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Hi everyone,

I'm living in Switzerland, and I'm currently going through a really difficult financial situation.

I recently started a new job, and I'm still in my probation period until December. I'm doing my best to get back on my feet and become financially stable.

Unfortunately, I have around CHF 1,000 in unpaid bills that I need to settle before the end of this month. Some of these bills are accumulating additional charges making the situation even harder.

On top of that, I also have monthly rent of CHF 1,350 and other essential living expenses.

I've tried applying for a small personal loan to manage everything, but I've been rejected by two banks, possibly because I'm still in my probation period.

I'm honestly feeling overwhelmed. I'm working and trying my best to handle my responsibilities, but right now I don't have enough to cover everything.

I'm posting here hoping someone might have advice, know of any organizations that offer temporary financial assistance in Switzerland, or know of another way to get through this difficult period.

I'm not looking for judgment. I'm just trying to find a solution and avoid falling further into debt.

Any genuine advice or help would mean a lot to me.

Thank you so much for reading. ❤️

Hi, I’m a foreigner, so I’m not quite sure how things work here. My boyfriend—whom I met four years ago—is now 35. Every year he says he’s going to move out, but somehow it never happens... I rent a studio apartment myself; I don’t need much, and I cover my own bills, groceries, car fuel, etc. I work 50 hours a week, though I only earn minimum wage. He, on the other hand, doesn’t even own a car. He comes over on Saturday evening and stays until Tuesday, as he works remotely from my place on Mondays and Tuesdays. I’m exhausted by this "half-relationship." I don’t want him moving in with me—and I couldn’t even if I wanted to, since I rent the apartment from my boss, and I also have a place of my own in my home country that I’m still paying for.

I also don’t want to live with someone who isn’t independent—right now, he is excited about buying a new PS5! 🤷 Honestly, I’m wondering: do I have a future with someone like this? Someone who lives and acts like a teenager? Is this normal for Swiss men???

Dear all,

I'm a third-country national from North America and have lived in Switzerland for 5 years on a B permit, originally granted for employment (cantonal quota). I'm already working with an immigration lawyer, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

**Background**

- I lost my job at the start of 2025 and registered with the RAV.

- Last year, the migration office renewed my permit and told me in writing that if I was still unemployed at the next renewal, it would be extended once more, until mid-2027.

- I have an Anmeldebescheinigung, which maintains my residence status, until spring 2027.

- This year my RAV benefits ran out. The office now says that earlier information was a mistake, and that it intends not to renew my permit and to issue a removal order. My renewal is still pending, and I have a confirmation that I keep my status until a decision is made.

- I'm financially independent and have never received social assistance, but I'm told a permit for non-working people is only possible for EU/EFTA citizens or third-country nationals aged 55+.

**Where things stand now**

- I have a full-time, permanent job offer in my field.

- The cantonal labor office first confirmed in writing that I have free access to the labor market (Art. 38 Abs. 2 AIG). After learning about the pending non-renewal, it reversed that.

- The migration office now says my new employer must apply for labor market approval (Inländervorrang, quota, customary salary), as if I were a new hire from abroad. If that's approved, they'll drop the removal procedure.

**My questions**

1. Has anyone had their B permit renewed after unemployment by getting a new job approved this way? How long did it take, and what made the difference?

2. Has anyone successfully challenged the requirement for labor market approval while their renewal was pending? I have an Anmeldebescheinigung until 2027 so I'm shocked this is required.

3. Has anyone relied on a written assurance from the migration office that was later withdrawn? Did it help in a Rekurs?

4. Any tips for employers filing for a third-country national, especially for a smaller company (salary level, candidate search, documents)?

Thank you very much. Any experience or advice is greatly appreciated! I'd be grateful for any support.

Hi Everyone,

I am currently enrolled in Master’s of CS at Zhaw and in my first semester completing 12 ECTS ( part-time study) and was initially rejected a few months back by UZH for admission to Masters with Major Software Systems and minor Data Science, to which I appealed and today received the good news that my appeal has been accepted and that I can start next semester at UZH my Masters.

The question is ZHAW Vs UZH? What should I do? I am Swiss and also currently in the job market with a Bachelor’s in Software Engineering. So considering the market and all what should I choose?

