Five years and CHF 300.

Sometimes, as you have the option to keep it.

I have, lots of them. Even my girlfriend used to have a rifle and a handgun, and we're thinking of taking up hunting (very popular around here)

Tom

That bit is gold. I mean, there's so much good material in this thread, but that bit had me laughing out loud. The rest of the sentence isn't bad either.

Thanks for the laughs!

If you can get EU citizenship like German then you can come here with minimal to no restrictions to find a job. Once you have a job you can stay as long as you want. If you want Swiss citizenship then just wait for it (I think it's like 12 years staying in one canton). Being EU also gives you the right to live and work in any other EU country (including the UK). Switzerland along with Norway and Iceland are not in the EU but have agreements with the EU allowing the same free movement of people (EU/EFTA citizens).... that's more or less the rule anyway.

The gun stuff man. Erm this is 2010 in Europe mate. Gun crime isn't common. Switzerland is pretty safe too. The worst is you'll get your handbag nicked... okay I heard the neighbours get pretty angry at noise at night but really if you like guns and want to own them like they do in North America then forget it here. It's pretty alien what you talk about regarding gun ownership to the average jo here.

Pssst... it's 2011 but don't tell anyone.

That gets me almost every time!! And it's almost May!

Thanks for the information. And I just won't comment on my gun questions anymore as it does seem like a really alien topic here, and people are paranoid of em it seems.

Yeah, and all the snow was melted in my area, gone.. This morning I awoke to find 2 feet of fresh snow everywhere with a blizzard going around! >_< I hate these longer Canadian winters.

Only the ones on this forum, Swiss people in general are not.

Tom

The reactions to the gun issue had to do with the presentation (and propaganda). There are many clubs related to guns and shooting in Switzerland and it is a quite popular sport. It seems foreigners can become members of some clubs but need to get permission to do so. Here are some links to clubs:
http://www.link-gr.ch/Sport/Schiessen/index.php
http://www.kbsv.ch/sites/sites/bezir...ke_vereine.php
http://www.sportschiessen.ch/verein.htm
http://www.pcigis-landquart.ch/

Yeah I heard it can be pretty bad over there in winter. Still supposed to be a great country to live in and who knows.... with global warming it'll be the place to be in the next generations!

For most of us Swiss that have done the military, guns are not a taboo. We have done so much shooting (with all kinds of weapons) that it is not exactly exciting and is often seen by many as a chore.

I think they would get a bit uncomfortable if foreigners move here assuming they can get hold of a weapon to defend their home, as the OP said right at the beginning:

That's pretty "un-Swiss". Mildly acidic Post-it notes in the hallway are normally as aggressive as things get.

Paranoid? or smart?

Having citizenship does have its perks. Its a lot more than being allowed to vote. With citizenship you have freedom. There's no worry about permits. For example, maybe a person wants to leave the country for a few years. With citizenship there's no problem because it won't run out. Even when it has to be renewed it's still a person's citizenship. Permits are limited. A person can't leave the country as long as they want and return with their permit intact. Permits have levels too. So an individual is limited to where they can live, how long they can stay in the country, their work situation etc...If the OP wants Swiss citizenship they will have a rough ride. There have been stories about people who have lived in Switzerland for 15 years, applied for citizenship and didn't get it. Citizenship is not a right, it's a privilege. There's no guarantee even with marrying a Swiss that one will receive citizenship.

I'm speaking from experience as I have had my Swiss citizenship for over 20 years and I see what people go through who don't have it. As long as they have employment they are pretty much o.k with their permits for instance. But if they lose their employment it can be a case of having to leave the country, as far as permits are concerned.

A C permit can be renewed without having a job.

Yes but not indefinently. Citizenship is freedom. IMHO...

Are Swiss gun laws the only reason why you want to move to Switzerland?

Paranoid? I don't think so. It's just a complete nonissue for us. More useful is a pair of skis, a bicycle and a little shopping basket.

No, I want to eat Swiss cheese, have a swiss bank account, go skiing in the Alps. And partake in all the fests, wear lederhosen, play the accordion instrument, actually get the chance to talk to other people in my native tongue, and just live life.

I find European countries and its culture is just alot more refined and neat, compared to North America which is blunt and can be ugly looking; but that is partly due to there being soo much landmass and the population being far too scattered to look after everything.

From what I've read there's only one person on here who seems a bit paranoid.... I'll give you two guess.


I think you are confused about what country you want to live in. Perhaps you might like Germany better. They have Swiss cheese there.

Yep, Switzerland is not generally the first choice option for wearing lederhosen or playing the accordion. And definitely not for chatting to the locals in German. You may be in for a bit of a shock there.

By the way, on the subject of languages, you missed one:

but don't worry about it. Hardly anyone else does.