norm: A security deposit of up to three months' rent, which by law must be held in a separate blocked tenant deposit account (Mietkautionskonto / compte de garantie de loyer) in your own name, not the landlord's.

Care is high-quality and universal in access but funded through mandatory private basic insurance, not taxes, so you pay a monthly premium plus an annual deductible (franchise) and a co-payment share up to a yearly cap. There is no free NHS-style service; even a routine GP visit is billed against your insurance and deductible. Premiums vary widely by canton, insurer and the deductible you choose.

How to access it: Depending on your insurance model, you either register with a GP (Hausarzt / medecin de famille), call your insurer's telemedicine line first, or use a designated HMO group practice. For genuine emergencies, go to a hospital A&E (Notfall / urgences) or call 144 for an ambulance. Pharmacies (Apotheke / pharmacie) can advise on minor ailments and dispense many treatments.

Insurance: Basic health insurance (Grundversicherung / assurance de base) is compulsory and must be arranged within three months of arrival, with cover backdated to your arrival date so delays only cost you. The basic benefits package is set by federal law and identical across insurers, so compare on price and service via Comparis or the federal Priminfo site; a higher deductible lowers premiums but raises your upfront costs.

• Be punctual to the minute; arriving late to appointments, dinners or even casual meetups is read as disrespectful and unreliable.
• Greet with a firm handshake and direct eye contact, or three cheek kisses among friends in French-speaking areas, and use surnames with Herr/Frau or Monsieur/Madame until invited to switch.
• Respect quiet hours strictly: no loud noise, drilling, vacuuming or laundry on Sundays and public holidays, and generally none after about 10pm on weeknights.
• Sort and recycle rubbish meticulously and use official taxed bin bags where your commune requires them, because misuse of the waste system is inspected and fined.
• Keep your voice down in public and on trains, respect personal space and privacy, and avoid prying questions about salary or wealth on first meeting.
• Book and honour your slot in the shared laundry room (Waschkuche), and never leave your washing to overrun another household's time.
• RSVP and keep commitments; a casual "maybe" is taken as a genuine plan, and cancelling at the last minute is frowned upon.

• Sunday closures: nearly all shops shut on Sundays, so stock up on Saturday; the main exceptions are shops in major train stations and airports.
• Cantonal differences mean rules on permits, taxes, school terms and even shop hours change the moment you cross a cantonal border.
• Building rules (Hausordnung) are taken seriously; some restrict late-night showering, flushing or using the washing machine outside set hours.
• Litter and jaywalking norms are real; drop rubbish or cross recklessly and expect disapproving looks or a fine.
• Small talk is limited and friendships form slowly, so do not mistake initial reserve for rudeness; persistence and reliability win people over.