Bonjour à tous,

je viens vers vous pour trouver solutions au problème que je rencontre actuellement, car je commence à me retrouver dans une impasse !

En faisant ce poste je cherche des témoignages de personnes qui ont vécu une situation similaire et qui ont réussi à régler ce problème ou peut être une personne dans le domaine pourrait apporter des conseils avisés et la manière la plus pertinente de faire diagnostiquer le problème

Le problème est le suivant:

Depuis plusieurs mois, l’eau provenant des robinets d’eau froide devient tiède après avoir coulé un certain temps, avant de finir par refroidir et ainsi de suite ect ect.

Et cela à répétition, quelque soit le moment de la journée... et cela concerne plusieurs points d’eau, notamment dans la cuisine et la salle de bains.

J'ai pu mesurer la température de l'eau à plus de 20 degrés après 30 secondes ces dernières semaines mais durant la vague de chaleur de cet été, l'eau était clairement bien au delà… est-ce acceptable et légal au regard des règles techniques applicables en Suisse ?

Est-ce que un sanitaire peut légalement dire que ces variations sont tout à fait acceptables et ne posent aucun problème tant au niveau de la consommation d'énergie que d'un point de vue hygiénique ? Ex : eau stagnante qui chauffe lorsque je ne tire pas d'eau pendant un certain temps.

Je cherche à comprendre la source du problème, bien évidemment il faudrait faire venir un spécialiste, mais a mon grand étonnement, je ne trouve personne qui propose ce genre service spécifique...

J'ai quelques idées en tête de l'origine:

- Proximité excessive entre les conduites d’eau chaude et froide

- isolation thermique insuffisante ou défaut dans les gaines

- un phénomène de retour d’eau chaude au niveau d’un mitigeur

- Défaut d'installation insoupçonnés

Je ne suis pas un cas isolé dans mon bâtiment, mais cela ne représente pas la majorité des logements, y a t il une piste à explorer de ce côté ?

Je suis conscient qu’une eau tiède ne signifie pas automatiquement qu’elle est dangereuse. Toutefois, ce problème est persistant et m'impacte dans ma vie et rend l'utilisation des points d'eau frustrante et désagréable tant au niveau du surplus d'eau chaude tiré non désiré que du potentiel problème d'hygiène que cela peut représenter.

Quelles références/personnes techniques seraient pertinentes à consulter ?

Pour les personnes ayant rencontré une situation similaire qu'avez-vous fait?

Merci d’avance pour vos retours et vos conseils 🙂🙂

I recently saw a poster for a Räbeliechtli parade and had to look up why children would be walking through town carrying hollowed-out turnips with candles inside.

I initially assumed it was some variation of Halloween, but apparently it's a completely separate autumn tradition. And honestly, the more I read about it, the more charming it sounds.

There's something really lovely about children making their own lanterns, walking through the dark together, singing songs and then warming up with something hot afterwards.

It also made me realize how many Swiss traditions probably exist almost entirely outside the international image of Switzerland. Everyone knows about cheese, chocolate and mountains, but I'd never heard about children carrying glowing vegetables through their villages.

I'm curious about a few things:

Did you grow up doing Räbeliechtli parades at school? Was it a big childhood event or just another activity?

Is it mostly a German-speaking Swiss tradition, or do people in Romandie and Ticino have something similar?

And is it still as common today as it used to be?

I'd also love to know whether it's normal for adults without children to come and watch. It seems like such a nice way to experience a local tradition.

Considering reitirement options. Would like to move away from Switzerland to europe, uk, or nordics. Due to cost of living and needing more personal space and quiet (own house instead of apartment living). Not sure how best to manage the swiss health insurance obligations which continue in many such locations as I understand it when swiss pension is being received. This could be a very significant future financial burden if the health insurance costs keep increasing at current rates, that I can never get away from.

Anyone with retirement relocation experience and tips to share?

Whilst biking on the shared bike/walk trails, I’m constantly bumping into (and biking around) oncoming pedestrians who walk on the right side of the street (their left side). Sometimes I ask them politely to move or just wait till they move, but are they supposed to walk on that side? Do they just have full reign of the roadway? It’s very confusing to me, and I don’t speak German so I can’t ask anyone.

