From UK to Switzerland

[MaybeSwitzerland]

I have been offered a job in Switzerland (Lausanne / Vaud) - if I take it, it would mean a move for DH, 2 DDs 9 and 12, and dog.

I am bilingual, the kids and DH not so much (DD12 and DH have basic functioning french).

DH may not be able to work for a little while, and we would rely in my salary only while he looks (circa 200k CHF). I know the region well as a frequent tourist, but not so aware about taxes and life as a resident etc.

We would need to sell our detached house here in the UK, but i m also aware that Swiss people rent rather than buy, with appartment living much more common than here. I am freaking out that we d be giving up on a lovely set up here to go into a flat, with the added expense of international school (unless we decided to put the kids in the mainstream system?).

Has anyone done a similar move recently? how did it go? Employer is selling me the dream / the Swiss life as the best of Europe...

Hi I'm living the German part of Switzerland but maybe can be of help anyway.

I'd expect it's possible to get a house if you're willing to live out in a village and commute to Lausanne. You could ask on englishforum.ch for advice on this from locals. Large apartments with decent sized terraces can also be ok with dogs.

Our children are in local schools and it's worked out fine but they started at 5 and under. At 12 it would be a challenge to get into the academic stream when the selection happens at 14/15, although I've known a few very bright, motivated children manage it. Alternatively for a not so academic child, there are great options for apprenticeships or some people send their children to international school or back to the uk for A Levels. 200k would be quite a low expat salary if you have to pay international school fees - employers often cover this.

Best wishes for making your decision!

I live on the outskirts of Geneva, been here a while. As pp says - with that salary you should have no problem with a house (take a look at comparis). It’s a high salary compared to national average (fyi, average Swiss salary is about 65k I think). I can’t speak to expat salaries.

Obviously school fees make a difference, but you should be able to find those online if you are doing calculations. There are plenty of kids who enter the local system late, and Geneva at least (I’m sure other cantons) offer integration classes. Agree with pp that it might be limiting for your older child, but I’d consider it carefully especially if she has some level of french.

The canton Vaud website has quite a bit of info on taxes and you should be able to do a simulation. Generally speaking, much lower than the uk, but be prepared for the health insurance charges (we pay chf 1500 per month for me, dh, ds9 and dd7). I’ve found provision very good though.

Hi,
You can have a great set up here too, but with skiing in winter and sailing in summer etc. Vaud is really good for children coming from abroad, so they could go into the Swiss system and then to an international school for the IB Diploma / A-Levels if they don’t want to do the Swiss Maturité.
With Lausanne as your work base you have a lot of options to choose from in terms of living up a mountain, in a city, in a house / chalet / appartement - I expect you’ll all love it!

Feel free to PM me if you’d like.

thank you @beresh @Trenisenne and @ApricotExpat - much appreciated.
I am due to go visit in person and get a better feel for the place, and what we could do in term of accommodation / schools etc.

I am also trying to understand what type of work permit DH would get, and what it means for his employment prospects.

It’s lovely but your kids are a bit old to be entering expat life. It may be a struggle for them. There are lots and lots of people with very young kids there living the life but once kids start to get to around 9/10 everyone realises you have to either make them local (which can be incredibly tough, I’ve seen really broken children) or go home. It’s not for the faint hearted. People have come back to the UK with teens whose education is ruined.

Dont get me wrong, there are older kids doing it but for international school you’d see a full yr1 class and a smattering of yr 5’s gradually getting less and less.

Do not underestimate how expensive it is or how hard it will be for your child to become fluent and integrate.

He may not automatically be entitled to work as a "trailing spouse" especially post Brexit. Some jobs may advertise that they will sponsor a work permit if needs be.

good points - DCs education is a concern of course, and it might mean paying for international school if need be (but the cost is ££££ - I ll explore with employer). This kind of move / opportunity did not come to us when they were younger, unfortunately. My parents live fairly close to Switzerland, so this would be a bonus. I am looking for some sort of programme to help the DCs prepare with the language while we stay with their grandparents over the summer.

I am not British, so, for me, a move is not so much expatriation, more another relocation. I also finished my own education in the UK with no English at the start, so not entirely phased by that type of transitions. But I am probably being unfair to the DCs, as I remember a lot of my peers really really struggling.

We recently turned down the offer of a job in France, partly based on my lived experience of the education system there, which was a little brutal, especially for non-academic children (and with no option for integration or international schools in that part of France). My understanding of the Swiss system was that it is a bit different?

I understand the Swiss education system is very different to the French. We moved to the Lausanne area 14 years ago when DS was 10, he spoke no French. He went straight into the local school and spent the first school year in a class with other non French speaking students (5 In total) exclusively learning French. He joined the 'normal class' for PE lessons and by the end of the year gradually joined other lessons too.

When he was ready to join the 'normal class' we took the option of putting him back a school year which is very normal here so he could get up to speed with the language and fully integrate with his new class mates. He is now studying at a Swiss university is fluent in French in fact it is his main language and fully integrated into the Swiss way of life.

Before DS could start school we needed to show proof of his childhood vaccinations and a summary from his school in the UK regarding his academic ability.

Lausanne is a great place to live you have the best of all worlds, city, lake, countryside and mountains also easy access to the airport.

