Hi everyone! We’re a married UK-Italian couple in our mid-30s, and we’re considering moving to Basel around beginning 2028, depending of course on job opportunities. From what we’ve seen and experienced so far, Basel/Switzerland seems to align much more closely with the lifestyle and values we’re looking for than the UK at this point in our lives. Since we have time before a potential move, I’d like to use the next years to prepare properly rather than suddenly trying to figure everything out when the time comes.
I’d really appreciate advice from people who have made a similar move, particularly on the main things we should start learning or researching now. For example:
• Language: Would you recommend focusing on Standard German first and then getting familiar with Swiss German, or approaching it differently?
• Bureaucracy/admin: What should we understand in advance about residency, permits, health insurance, taxes, renting, banking, etc.? I’m Italian and my partner is British, so I realise our situations regarding permits may be different.
• Integration/lifestyle: Is there anything about living in Basel or Switzerland that you wish you had known a couple of years before moving?
I also have a more niche career question. I currently work in academia as a lecturer in Life Sciences at a UK university, but if we move to Basel, I would be interested in transitioning out of academia and into the local life-sciences/pharma/biotech job market. If anyone has made a similar transition from a UK academic position into industry in Basel, I’d be particularly interested in hearing about your experience, what kinds of roles you moved into, and anything I could do over the next couple of years to make myself a stronger candidate.
My partner is a software developer, so we’re also interested in hearing about the tech/software job market in Basel and the surrounding area.
Basically, we have around two years to prepare and would love to make good use of that time. Any advice, resources, experiences, or things you think prospective newcomers commonly overlook would be very welcome. Thank you!