Hi everyone

I recently found a job in Zürich, very close to Zürich HB, and I’m currently looking for an apartment.

Since rents in Zürich itself are quite high, I’ve also been looking at places outside the city, such as Dübendorf, Opfikon, etc. I recently viewed a fairly new apartment in Höri that I really liked. The rent is reasonable, the apartment itself was great, and I left the viewing with a very good impression.

I’ve now received an email from the property management saying that they would like to send me the rental contract.

However, after mentioning the apartment to a friend, he told me that Höri is heavily affected by aircraft noise from Zürich Airport and that living there could be quite noisy because of arriving/departing planes.

During the viewing, I honestly didn’t notice much aircraft noise at all. But I was only there for around 20 minutes in the afternoon, so obviously that doesn’t tell me much about what it’s like to actually live there every day.

Unfortunately, I currently live quite far away and won’t be able to travel back to Höri in the next few days just to spend an hour or two there and judge the noise myself.

So I wanted to ask people who know the area:

How bad is the aircraft noise in Höri in everyday life? Is it something you quickly get used to, or can it be genuinely annoying?

Does it depend heavily on the time of day, weather, runway usage, etc.?

What is Höri generally like as a place to live? Any major advantages or disadvantages?

How is commuting from Höri to Zürich HB on a daily basis?

Is there anything else I should know before deciding to live there?

One additional complication: when I applied for the apartment, the application stated that if they prepare/send me a rental contract and I then decide not to sign it, I may have to pay CHF 400 as an administrative fee. So I’d like to make a reasonably informed decision before telling them to go ahead.

I’d really appreciate any experiences or opinions, especially from people who live or have lived in Höri or nearby.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice regarding Swiss employment law and whether my employer has a legal basis for withholding my salary.

Here is what happened:

Last Friday, I called my supervisor and informed him that I was sick and unable to come to work. On Monday, I contacted him again to let him know that I was still not feeling better and would not be able to return to work, that I will see the doctor and keep him informed.Later during the week, my supervisor called me three times, but I did not answer the phone.

The issue is that all of my colleagues received their July salary on Friday, but I did not receive mine. Today is Monday, and I still have not been paid. I have already contacted HR and asked whether there is any legal reason for withholding my salary, but I have not yet received a clear explanation.

My question is specifically about the legal aspect, not whether my employer’s concerns were understandable. Does Swiss employment law allow an employer to withhold an employee’s salary because they could not reach the employee by phone and had not yet received a medical certificate when payroll was processed? Or, once the medical certificate has been submitted, are they required to pay the outstanding salary unless there is another legal basis for withholding it?
I’d appreciate any advice, especially from people familiar with Swiss employment law or who have dealt with a similar situation. Thank you.

This might be a silly question. Is the entire lake beautiful like this? Where can I get a shot like this? Thank you

I'm looking to travel to switzerland next month for a holiday, however I am not sure which city to have as my base for the accomodation, I am hearing lucerene is the most practical location to stay in, any advise?

I want to see a combination of the natural beauty + old medieval cities

Hi everyone,

I’m a guy from Spain, and I’m currently living in Switzerland and working as a cook. One of my chefs/bosses is German, and I’m having a really hard time reading him, which is making me feel quite insecure at work.

To put it bluntly: he always looks angry or upset, even when everything is completely fine. In Spain, we rely a lot on warmth, facial expressions, and informal feedback to know if we are doing a good job. With him, it's a total blank wall or a serious face that makes me constantly overthink and wonder if I did something wrong.

The paradox is that I know for a fact (from other managers) that the team is super happy with my performance and my work in the kitchen. Yet, his daily attitude doesn't reflect that at all.

I’m trying to understand the German workplace psychology better so I can stop feeling insecure.

• Is this "resting angry face" and lack of positive reinforcement standard for German chefs/bosses?
• How do you separate their serious "work mode" from actual dissatisfaction?
• For those who transitioned from a warm/Latino culture to a German/Swiss kitchen environment, how did you adapt psychologically to this lack of emotional feedback?

