Thread: Residency in Switzerland

You have EU citizenship, which helps, but the current climate for immigrants here in Switzerland is NOT good... even for EU nationals. Switzerland is NOT part of the EU, and they have an independent streak that is leading to new laws limiting even EU immigration.

As an example, I am 2.5 years into my Swiss residency training and moving into a year of research -- and as I change hospitals for this the feds are totally dragging their feet on renewing my visa. It is extremely frustrating. Now granted, I am not an EU citizen (which would simplify things for me as someone who has now been here for a while), but I have been here for 3 years and my family and I are well integrated into the Swiss community. I speak fluent German. I am not from a land that raises immigration eyebrows traditionally (although the IRS has pissed off the Swiss banking industry enough now that I suspect my US passport is not doing me tons of favors at this point). At this point, really nothing is guaranteed unless you are Swiss, or married to a Swiss citizen. Having an EU passport helps once you are in the system, but it is not a guarantee of a job by any stretch of the imagination.

You'll need, first and foremost, to speak the language -- and not haltingly... preferably at the C1 level or better. If you cannot speak the language, you will simply not get hired here -- so you cannot put that vital element off until the end. That might work in other countries, but it is an absolute non-starter here because there is substantial competition. You need to apply with credentials and experience that are interesting enough to get interviewed and get a job offer here. If and when that occurs, then you submit your credentials to MEBEKO in Bern for recognition and certification.

Bear in mind that there is usually a LOT of competition here for positions, much of it from native speakers... from Germany and Austria (for the German sector) and France (for the French sector) and Italy (for the Italian sector), so you are already at a bit of a disadvantage linguistically unless you are able to knock 'em dead with your fluency. The Swiss offer strong training and pay their residents a lot, compared to other countries, so it should not be surprising that lots of docs want to come and work here. Be prepared for that.

The application process is simple. Seek out the Swiss hospitals and locations where you want to work, find the jobs that are of interest to you (usually listed on HR pages), and send in a pantload of applications. Any interviews you get, you go to, obviously. If they hire you, then great. If not, then you go to the next one... and so on and so on until you either get hired or take a job elsewhere because you are sick of waiting. It is not very easy to get a job here in CH, but with the right skill set and CV (and passport) it is possible. Good luck to you.

Swiss medicine sounds fun. Do they have residency spots available?

I have an uncle that lives there and could sponsor me though looking at easier than US countries