Hey everyone!

Me and my boyfriend are from an EU country. He recently found a job in Switzerland (St. Gallen) and will be moving in a few weeks.

I would like to go with him, but I don't have a job in Switzerland yet, although I'm actively looking for one. I am working remotely on and for my EU country.

He already got a place for us there and apparently, since I am planning to live with him, my name needed to be in the contract (but I haven't signed it yet).

So my questions are the following:

1. Can I go live with him in Switzerland and continue working remotely for my EU country while I find a new job?
2. Do I still need to register at the canton within 14 days of arriving, or should I register only when I get a new job?
3. Do I need to get a permit and if so what is the more appropriate?
4. If I can't find a job within the time of the permit and have to return to my country, can I try to go back and find a job in Switzerland after a while? How much time do I have to wait?
5. Will I need to get an health insurance within 3 months? (I saw on ch.ch that there is an exception if working for EU, but I'm not sure)

Thank you in anticipation!

Welcome to the forum.

1. That may depend on your company. There are certain insurances, etc, that employers pay here so you may need to talk to them about that. Alternatively, you might be able to be self-employed or be paid through a Swiss agency that handles all that sort of stuff. Do a search on the forum for "working remotely", "self-employment" and "ANOBAG" to see what's been said recently.

2. Yes, you need to register because you will be a resident here. It doesn't matter whether you're working or not; you're going to be living here so you must register.

3. The canton will issue you with a permit; what type will depend on how you come here. For example, your boyfriend might be able to apply for a concubine permit for you which means you'd get the same type of permit he does. Not all cantons offer this permit though so he'd need to check with the cantonal migration office and if they do issue the permit he'd have to agree to be financially responsible for you for 5 years.

4. Again, this will depend on how you come here. See above. Otherwise, it will depend on what type of permit you do get.

5. Yes, you need Swiss health insurance cover within 3 months of arriving.

Thank you so much for your help, I think I know now what to expect and what to do when I get there :)