For accommodation you can search on Anibis and Comparis also your new employer might have agents who help with this.

International school is expensive - 26,000 to 30,000chf plus school trips, sports on top. There are cheaper options, eg Steiner school is 14,000chf.

The 'welcome class' in local schools can be amazing and I know of children who have arrived age 12, taken an extra year but succeeded in going to university, others who have been happy on the alternative route and have had good jobs.

200,000chf is a good salary but perhaps not the top flight salary it sounds - Switzerland is not an easy place to be frugal in. Food costs are high as are utility costs, maintenance, speeding fines and healthcare - even with insurance, not everything is covered 100%.

The International Mothers in Switzerland facebook group has lots of information and advice and also lots of people who have chosen to send their children to local school at various ages. Not every school system suits every child, every day.. it is individual. Some schools are better at integrating children than others..

This might be useful - www.vd.ch/themes/formation/scolarite-obligatoire/parent-information-and-translated-documents-documents-traduits-dinformation-aux-parents/?fbclid=IwAR2hUTcr2FPnphIhO-cOC0JBQEF0r6CjfH5m4py_elmh0YpMwI7ER3FHGMM

As for your husband's ability to work - things have changed since Brexit - I know a friend who came here as a UK resident and her employers had to get lawyers involved and jump through many hoops to get her permit approved.

That said - it is a GREAT place to live.

Another Vaud resident and also a teacher. It's a wonderful place to live, I love it! Lui would discuss school fees being paid by employer but the local systems are generally well equipped for children who are not French MT.

Don't bother with Steiner schools... There are many International schools in the area and also Montessori that goes up to 15. (A reputable one in Etoy that might not be too far?)

Thank you so much for these tips.

Our friends in Switzerland do love life there. They are almost evangelical about it :) I have no idea how much they earn though and their kids are "local" to the system.

I am a little concerned about the salary, especially if DH cannot work, or at least not straightaway.

I am equally scared of settling for the longer term in the UK, due to fear of the big unknown, potentially missing on a great opportunity for my career and for the DCs.

You salary is more than our combined salaries. I wouldn't worry. You can live accordingly.

Some children thrive in the local schools. Mine all did well initially but ASD child was moved and then when I returned to work after 7 years as a SAHM it made sense logistic for the children to come with me. But we have lots of friends in the local system, and ours will return to the local system when they are 15.

thanks @boopdeflouff, that s reassuring both on the financial and educational fronts.

What is your status re: the UK? Would you be able to return or would there be visa hoops to jump through? Worth exploring if you haven't already in case you need a back up plan.

Lots of people in Vaud cross the border to France to do their supermarket shopping as it's cheaper.

Would you HAVE to sell your house in the UK to fund the move? It might be a better financisl option long term to keep it. If you sold and don't buy in Switzerland then it may be hard to get back into home ownership in the future.

You should consider renting your house. For a year or two.
It takes time to integrate, & you dont know if your H & DC will settle.
But it is a fantastic opportunity, assuming your H can get a job, realistically you will be putting your marriage under strain if he stays at home as a trailing spouse...
The dc will adapt.

The posts on here are much more helpful than I can be.

But my cousin recently visited who's lived in Switzerland for the last 10 years. He's near Geneva so his kids speak German, (high?) German and French. They started at an early age so are fluent and go to local schools.

Their description of living there wasn't what I imagined. Nice standard of living but very expensive (I'm still amazed they don't have Amazon). They've both lived in other countries in Europe and have found some of the people quite politically incorrect and, in their view, not quite as cultured as other European countries. A lot of bureaucracy although everything runs very well.

Overall they like having access to nice countryside and good schooling. Their medical insurance is quite expensive but good quality of hospitals. I'm not sure they necessarily feel they fit in all that well.

Sorry, near Zurich

We do have Amazon? I order through .de or .it. Sometimes .Uk or .fr will also deliver, although rarer.

Also post offices such as Divonne can offer a postal service where things are delivered to their PO address and you collect. I have never used it but lots of friends do.

Agree about not selling up. We did that, and it was a mistake, in all honesty.

We do have Amazon? I order through .de or .it. Sometimes .Uk or .fr will also deliver, although rarer.

Has my cousin told a porkie in that case?! Although perhaps he meant within Switzerland per se. He also said they don't have eBay, I, wondering whether that's also being economical with the truth.....

It was against the backdrop of Switzerland being good at protecting their domestic businesses.

There is a big difference culturally between German and French Switzerland. I would not move to German Switzerland.

My DB moved to Zurich for a year with his job & moved the whole family, 2DC
They had a fabulous time, but are massive outdoor people. So constantly skiing, cycling, hiking, camping.
The oldest Dd was about 11 & learned German by the end of the year, loved it (shes incredibly academic) she subsequently did an exchange with her friend there, 1 year in CH, then the friend returned for a year to Oz. They ste still best friends.
The Younger boy 8y was fine but not as fluent
I agree there's a lot of rules.
Eg not allowed to flush the toilet at night in the aptmt block
Not allowed to garden , or do any "work" outdoors on a Sunday ...

Do you teach at La Chat? :)

Sorry that was meant for @boopdeflouff!

Hahaha no I don't, I have lots of friends who do though. 😊