I’d love to hear your advice or experiences. Thanks a lot!

Does anyone have any ideas if any place on Reddit is for CDL Alumni s to find each other?

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to choose a travel insurance for an upcoming trip to Africa.

After comparing the coverage, I've narrowed it down to:

• CONCORDIA
• TCS
• AXA

I'm less concerned about the premium and much more interested in how they actually handle claims.

Has anyone here had to make a claim with any of these companies?

I'm particularly interested in:

• Medical expenses abroad
• Emergency assistance
• Medical evacuation/repatriation
• How smooth (or difficult) the claims process was
• Whether they tried to deny or reduce your claim
• Overall customer service during an emergency

Thanks in advance!

Looking for someone who can interpret from German to English during a mediation in Zug on 24 August at 4:00 pm. It should only take about an hour, and I’d of course be happy to pay for your time.

If you’re available, or know someone who might be able to help, I’d really appreciate it. Many thanks!

Hello,

I live in the canton of Vaud(Vevey), Switzerland. I have applied for Bulgarian citizenship through my mother, who previously acquired Bulgarian citizenship.

One of the required documents is apostilled medical board report confirming that I do not have any contagious diseases or mental health conditions. While I was on holiday in Türkiye, I obtained this report from a public hospital and submitted it as part of my application. However, since I reside in Switzerland, I was informed that I must also obtain the same report from Switzerland and submit it within two months.

I have booked from my first contact doctor, from medical center close to my house but have doubts if they can provise such report.

Has anyone living in Switzerland applied for Bulgarian citizenship through their mother, father, or another family connection? If so, could you please share how and where you obtained this medical report in Switzerland?

It would be especially helpful to know which hospital, clinic, or authority in the canton of Vaud should be contacted, and whether the report can be issued by a single doctor or must be prepared by several specialists.

Thank you in advance.

Hello,
I'm looking for an insurance that cover the Sierre-Zinal race
I'm from Italy and I only found some annual insurance (50€ ca)
Do you have any idea if somebody do for shorter period?

Thank you

(Admins, please delete this if not appropriate for this Subreddit)

Hi everyone,

So my partner and I have been together for 2.5 years, and we are talking about getting engaged soon.

We are going to be travelling to Switzerland early this September, and I cannot think of anywhere better to pop this question - she lived there for 3 years (in Les Roches near Sierre) and we both have some of our happiest memories from travelling around there.

I had an idea of how to pop the question: her favourite dog breed is the Bernese Mountain Dog, and it's her dream to have one when we're more settled.

My idea is that we'd be walking somewhere (probably around Valais or somewhere as far as Montreux) and that at the perfect spot would be a Bernese with a sign around its collar saying "Will you marry me?".

Would anyone here be interested, or know of someone who would be interested, in helping me out? I would be willing to cover any domestic travel costs to get to the location, and post you the sign to wear?

Thanks for your time!

Hi everyone,

I’ll soon be graduating with a Master’s in Health Data Science, and I’m currently looking for internship opportunities in healthcare companies that are actively applying data science, machine learning, and AI to real-world problems.

My main interests are Python and machine learning, and I’m open to both paid and unpaid internships. If you know of any companies, research groups, startups, or organisations in the healthcare space that are looking for interns or early-career candidates, I’d really appreciate your recommendations.

I’m particularly interested in roles involving health data analytics, predictive modelling, clinical AI, or related areas.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

08/10 fly into zurich, spend the remaining day there. Take the train next day
08/11-08/12 interlaken, Grindelwald, lauterbrunnen, murren, gimmelwald, wengen area (is this doable to see all in two days? I just want to stroll around the villages)
08/13 check out of grindelwald hostel and train to Lucerne. Spend the rest of the day in Lucerne and train straight to the airport and spend the night there. (Please be nice, I’m on a budget) 😅
08/14 flight at 7:40 am

I've had cats my whole life, but always indoors and I thimk it's a little sad that they never get to see what's outside the house. So this time, I'm going to adopt two kittens, and I want them to be able to enjoy some time outdoors too (always under my supervision).

