Bas’s Experience as a Physiotherapist in Switzerland
I’m Bas, and I have been working as a physiotherapist in Switzerland since 2018. In February 2017, I was in the final stages of my studies, and in my view, the job market in the Netherlands did not look very promising. By chance, I saw an interesting job vacancy online, and to be honest, I only realized later that it was in Switzerland. After a few interviews via phone and Skype, I visited Switzerland a few months later. Since I had never been there and knew little about life in the country, that was step one for me.
Why Switzerland
After a positive visit, several months of self-studying German, and a detailed moving plan, my girlfriend and I moved to Switzerland at the end of July. The factors that influenced my choice were job security at a great workplace (permanent contract after three months), the nature in Switzerland (mountains, winter sports, climbing), the high standard of living (comparable to the Netherlands), and of course, the financial aspect. It is generally known that salaries are higher in Switzerland and taxes are favorable. All of this together convinced me to move to Switzerland for at least one to two years.
Support from PhysioMatch
Moving to Switzerland requires a lot of preparation and planning. The most important things are a job and accommodation. Fortunately, both are not scarce in Switzerland, although rent can be high. The rest is a matter of completing checklists during the emigration process. This includes deregistering and registering with the municipality, residence permit, general practitioner, health insurance, and other insurances. Once you are working as a physiotherapist in Switzerland, you also need to register with the Swiss Red Cross (SRK).
Free time
Living in Switzerland comes with great advantages. There are many mountains and varied landscapes. This offers opportunities for hiking, climbing, cycling, water sports, and winter sports. I live in the canton of Lucerne, where there are plenty of sports opportunities nearby. I started hiking, climbing, and snowboarding here in Switzerland. In the summer, I spend weekends in the mountains, and in the winter, I go snowboarding on weekends. Switzerland’s location is also convenient, with Italy, Austria, France, Germany, and Liechtenstein as neighbors, making weekend trips easy.
The language
The language takes some getting used to. Swiss German is a dialect that varies by region. It is not an official written language, so everyone writes it as they learned it at home. It can be very helpful to read written Swiss German out loud.
Family and friends
I have been living here for a year and a half, which suits me well. I work 80-90% (34-38 hours) per week and have arranged my schedule so that I get a long weekend every two weeks. This makes it easy to visit the Netherlands or go on a short trip. I visit the Netherlands about 6-8 times a year, and friends and family visit from time to time. I never have to be away from loved ones for long. I have decided to stay here at least another year, maybe longer, but I’ll see as time goes on.
High demand for physiotherapists
As mentioned, there is a high demand for well-trained physiotherapists and medical staff in Switzerland. If you are looking for a job and open to a new life experience, I would absolutely recommend Switzerland.