Unemployed abroad? Returning to Switzerland requires careful preparation

For Swiss nationals planning to return to Switzerland after living abroad, it is useful to prepare the ground carefully in order to avoid ugly surprises – especially if job-seeking is on the cards. For Swiss nationals all over the world, the red passport is a kind of insurance policy. If things do not go as planned, they can always go back to Switzerland. But the reality is sometimes not so straightforward. “You can’t afford to return without a good plan,” warns a Swiss woman who returned home after 12 years in the UK. “You need to have about a year’s worth of savings,” she says. She was able to rely on the support of friends when she returned back to Switzerland. In our Guide to Moving Abroad you will find further tips for emigrating from Switzerland and the life abroad. In 2024, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) received 240 informational requests on moving back to Switzerland. “How difficult this is depends on your individual situation,” explains Ursula Schindler from ...