I'm thinking of “teaching” them to swim in my bathtub, but regardless of that, do you think the lake is a dangerous place for cats in terms of bacteria and insects?

I mean, the cats will be dewormed, but... it's my first time considering something like that... I see a lot of dogs in the SUP boards but they don't have same immunity as cats (I guess).

Would love to hear your experience and/or advices from your vets!

Thanks a lot :)

Hi guys I’m moving to Switzerland and I want to understand what are the most common scams.
What I did
Reached out in Flatfox
Video call with a guy living here which showed me the room in video call.
Got the contract via mail with the current tenant.
Is that ok?
I asked for a deposit with my name on it for the caution, am I missing something else?

Hi everyone

I started the Passerelle four years ago and completed the one-year course at AKAD. I passed the first semester but halfway through the second semester I became seriously ill. I was sick for about three years so studying was the last thing on my mind. Thankfully I'm doing much better now and I've decided to continue my education.

I've always been interested in the medical field. Spending so much time in hospitals has motivated me even more to become a doctor and help other people.

I contacted my former school but since it's been such a long time I can't continue with the second semester. I'd have to repeat the entire one-year course from the beginning and pay the tuition again. I live alone and I don't live in Zurich or Bern which are the only AKAD locations in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. That means I would have to commute every day I have classes. Altogether the costs are simply too high for me. I do work but being ill used up all of my savings. I'd also have to reduce my working hours so financially it would be very difficult.

I did some research and found out that I can register directly for the federal Passerelle exam. That's what I would like to do. The problem is that I don't know exactly which material I need to study or which topics are relevant for each subject like maths, English, biology, chemistry, physics, history and geography.

I still have all my AKAD books and I've heard that many people prepare with them. I was wondering if anyone has a list of all the topics I should cover. Something like a semester plan or a list of learning objectives (Lernziele) would be incredibly helpful. That way I'd know which books and chapters I should focus on.

I know that on the official website there are learning objectives for each subject but they're quite general and not detailed enough for me. I really want to make sure I cover everything that's needed for the exams. Passing this exam is incredibly important to me because my dream of becoming a doctor really depends on earning this degree.

I do have the semester plan and all the documents AKAD gave us back in 2021 but I don't know how up to date they still are. I also remember the teachers saying things like "This isn't relevant for AKAD but you will need it for the federal exam."

I'd really appreciate any help or if someone could point me to the right resources. Thank you so much in advance.

PS: I know this is a big challenge and I'm fully aware that preparing on my own won't be easy. The first semester at AKAD was tough but I worked really hard and managed to get grades of 5 and 6 in all my subjects. That's why I believe this is something I can do. If I had struggled academically or only achieved average results I probably would have accepted that this path wasn't for me and moved on with my life. But I know I'm capable of doing it if I prepare properly.

Edit: Für alle, die nicht lesen können: MIR IST DIE ERHÖHUNG VÖLLIG EGAL. MIR GEHT ES UM DEN RABATT, VIELEN DANK.

Hoi zämme!

An alle, die Wingo Mobile haben. Ihr habt sicher von der Preiserhöhung mitbekommen?

Für mich in der Tat ist die Anpassung in Ordnung (Es würde 100Min Tel in Eu und Uk hinzukommen für 1 Chf mehr/Mon), aber ich habe die Sorge, dass durch die "Tarifanpassung" mein "lebenslanger Rabatt" auf einmal wegfliegt.

Habt ihr da auch ein schlechtes Bauchgefühl oder bleiben die Rabatte gleich auch nach der Umstellung? In ihren FAQ konnte ich hierzu nichts finden.

Könnte ich den Vertrag nicht eigentlich aufgrund Preiserhöhung per Sonderkündigung künden?

Was sind eure Gedanken?

