Hello Everyone,
Suppose I get permission to become an entrepeneur/chiroprator, but will not become a member of the official Swiss Chiropractic Association (SCI) and will not call myself a chiropractor as such (protected title), but open a 'health centre', including manual therapy, will I do something illegal? Of course, for the rest I will go through all legal procedures. The thing is I've been working in Holland for 20 years as a fully registered chiro with lots of experience in the field. The SCI makes it vitually impossible for foreign chiro's to practise. Many exams and working for somebody else for 2,5 years is not my thing. Any chiro's with an answer?

I would like to start in Geneva/Vaud region.After my B-permit I will apply to become an entrepeneur. I heard this is more difficult in the Health field business.

Hello Paul,

I'm not a chiropractor, but I am in the health care field, specifically sports therapy. Make sure you have all of your ducks in a row.

Go to www.bbt.admin.ch, they are in charge of the recognition of foreign credentials. They may direct you to the Red Cross, the Kantonal Authorities or the medical regulators depending on what category chiropractors fall into.

As an athletic therapist (AT) from Canada, I wish I had gone to them first, as they were the ones who seemed to have the best knowledge of the health act here. As it happens, without me having the correct (Swiss) piece of paper, it is against the law for me to practice here. AT's do some things that could be construed as 'physiotherapist-like' (manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, electrotherapy, that sort of thing), therefore I would need to have a physiotherapy diploma recognized in Switzerland to do those things according to the health act. In the absence of said piece of paper (which was not forthcoming from the Red Cross who regulates them) I can't legally practice here.

My employers can decide what they hire me for and in what capacity, Switzerland is quite liberal that way, except I can't do things that are governed by a regulated profession, which most of my scope of practice is. Hence, a transcontinental move is on the horizon for me and my family.

Good luck. I hope this helps a little.

R

Thanks. This will help me a lot next time I'm in Switz I'll go there. By the looks of it , it will be illegal to practise chiropractic without a membership of the SCI. Hope to find out more. Paul.

To save Shorrick, that's Switzerland, not Switz, Switzerland.

There is another element to take into consideration: when consulting a list of chiros (as well as other professions of health care), people here usually choose the ones that have an official title or are member of SCI for instance.
In other words not a good business in this field if one doesn't have the legal titles ....

good luck.

I guess I will have to go the hard way.

Interesting..i am in the process of establishing a locum Chiropractic and consulting service in various countries ie RPof Ireland, Spain and what other countries.Have had some years in Australia and New Zealand doing consulting work for many clinics.I would look to primarly base in Switzerland.Being a graduate of Palmer Clge i am aware of a number of chiropractors in that country from that clge would be nice to have a list of same.Any advice would be appreciated RJ

I'm a swiss citizen working as a chiropractor in California for the last three years. I was curious if anyone knew what the requirements are for (Swiss) chiropractors with working experience in a foreign country, if they want to come back to Switzerland. Does one still have to go through two years of internship etc, or is there another process if one can show a certain amount of experience in the field? Thanks a bunch!

I thought Switzerland was committed and obliged to recognize all EU professional and university certifications. Check it out!

I was at a conferance last weekend in Majorca met some Swiss chiropractors,they didnt have too many good things to say,so i shall dig further,thanks for the response

Suppose I got a working B-permit. Will I be able to start my own business, with or without Swiss personel, in the so-called alternative medicine? So call my profession eg. Physical Therapist, or Low back Pain Control Clinic, not doing the chiropractic handling, but instead use automatic controlled tables to treat people. When one wants to start a self-employed business, do you have to come with a business-plan and all that and does it need to be a profession Swiss people cannot do, or does one have to employ Swiss people? Could one find out whether all this is possible before entering Switzerland and having a (working-) B-permit? It seems to me that once you're in the authorities will be able to tell you if it is possible. I don't get clear answers on black and white. But I must know before I move , not after! Please reply, thanks a lot.

You cannot expect authoritative binding answers from a web forum! You would hear some anecdotes, which you can interpret. Here some noncommittal inputs:

• Employees must be legally entitled to work in Switzerland, i.e. be citizens or have work permits.
• Authorities not interested in business plans. Only needed to convince the Banks, if you want to borrow money.
• Special rules may apply for medical and paramedical activities, because of the impact on public health.
• Place of business must satisfy criteria for safety, public access, etc.

By no means did I expect to get definite answers on black and white from this forum as anyone would know. It is just very difficult to get definite answer from the authorities when it comes to opening up a medical or para-medical business in Switzerland. I cannot just go there and find out I cannot work in my specialized field. But anyway thanks for your time and answers.

Another scenario: Can one obtain, after the B-permit ,a 'Pauschale' and still be self-employed across the border, eg. France or/and Holland? Will I pay the income-tax in those countries and have my domicile in Switzerland (more than 180 days per year)? The reason is : it is easier to become a legislative chiropractor in France than in Switzerland.

Difficulty to do the chiropractic thing in switzerland ,not so diff to do the osteopathic...May be advised to talk to an imigration agent in Zurich ,could save you time and expence

hi there
i am a registered chiropractor in the UK, holding a british passport. i trained in the US. What is the best way to work in Switzerland without registering with the Swiss Association? I don't mind working for someone intially. IF I do this, am I unable to call myself a 'chiropractor'?
Can I call myself a 'spinal specialist' (foreign trained chiropractors in the UK who do not register in the UK are allowed to do this).
did the person who posted this thread (chiropractor from holland) ever manage to set up? thanks for the feedback!

I am also a DC and also a repatriated Swiss. Just went through the hoops as well: 4 month internship, 2 years assistanceship and two intense exams...al for a piece of paper allowing you to continue practicing. It is all worth, if you also want to come back home.

I sympathise with any professionally trained person having to jump through these hoops, especially after decades of practice. I hear it's the same for dentists. However, given the reputation of say, the UK Chiropractic governing body and the current legal drama regarding "bogus" claims - being able to treat asthma and such - I'm glad the Swiss do what they can to protect patients from sharp medical claims...

hi there, so where did you re-patriate from? the US or the EU? i think this may make a big difference in regards to the Swiss Association's criteria...I have been working in the UK for 10 years and have sent my diploma and papers to Mebeko - it is the Swiss Health Authority that needs to recognise my training. Do you know if this the correct path to take to get recognised as a chiropractor here in Switzerland? Also, do you know if I can work with a medical doctor without getting recognised with ChiroSuisse? (in Germany, if you work under a medical doctor's license then you do not need to apply for your own individual license - maybe its the same in Switzerland??).
also, do you know any job openings in Switzerland either as a chiropractor or under another title doing the same work? many thanks to all for your help!!