SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

READER INSIGHTS

‘No laundry after 10pm’: What foreign residents in Zurich should and shouldn’t do

Switzerland's largest city has a myriad of written and unwritten regulations about what is and isn’t allowed. We asked our readers to share their own experiences.

Swimming in Lake Zurich (like here) is a must while in the city.
Swimming in Lake Zurich (like here) is a must while in the city. Photo by Michael Buholzer / AFP

About 32 percent of Zurich’s population are foreigners, with Germans making up the largest group, followed by Italians, and Portuguese.

There is a sizeable English-speaking community in the city and canton as well.

Wherever they come from, each newcomer has had to learn the proverbial “ropes” of living in Zurich: what they should and should not do.

In October, we asked Zurich-based readers two questions: the ‘must-do’s’, and the activities that, based on their own experiences, foreigners should abstain from doing in order not to irritate the locals.

READ MORE: Tell us: Are there things that foreign residents in Zurich absolutely should (or shouldn’t) do?

The respondents have been living in Zurich for periods ranging from 18 months to 12 years, so they are well versed in the ways of the city.

This what they told us.

‘Be neat’

First, we asked for advice on things that foreign residents should get used to doing in Zurich.

“Accept the strict rules of garbage recycling,” Giesela Homa wrote, bringing home the point about the importance of proper trash disposal not only in Zurich, but throughout Switzerland as well.

READ MORE: Trash talk: What are the rules for garbage disposal in Switzerland?

Ramesh, an experienced resident with eight years in Zurich under his belt, reiterated what many foreigners already know but sometimes don’t put into practice: “You have to adapt to the Zurich way of life.”

“In most other countries, it is okay to be loud on Sundays,” he said. “But in Zurich, and Switzerland in general, Sundays are strictly for home. No vacuum cleaners or being loud.”

Another reader offered a practical tip like “look for deals to save money”, which is imperative in the world’s most expensive city.

That same person also recommends getting a half-fare travelcard for public transportation, which is also a good way to cut the cost of living.

Another no-nonsense advice is to “shop at Aldi, not Migros”.

Juraj suggested swimming in the lake (we assume he means in the summer), while Jennifer’s advice is to visit an area  called Frau Gerolds Garten.  Located on Geroldstrasse, it combines a market, art venues, and an urban garden.

One reader’s  advice is to “be neat”, which is sure to go down well in a country obsessed with cleanliness.

READ MORE: OPINION: Can foreign residents ever emulate the Swiss obsession for cleanliness?

Another brought up a point that should be self-understood but needs repeating nevertheless. “Take initiative to make friends,” the reader said.

Those are all valuable tips, but our favourite (though we are admittedly biased) is this one: “Sign up for The Local to get the updated news from around Switzerland.” (We might add that this tip holds true wherever in the country you may live).

‘Don’t break the rules’

Next, we asked what things foreigners in Zurich should never do.

Here too we received some valuable input, some which is in line with the much-talked-about rules of being a considerate neighbour.

“Never make noise after 10 o’clock the evening,” Giesela said. This includes, as other readers pointed out, “not flushing your toilet after 10 pm, or doing laundry at night or on Sunday”.

READ MORE: Swiss daily dilemmas: Can I flush my toilet at night?

“You should respect people’s privacy.  And be quiet in public transportation,” a respondent who identified themselves as Z, said.

Ramesh has also stressed the importance of respecting other people’s privacy. “Avoid enquiring about personal topics unless allowed to do so,” he said.

One reader advised against venturing to Sihlquai at night. It is an infamous neighbourhood that used to be a prostitution hub and considered unsafe, though it has been cleaned up in recent years.

Jennifer brought up an issue that is a sore point in many interactions between the Swiss and foreigners: “Don’t expect everyone to speak to you in English,” she said. “Do your part to integrate by learning conversational German.”

READ MORE: Why you shouldn’t expect the Swiss to speak English to you

To that end, as one respondent pointed out that you should greet people with ‘Grüezi’, not  ‘Grüessech’ which is likely a nuance only people living in Zurich can understand.

A reader named Albin, who has lived in Zurich for 12 years, summed up the entire subject succinctly but accurately: “Don’t break the rules” – a piece of advice that any foreigner would do well to comply with, whether living in Zurich or elsewhere in Switzerland.

READ MORE: Five Swiss laws that foreign residents are bound to break

What else would you add to this list? Leave a comment in the comments section below.

.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

READER INSIGHTS

‘You’re missing out’: The verdict on getting by in Switzerland with just English

We recently asked our readers whether it is possible to live in the multilingual Switzerland speaking only English. The responses we received are truly revealing.

