Need to Know: Moving to Switzerland
First things first: Register at the Gemeinde (local municipality)
Within your first two weeks, you need to register in person with the Gemeinde where you live (the local municipality). If you are staying in the PSI guesthouse, you will register in the Villigen Gemeindehaus, an easy 2-3 km walk from PSI. If you are living elsewhere, you will need to register at your local Gemeinde. Take your passport and VISA and they will guide you through the rest of the process of obtaining a resident permit card (For non-EU).
Insurance in Switzerland
Within your first three months, you will need to get Swiss health insurance. Switzerland has mandatory insurance for all its residents. Make sure you get the insurance by then or the government will choose one for you, which is usually expensive.
How to get insurance:
1. Go to https://en.comparis.ch/
2. Type in your details
3. Choose the right deductible
4. Choose the right insurance
What is a "deductible": It is the amount of money you pay out-of-pocket before the insurance starts paying for your expenses. Your deductible is inversely proportional to your monthly premium--higher deductible, lower premium. Comparis has all the necessary details, one can do their own research to choose the right insurer. Our recommendation for the young and healthy: make it simple, go for the cheapest!!!
Optional insurance add-ons:
1. In case you need helicopter service you need to talk to the insurance company to check if it is covered.
2. In case you do skiing you might want to have something called as liability insurance.
3. This insurance does not cover dental treatments!!!
Finding an apartment
PSI employees are spread mostly in parts of Zurich, Baden, Brugg, Würenlingen and also other places such as Basel, Bern etc. Which is the best location? That’s subjective.. However, finding accommodation outside big cities is usually easy. There are plenty of websites one can look at and also the notice boards at PSI. One can also contact the people in the guesthouse for PSI owned apartments in Brugg or Würenlingen.
Following websites will be useful:
https://en.comparis.ch/immobilien/default.aspx
https://www.homegate.ch/
http://www.immoscout24.ch/
https://www.ronorp.net/ (big cities only)
Swiss travel cards
- General Abonnement/GA (a.k.a. SwissPass) (link)
- PSI GA reimbursement form (link: search for "GA_Pauschalbeitrag.dotx")
As a PhD student (age 25-30 yrs), you have access to a discounted GA travelcard (2600 CHF for a yr), which lets you ride any train, bus, boat, or tram in Switzerland and gets you discounts on many funiculars, ski passes, and other Swiss travel-related activities. Additionally, PSI will reimburse money if you use the GA to travel to and from your university (500 CHF if you attend university in Zürich or Basel, 1000 CHF if you attend university outside of those kantons). Considering the cost of coming by bus to PSI every day, and the cost of visiting the amazing Alps and Swiss cities, this is the best deal in all of Switzerland.
Pro-tip: If you are not such a big traveler, you can also buy a one-month GA card for 245 CHF.
- Half-tax/Halbtax (link)
If you don't travel so much, another attractive option is the Halbtax card, which gives you ~50% off all train, bus, boat, and tram tickets in Switzerland (185 CHF for a yr). The cost is not reimbursed by PSI.
Cheap/Free online markets
- Sharing is Caring Universities of Zurich/ETH (UZH/ETH) (Facebook group)
- Ricardo.ch (link)
- Ron Orp (also for events/housing) (link)
As a poor PhD student, making ends meet in Switzerland can be tough. Follow the above links to find cheap (or even free!) furniture, appliances, sports equipment...