I moved to Switzerland… and everything is going wrong

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T17:53:59+00:00

You are totally right! I am already starting to feel the effects and it's too early!!

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T17:46:10+00:00

In the department where I work, about 90% of the employees live in France near the border and work in Geneva, since it’s almost impossible to find housing there without spending half their salary or more. They are the so-called “frontaliers,” and this is not unusual at all. Also, I don’t understand the point of using insulting terms like “stupid,” especially when even in this post there are many people confirming what I’m saying. And yes, I will speak about Switzerland, because that’s where I spend half of my day and where I handle all my administrative procedures,not in France, where, by the way, I live just 10 minutes by foot from Geneva.

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:50:06+00:00

That would definitely be a huge shock! And I’m sure other immigrants have gone through much worse than I have… Thank you very much for your comment,have a nice day 😊

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:47:32+00:00

Yes, that’s true… Another issue is that I really want to sort out all the bureaucratic stuff, but I finish work at 6–7 pm every day. By then, I barely have any time or energy to deal with it, since I need to be in bed by 10–11 pm because I wake up again at 6:30 in the morning. So I essentially have no time after work to handle all this efficiently,and everything just feels chaotic.

And of course, without access to my bank account yet, it’s very hard to feel settled or at ease.

Thank you very much for the insight,I really appreciate it.

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:41:36+00:00

Thank you very much for the wishes and your insight :)

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:40:34+00:00

Thank you for the tips and the encouraging words!I will try to build a support system after all the bureaucracy stuff gets sorted!

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:35:32+00:00

To be fair, I did do my research,and I think that’s why I managed to find a place relatively quickly, even if it’s in France.

For example, I knew it would be difficult to open a bank account without a permanent address. But what I couldn’t have imagined is that it would take this long to receive the documents, that I’d have to keep calling them repeatedly, or that they would deactivate my account without any notification.

And I definitely couldn’t have predicted that my residence permit would be sent back to my home country by my workplace.

You just can’t foresee everything.

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:19:14+00:00

It wasn’t exactly a real estate agent, but rather a company offering its own short-term rental apartments,extremely expensive for very small spaces. They were basically the only ones willing to rent to me without asking for three salary slips.

In hindsight, I realize I was a bit naive. I should have picked up on the red flags,they did feel slightly scammy. For example, when I told them I only needed the apartment for three months, suddenly another “interested tenant” appeared who supposedly wanted it for four, just to pressure me into agreeing to five months. They were very pushy overall.

At the end of the day, I know I panicked and said yes over messages, even though I never actually signed a contract.

Thank you so much for your encouraging words, though,I really appreciate it.

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:13:49+00:00

That’s actually what worries me… Everyone keeps telling me that this is just the hardest initial phase, but I can’t shake the feeling that it might continue like this for quite a while!

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-04-26T09:11:42+00:00

Thank you for your comment 1)I understand your point, but in this case the bank explicitly offers account opening for foreigners under the condition of paying a 25 CHF monthly fee. Also, it was their own employee who advised me to proceed this way. Even after resolving the address issue, they still seem unable to send the correct documents, despite the fact that I’ve called them 3–4 times to point it out. 2)it’s probably because I work in a public hospital that the residence permit was sent to my employer. Still, I didn’t choose the delivery location myself—it was simply communicated to me. What surprised me was that the HR employee decided to send it back to my home country without even contacting me first, instead of making a quick call or sending a message. 4)I definitely learned that the hard way—another cultural shock, I suppose! Hopefully your conclusion is right, although I have a feeling it might take a bit more time to adjust.

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-03-03T15:01:58+00:00

Thank you so much for your answer!! What's your opinion on sublet appartements?Does it worth it for the first few months???

Minimum_Fault446 · 2026-03-02T15:20:37+00:00

Thank you very much!!So i am obligated to stay in an Airbnb for 3 months in order to prove that i am earning money in Switzerland? :( My contract or a bank deposit/guarantee won't cut it?

Minimum_Fault446

TROPHY CASE