Hi everyone,

1am 23 years old, recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and l am planning to apply for the Master in Management (SOL) at HEC Lausanne for next year.

I recently took the computer-delivered IELTS exam to meet the C1 English requirement, but I got an overall score of 6.5.

Since the British Council offers the "One Skill Retake" option, I am considering retaking just one section instead of the whole test.

However, I know that some universities do not accept split-report certificates achieved through this format.

Since the faculty administration is currently closed, I wanted to ask if any current students or applicants here know if HEC Lausanne officially accepts the IELTS One Skill Retake for the Master in Management (SOL), or if anyone was admitted using an one Skill retake score.

thanks for your help

My children have had to start school earlier for years, which is particularly disruptive for the whole family. My daughter was up today at 5:42, and this will become even harder when the cold and darkness set in for months. I truly don't understand the point of this practice in modern society, particularly when it’s associated with a public school system that is very lax and teaches little (my children’s grades are around 5, and they are vastly ignorant about every topic), especially considering that they finish earlier, which creates issues if parents have jobs or careers, and have breaks and holidays very often.

Two American Senior Citizens traveling first time to Switzerland in Jan/Feb. My spouse is going to be taking a class in St. Gallen Jan 26 - Jan 31st. Trying to plan an additional 6 days either prior or after. We don't ski, but interested in seeing some of the country and experiencing the culture. We will be flying into Zurich. I guess I am looking for some tips or ideas on how we can best spend our time.

I should add one thing we live in the Southwestern Desert (Arizona), would like to see the Alps but maybe from the comfort of a train 😄. We are experienced travelers, as I mentioned, this will be our first and maybe last change to visit Switzerland (Age).

Our preferred mode of travel is to find a hotel, spend 3 days or so and use that as a base to explore from. Not a big fan of switching hotels everyday or dragging suitcases around on trains.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Oh, one other thing; as Judi will be going to class and I will be alone with no adult supervision for those days, any suggestions on the St. Gallen area would be great.

I recently went through a rather disappointing recruitment process with a large Swiss manufacturing company based in the canton of Aargau and wanted to share my experience.

After completing multiple interviews, I received written confirmation from HR that I would be invited for a trial day (Probetag).

However, the scheduling kept getting delayed, with HR explaining that certain team members were on holiday. I followed up myself and was reassured that the trial day would still take place.

Eventually, I received a phone call informing me that the company had already conducted a trial day with another candidate, decided to offer that person the position, and would not be proceeding with any further trial days.

When I pointed out that this was unfair, especially considering the written confirmation and repeated assurances, the employee acknowledged my frustration and explained that the company simply wanted to fill the position quickly.

I have absolutely no problem with a company choosing another candidate. That's a normal part of recruitment.

What I find unprofessional is making commitments to candidates, repeatedly confirming the next step, and then abandoning those commitments because another candidate happened to complete the process earlier.

I also want to clarify that I have no complaints about the employee who delivered the final decision. He was respectful and understanding, and I believe he did his best in an uncomfortable situation.

After almost a year of navigating the Swiss job market, I thought I had seen just about everything. Apparently, there are still surprises.

Has anyone else experienced something similar in Switzerland? Would you consider this acceptable recruitment practice?

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Switzerland where we fell in love with a heavily seeded brown bread. We had it at a breakfast buffet and for sandwiches sent as a packed lunch so we didn’t have an opportunity to ask anyone its name. I didn’t find anything on a Google search either. I’m really hoping to find out what it’s called and, even better, a recipe for it! TIA!

Didn't hear back after posting on r/askswitzerland, so trying here!

Does anyone have any experience on how to get a laptop back from a Helvetic warranty service center?

It has been 6 weeks and they keep saying that they're waiting for a spare part but don't even have a date by when they'll receive the spare part. So, they can't say when the laptop can be returned. They refused to provide a back-up stating that it's not part of the insurance policy. My son uses it for school, so it has become a huge problem. I've asked them to return the laptop to me without repairing but they're not doing that. I can contact them only via email or website ticket but no phone number or social media handle is available. No escalation options either. Any pointers whether I can complain to any other authority?

