If you’re thinking of spending your golden years abroad, Switzerland might be the right choice for you, especially if you pick one of these 10 best places to retire in Switzerland.
Everyone deserves a rest after a long hard-working life, but whether or not you’ve spent your last working years longing for the time of retirement, it’s impossible to deny that, with one of the world’s highest standards of living, a long history of political stability, beautiful landscapes, low tax rates, and a strong health care system; Switzerland is a dreamland for folks wanting to lay back and enjoy their long awaited retirement years abroad.
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Keep in mind, though, that these luxuries come at a price, for Switzerland has one of the world’s highest costs of living. According to Expatistan, the cost of living in Zurich is on average 11% higher than in New York, so the Helvetic Country might not be the best choice for those seeking an abroad retirement plan to reduce costs. Still, some areas are cheaper than others, so don’t give up yet on your dream of living by the Swiss mountains.
Obtaining a retirement visa in the Switzerland is not particularly hard, but it is much easier for EU/EFTA nationals, who will be granted a permit, in most cases, solely by presenting proof of sufficient resources to cover themselves and their family members, and valid health and accident insurance. But don’t be alarmed, for those with nationalities outside of the European Union can still apply for a visa at their country’s embassy, if they show they have close connections with Switzerland, such as frequent stays, family members living there, or a past residency.
So, if money is not a problem for you when considering retirement, you may also have a look at Insider Monkey’s previous article on the 10 best places to retire in Ireland, where language barriers are nonexistent for American retirees, given Ireland’s official use of the English Language.
Still, though not an English speaking community, Switzerland stands out from other European countries in the sense that it has four official languages, three of which are common second languages for many people: French, German, and Italian. Though we do recommend speaking a place’s regional tongue before planning a life there, exclusively English speakers do have the chance of getting by, given Switzerland’s high rate of English speakers.
In order to create this list we used the data provided by The Swiss Statistics Web, which is maintained by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, in search for two specific parameters that we know are truly important for people when looking for a retirement destination: Health and safety. We listed the 10 Cantons that had the highest amount of doctors per capita and the lowest percentage of yearly criminal offenses. Finally, we ranked those 10 cantons by where it’s cheaper to live, using this report by Credit Suisse on disposable Income by region, since the cost of living is the third major aspect retirees are after when picking out a retirement destination.
Do you already have a favorite location to retire in the Swiss Confederation? Check out if it made our cut of the 10 best places to retire in Switzerland!
