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When asked about the challenges they encountered, the majority of the participants of the Migration-Mobility Survey found moving to Switzerland to be a relatively easy and uncomplicated process. This included aspects such as financing the move, finding accommodation, and dealing with administrative requirements like obtaining residence permits.

Among the various aspects, finding accommodation was perceived as the most challenging, especially for individuals from Spain, with 21% describing it as a highly problematic process. In contrast, nationals from German-speaking countries encountered fewer difficulties in finding accommodation, with less than 7% reporting significant challenges in this regard.

Individuals who did not migrate for family reasons were more likely to perceive finding accommodation as highly problematic. Younger individuals, those with secondary- level educational qualifications, and individuals from Portugal and South American countries reported the highest levels of difficulty in financing their move and settling in Switzerland. Administrative processes were found to be particularly challenging for nationals from African countries and individuals with a relatively lower level of education. In contrast, a very small proportion of German speakers regarded the settlement process in Switzerland as complex.

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Source: Migration-Mobility Survey 2022, nccr – on the move

Note on methodology: These figures are taken from the Migration-Mobility Survey, conducted in fall 2022 on a population of persons born abroad and with foreign citizenship who have moved to Switzerland in the last 16 years. To be included in the sample population, respondents had to be between 24 and 64 years of age at the time of the survey, and at least 18 years of age on their arrival in Switzerland. Eleven countries or regions were defined for sampling purposes. A total of 7,206 people replied to the full questionnaire.

The question asked: On a scale from 0 (not problematic at all) to 7 (very problematic), how problematic were the following aspects when moving to Switzerland?

– Financing the move and the settlement in Switzerland
– Finding accommodation
– Dealing with the administration (e.g. permits)

Note: The “country of origin” was as declared by the respondent. In most cases it was the same as their country of nationality, or one of their countries of nationality.

Terms of use: The Migration-Mobility Indicators are made available free of charge for non-commercial use. We ask the users to acknowledge the source.

Suggested citation: nccr – on the move, Migration-Mobility Indicators. Neuchâtel: nccr – on the move, 2023.

For more information about the data sets used, please click here.

Last update: 14 July 2023