FAQ
Last update: January, 2024
A list of questions with answers, in no particular order. If you want to look for something specific, you can use the keys combination 'CTRL'+'F'.
⚠️ Always use Google to go deeper and get a better and more accurate idea of what you read in this blog. Things change, answers may no longer be current and so on.
> What does frontier work mean?
A frontier worker is a person residing in one of the states surrounding Switzerland, residing in a belt geographically close to the border (in Italy 20km) and working in Switzerland, returning to Italy (more or less) every day.
> is it really necessary to know German to find them in Switzerland?
It depends on the type of work and the canton. For example, in the canton of Ticino, where Italian is the dominant language, knowing Italian and sometimes English is often sufficient. For jobs in federal or para-federal companies, in most cases a good knowledge of German is required (sometimes you find B1, but it is more like B2, at least).
> Is Swiss German the same as German?
Definitely not. With a Google search you can find many sites and videos explaining how different they actually are. Among the first results I found this and it seems OK to give you an idea.
> On the fly, how much is the minimum gross salary you would have to earn, annually, in order to live in Switzerland?
A single person with no particular expenses, in good health and without expensive hobbies can get by on a salary of around CHF 60000. The difference between gross and net can vary substantially from one canton to another. With this salary, you could afford a small flat in Ticino as well as a single room in Zurich, but in both cases, that is the minimum (really, minimum, I am not exaggerating) amount to consider in order to move, with some sacrifice. I suggest only considering proposals from at least CHF 65000 upwards to move to Ticino. It's not a big salary and you'll be forced to make a life without going out to eat often, preferably without a car, cooking all your meals at home, avoiding travelling too much and so on, but you make a living. From the perspective of 'I'll move in the meantime, then as soon as possible I'll look for a better job' is acceptable. But then you really have to find a better job, without half-measures 'eh but then we'll see', no. If you accumulate two or three setbacks all at once, you are in deep, smelly shit.
> Is health insurance compulsory?
Yes, it is also often referred to as 'KVG', from 'Federal Law on Health Insurance' the law regulating it.
Lately they have taken the habit of increasing the cost of insurance every year. In 2022, the basic one cost me about 300 CHF per month, in 2023 about 340 and from January 2024 it will be more than 390 CHF, substantial increases, I would say. You can change insurance once a year and it often pays off, but after a while you get bored of having to change every year to pay a better price, also because, yes, the benefits are the same even if you change insurers (since the basic insurance is regulated and the same for everyone), but you can find an insurance company that responds immediately and doesn't make a mess, just as you can find one that has a smelly customer service department or that messes up your documents, etc.
Follow that link, in Italian to learn more about this topic and to inform yourself quite well about how health insurance works in Switzerland.
Official insurance premium calculator
Many more questions and answers will come 👾
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