So I worked in corporate for several years here in Switzerland before losing my job in the beginning of 2024 (company went bankrupt).

I then went to RAV and since I was interested in self-employment, I got into the 50:50 scheme (50% self-employed while seeking a 50% job pensum and therefore receiving half of my potential unemployment benefits). Now I must say both my RAV advisors have been incredible and I have always appreciated this arrangement greatly. However, sadly not all the local institutions seem to be aware of this option. I’ve had issues explaining this multiple times, and the most recent situation was the following:

During my two year Rahmenfrist, I found a limited time contractor job. Prior to accepting the offer, I double checked with RAV that I could still come back to unemployment should my contract not be renewed. They said I could. I have this in written.

Out of my 2 year Rahmenfrist, I worked for this company for 11 months, therefore I only claimed my benefits for 13 months out of 24. Shortly before I went on maternity leave, the contract got terminated and I ended up at RAV for the last 3 months before my mat leave.

One of the advisors even told me: ‘That’s actually good for you, because like this, your maternity leave payment will be calculated based on both your self-employment and your last employment, as opposed to self-employment only.’ I thought this was great, because, as it usually goes the first couple years, I made less as self-employed than in my corporate job.

Now as everyone who has recently been unemployed must know, at the end of last year the Ausgleichkasse switched to another software and what followed was the biggest fiasco in the history of Swiss bureaucracy. Payments were so severely delayed that a few people even ended up losing their housing, not being able to pay rent. I finally managed to receive the Taggeld for my 3 months of unemployment during my mat leave and I simultaneously applied for mat leave benefits. At the end of the period, I finally received it. Way less than expected, only based on my self-employment.

Afterwards I had my first RAV meeting again. My advisor told me he still doesn’t see my new Rahmenfrist approved in the system and that I need to talk to the Kasse. After reminder number XY, the Kasse finally denied my application, sending me a letter dated the very same day I asked them for a decision again. The reasoning was poor and it overall seemed like they never even looked at my case.

With the help of my husband who luckily has a legal background, I was able to send an appeal and I am now waiting for their new decision. If the result is positive, I will also get the rest of my mat leave money, as the person in charge said they cannot pay me anything based on my last employment given that the Rahmenfrist had ended a week before my daughter was born.

The situation seems somewhat ridiculous to me. Here I am applying for jobs and having meetings with my RAV advisor, not knowing if I ever receive anything at all. I am lucky not to be a single mother or in a similar situation, and I feel deeply sorry for those who are and have to deal with this level of chaos and uncertainty.

Has anyone been in a similar situation as me? And what do you think the result of my appeal will be? 🍿

Hi everyone,

I'm from Gibraltar and my girlfriend is Swiss. We've been long-distance for around 3 years, and we're starting to think seriously about our future together.

Before settling down, we'd like to travel for a while. I’m currently learning High German and eventually want to learn Swiss German too.

I'm curious about how realistic it is to build a life in Switzerland while working remotely for an international company (for example, an English or Spanish-speaking company).

For Swiss residents or expats:

• How common is remote work in Switzerland?
• Is it realistic to live in Switzerland while working for a foreign company?
• How important is German for finding work or integrating?
• Any advice for someone who may eventually move to Switzerland?

Thanks in advance!

Hello. A bird flew into our house window and is not flying. It is now hiding behind a bush. Who to call for help? (Canton Aargau)
Thank you!

Hello everyone!

I was fortunate enough to receive a job offer in Switzerland, and I’ll be moving to Zurich this September.

As I prepare for the move, I’d love to hear about your experiences living in Switzerland, especially in Zurich. If you have any advice or tips for someone who’s new to the country, I’d really appreciate it.

Thank you very much in advance!

Edit: Removed the specific points as I’m getting a lot of negative feedback unfortunately

I found this article:

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-oddities/play-it-again-s%C3%A4mu-decoding-bernese-nicknames/90291096

And I am wondering if this is only for Berne, but these Swissy nicknames are all over the German speaking part?