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FAQ's Switzerland |
Q. Is there another name for Switzerland? |
A. Yes, it is also
called "Confoederatio Helvetica", therefore the abbreviation "CH". |
Q. Can I determine the local language from the postal code? |
A. Swiss postal codes consists of four digits. The numbers 1000, 2000,... ,9000 belong to the 9 major centers. From the first digit, one can actually determine the region and up to a certain degree the local language. However, there are some regions that are bi-lingual. The following table shows an approximate mapping.
Code |
Center |
Language(S) |
| 1000 |
Lausanne |
French |
2000
|
Neuchatel |
French & German |
| 3000 |
Bern |
French & German |
| 4000 |
Basel |
German |
| 5000 |
Aarau |
German |
| 6000 |
Luzern |
German |
| 6500..6999 |
Ticino |
Italian |
| 7000 |
Chur |
German |
| 8000 |
Zurich |
German |
| 9000 |
St. Gallen |
German |
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Q. Can I pay with Euro (EUR) in Switzerland? |
A. Switzerland is not part of the European Union and therefore the Euro (EUR) is not an official currency in the country. It is widely accepted but you con not count on the fact that a particular hotel or shop will accept Euro. However, you can exchange Euro (EUR) for Swiss Francs (CHF) and vice-a-versa at every bank or post office and at most railway stations. |
Q. What are the official languages of Switzerland? |
A. German, French, Italian and Romantsch. However, official documents and declarations on goods have to be provided in German, French and Italian only. |
Q. Which are the largest cities in Switzerland? |
A.
The largest
- Zurich, ZH (population 343000)
- Basel, BS (population 176000)
- Geneva, GE (population 172000)
- Bern, BE (population 129000)
- Lausanne, VD (population 117000)
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Q. What is the name of the Swiss currency? |
A. Swiss Francs ("Schweizer Franken"), its ISO symbol is CHF. "CH" derives from Switzerland's other name "Confoederatio Helvetica" |
Q. What is the job status in Switzerland? |
A. It is easier to find employment in the large urban centers like Geneva and Zurich. Each university has a job placement office that provides information on students employment. Wages vary between SFR 20 and SFR 35 according to the job and your skills. |
Q. What is B permit? |
A. B permit (permis de sejour, Aufenthaltsbewillingung, permesso di soggiorno) is an annual residence permit. It gives you the right to live in Switzerland for 180 days a year or more. It has to be renewed every year. It also gives the right to your spouse and children below 18 to come and live with you. |
Q. What is C permit? |
A. C permit is a permanent residence permit. It is valid for as long as you remain in Switzerland. It has almost no restrictions and enables you to do many things not possible with B permits such as buying real estate without restrictions, moving from one canton to another, buying weapons,
becoming self-employed, etc. Depending on your citizenship, you can obtain a C permit after 5 to 10 years of residence with a B permit. |
Q. What is CE permit? |
A. CE permit is a B permit for people with a EU passport. It is valid for an initial period of 5 years and gives you many rights not enjoyed by B permits, such as being able to bring your spouse, financially dependent descendants and ascendants (Children, parents, grand-parents, nephews, nieces, great-grand-children, etc...), buying Swiss real estate without restrictions, moving within Switzerland without restrictions, becoming self-employed, etc.. |