Hi everyone! I’ll be moving to Switzerland for a hybrid role in Zurich and am looking for recommendations on towns to live in around Zurich.

My priorities are:

- Relatively low taxes

- Reasonable rent and better chances of finding an apartment

- Good public transport connections to Zurich (ideally within 30–45 minutes)

- Easy access to supermarkets, gyms, and other amenities

Which towns would you recommend for a good balance of affordability, taxes, and quality of life? I’m also open to other cantons if the commute is manageable.

Would love to hear your experiences and suggestions. Thanks!

Hello everyone!
For our Master’s thesis at Nova SBE, we are researching consumer attitudes toward fruit juice in Switzerland. We are looking strictly for Swiss citizens and long-term residents to help us.

We are currently having a hard time getting enough answers from the local population (we only have 49 out of 250 needed), so every single response helps us immensely to graduate.

• ⏱️ Duration: Around 10-15 minutes.
• 🗣️ Languages available: Available in German, French, Italian, and English (you can select your preference at the top right of the link).
• 🔒 Completely anonymous.

Link to the survey: https://novasbe.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4Yf7F3JTp5JO0SO

Thank you so much for your time, patience, and support! 🙏 Feel free to share it with your family or friends.

Wow, thank you so much to everyone who has responded so far! We already gained a lot of answers, but we still need a few more to reach our goal. Your help means the world to us!

I don't have too much time. I want to quit this job badly. The problem is, I will know only this Thursday if I got the new job or not. So, can I hand over the resignation to the HR directly, does it count?

By post would be too late, and will not arrive by end of this month.

I lived in Asia for a long time, and Laderach is a high-end brand there. Personally, I think their chocolate tastes good too. However, I heard that this company seems to have scandals related to religion and homosexuality, which makes me reconsider my choice. (I live in Lausanne now and there are some pretty nice local brands)

May I ask whether these issues are true and whether they are very serious? Would you refuse to buy any Laderach products?

Thank you very much for your answer!

I’m 24F, and I’m honestly feeling a bit lost right now.
I dropped out of college to help with my family’s business, thinking I was doing the right thing. Unfortunately, the business hasn’t been doing well lately, and I’ve realized I need to start looking for a job outside of it.
I have a European passport, speak fluent English, and have a little experience with administrative work. However, I don’t have a degree, and I’m struggling to find job opportunities despite trying.
I’m open to entry-level positions and willing to learn new skills. I just need someone to give me a chance and help me get my foot in the door.
For those of you who have been in a similar situation, how did you get started? What kind of jobs should I be looking for, and are there any websites or resources you’d recommend?
I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and worried about my future, but I really want to get back on my feet.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey all, so i was curious and thought i might just ask away, so what are your biggest everyday problems? Not like "I don't earn enough" or everything's so expensive but just annoying things to you?

I’ll be starting my master’s at the University of Fribourg in February 2027 and wanted to hear from people who live or study there. I am a non-EU international student, so I’d especially appreciate advice relevant to international students.
What’s the realistic monthly cost of living, including rent, health insurance, groceries, transport, and other expenses? How difficult is it to find affordable accommodation, and is it realistic to live on a student budget?
Also curious about student life and how easy it is to find a part-time job.
Would appreciate any honest advice or personal experiences! (I am a foreign student)

Ich bin auf der dringenden Suche nach Ersatz für dieses alte Lavabo - vermutlich von Laufen (nicht bestätigt). Weiss jemand mehr oder kann weiterhelfen?

Breite: 64cm
Tiefe: 51cm

Hello,
I bought a car 1 year ago and the previous owner was still waiting for the letter to do the MFK since was already due (Aargau). we went together to change property and we asked to the office but we understood we had to wait for the letter for the MFK. Now is 1 year since I have the car and still no letter, I went to the office due to an address change and i asked again (I am not really good in german) but they said that all was good and they printed the new car document with new address.
Of course I am not looking forward to do the MFK but should I just wait ? Even if the last one was done close to 4 years ago?
Anyone with similar experience?
Thanks!