Helvetia Guide
Moving to Switzerland, without the marketing copy.
Country guides for moving from the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Norway, plus calculators for Swiss mortgages, cross-country tax, and pillar 3a. Built from primary sources, so you can see what your first three years here will actually cost before anyone sells you on the move.
Find your path
Four ways people arrive here. Start with yours.
The wealth-tax escapee
Norwegian, Spanish, French, or Dutch. Your home country's wealth or exit tax is structurally hostile to entrepreneurs.
Find your path →02The post-non-dom Brit
The April 2025 changes ended your non-dom planning. You're weighing Switzerland against Dubai and Monaco.
Find your path →03The pre-IPO operator
US- or EU-based, equity-heavy, looking at a Swiss lump-sum tax regime or the regular cantonal system.
Find your path →04The already-here resident
You moved last year and the Swiss system still feels opaque.
Find your path →How this is different
Three commitments that change what we publish.
Real numbers, primary sources
Every tax rate, every Pillar 3a maximum, every health insurance figure links back to its federal source. Eidgenössische Steuerverwaltung, Bundesamt für Sozialversicherungen, FINMA. If we can't cite it, we don't publish it.
Cantonal precision, not national averages
Switzerland has 26 cantons and ~2,120 communes, and they tax very differently. A ‘Swiss income tax’ number is meaningless. Our calculators ask for your commune and run the actual rates.
Affiliate transparency
Some of our recommendations link to brokerage, insurance, and banking partners. We disclose every commercial relationship. Editorial decisions — what we recommend, what we don't — are made before commercial terms are agreed.
Who this is for
You're considering Switzerland for real, not just curiosity.
The wealth-tax escapee
Norwegian, Spanish, French, or Dutch. Your home country's wealth or exit tax is structurally hostile to entrepreneurs. You need to know what Switzerland actually costs after rent, health insurance, and Pillar 3a — and what your home country can claw back.
The post-non-dom Brit
The April 2025 changes ended your non-dom planning. You're weighing Switzerland against Dubai and Monaco. You want IHT clarity, QROPS reality, and the cost of a B-permit in a low-tax canton — not a sales pitch.
The pre-IPO operator
US- or EU-based, equity-heavy, looking at a Swiss lump-sum tax regime or the regular cantonal system. You want the dilution math, the place-of-management risk, and what a Zug residency actually unlocks.
The already-here resident
You moved last year and the Swiss system still feels opaque. Pillar 3a, Säule 3a, Eigenmietwert, Krankenkasse — you want one place that explains how the system fits together and what to optimise first.