Culture Shock in Switzerland

With four official languages and a surprisingly multicultural population, Switzerland is diverse enough to encompass its expat population. English is widely spoken and you will get by without having to learn one of the official languages – German, French, Italian and Romansch.

 

Many expats remark on how hard it is to make friends with the local Swiss. It is true that the locals have a reputation for being reserved, conservative and conformist, and while never hostile to expats, they are seldom outgoing. One thing that can be hard to adjust to is the petty laws which restrict certain behaviours. For example, if you live in a block of flats, there are set times you can use the washing machine and you cannot wash your car on a Sunday. Overall, however, Switzerland is an easy country to adapt to, with sufficient expat communities to ease the transition from home should you need it.