'You're missing out': The verdict on getting by in Switzerland with just English

There is plenty of observational and anecdotal evidence indicating that some foreigners never make an effort to learn one of Switzerland’s national languages, relying only on English for daily communication — no matter how long they have been living in the country.

But is this really feasible?

We recently asked readers to share their views and experiences on this very topic.

We put out two specific questions: Can you get by in Switzerland with just English? And, Is it possible to find jobs and work in Switzerland without speaking a local language?
 
Most of the answers indicated that, yes, both are possible under certain circumstances. But, there is a…”but”.

READ ALSO: Which parts of Switzerland are best at speaking English?

English is the ‘language of business’
 
Karen Rasmussen from Basel found that “there are three types of people: those who don’t speak English; those who are eager to practice their English; and those whose English is actually quite good despite their shyness about speaking it.

“The later two categories represent probably 80 percent of people I’ve encountered.”
 
Because of the prevalence of English in Switzerland, finding a job should not pose a problem, Karen said. “If you’re working for a big multinational company, English is the language of business.”

‘It depends on where you live’
 
“In the bigger cities and in the German speaking parts, English is much more widely understood”, said Kathryn from Vaud. “I have not found this to be the case in the French speaking region.”
 
She also believes that finding an English-only job is feasible, “but it is the non-working part of life that is difficult with only English, at least that is the case in the French speaking areas. I have even had doctors who can barely communicate in English.”

READ MORE: Why you shouldn’t expect the Swiss to speak English to you

German is ‘nice to have’

“In Zurich, it is pretty easy. Everything important is solved in English. The only time I speak German is with my neighbours. But that I would not need for survival,” said Brian Holinka, adding that “in my job English is necessary, German is nice to have”.

For Lynette Haeuselmann from St. Gallen, who is an English teacher for adults, “one can get by with just English, but it will be a limited social existence.

“As a foreigner, I learned German and that made things a lot easier for me. Being able to communicate with locals is a big help towards integrating into one’s new ‘Heimatland’.

‘Possible to get by’

Some respondents said you can function without an official Swiss language. 

“I think that the two biggest factors that affect how much you can get by with just English in Switzerland are: where you live, and what job you have,” T. B. from Zurich pointed out.

“Living in a big city makes it easier to get by with just English, and working in companies where the majority of employees are not Swiss and English is established as the working language, “makes it quite possible to get by”, said the respondent.

“Having said that, I think that you just ‘get by’ though. You probably cannot experience the country in its fullest, and cannot feel integrated, in order to be able, at some point ‘n the future, to call this place ‘home’ (if this is of course your goal).”

Whether or not you can work entirely in English depends on the job, T. B. says.

“For example, for engineers it is possible, for doctors most likely is not.”

Languages needed for socialising

For Sean Knox, who lives in Zurich but works in Baar (ZG), getting by with just English in these two international locations can be done.

“However, I realised that my German will need to improve if I want to progress from simply getting by to social integration,” he said.

While most people in Switzerland have a good proficiency of English, “in a group, especially in social situations, Swiss people will generally speak a local language, which is totally fair but can be quite isolating.”

This has been the experience of Paul Hunt from Biel / Bienne, who also found that this is more of a challenge in the German speaking part than the French or Italian parts “because we learn high German in classes but can’t understand dialects”.

“Knowledge of high German has, however, been essential the longer I’ve lived here,” he pointed out, especially for official paperwork like filing tax returns  or registering for unemployment benefits.

In terms of job opportunities, they would be more limited with just English and “there are many sectors where not speaking a local language would not be possible”.
 
‘Old-fashioned’

Some respondents found that not speaking a local language definitely limits their job options.

One of them is George from Basel, who says that despite being a highly qualified professional in security business, “I am unable to find a job — not because I am not good but because my colleagues will not be able to understand me.”

“Switzerland remains old fashioned yet is in desperate need of workers, but only if they match their way of thinking,” he added.

Another reader, Luka from Lucerne, also found that lack of language skills has been a major hurdle on his career path.

“For me, in architecture, it is almost impossible in a long term if I want to have a well-paid position,” he said.

It’s ‘arrogant’

Some readers have pointed out what others have already observed as well.

“Sure, you can get by without a local language, but what a way to miss out on an amazing country,” said Jennifer from Montreux (VD).

A Geneva reader agrees that it is possible to manage with just English, “but to truly integrate and not feel like a foreigner it’s important to know the local language”.

And another respondent noted that “you can probably get by just speaking English, but it’s arrogant and incorrect to think that everyone should speak English” too.

SHOW COMMENTS