Mobile phone and Internet for emigrants
In the following article you will find the key questions and answers regarding telephony and Internet in Switzerland. If you want to emigrate to Switzerland, you should familiarise yourself with providers, costs and contract terms at an early stage. There are also a few things to bear in mind when it comes to roaming and using German SIM cards. Emigrating to Switzerland also means reorganising your digital infrastructure - we'll show you how to be well connected right from the start.
Mobile phone subscription & Internet - Emigration Switzerland
Are you looking for a mobile phone and Internet subscription for your home? We know all the providers in Switzerland and will find the best offers for you. As network coverage and customer service vary greatly, it's worth contacting us early on so that we can provide you with comprehensive information about the best providers.
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Mobile phone and internet provider
There are various providers for telephone, internet and television in Switzerland - both large and small providers. Swiss mobile phone numbers can usually be recognised by the area codes 076, 077, 078 or 079.
If you don't want to be tied into a contract or tariff, you can also get a Swiss prepaid card. However, you need to be careful with a prepaid card for Switzerland if you want to make international calls to Germany, for example. The prepaid charges for a domestic call are often low and skyrocket for calls abroad.
Power plug
The power plugs differ. In Germany, TAE plugs are fitted as standard, whereas in Switzerland so-called Reichle plugs are used. The simplest solution is to buy a suitable adapter for the Reichle plug from a specialised dealer.
Service number
Numbers with the 0800 dialling code are usually free of charge. However, calls from abroad or via mobile phone may still incur costs.
Numbers with the dialling code 0844 are generally used for service hotlines and are subject to a charge. Calls made via the landline network have more favourable rates.
Important emergency number ☎️
Emigration Switzerland: As in Germany, you can also call the general emergency number 112 in Switzerland, but for specific emergencies it makes more sense to call the relevant unit directly:
- Police: 117
- Fire brigade: 118
- Rescue service/ambulance: 144
- Helicopter rescue service: 1414
- Breakdown service for road assistance: 140
- Poisoning emergencies: 145
- Pastoral care (Dargebotene Hand): 143
- Help for children/young people: 147
Chargeable hotlines
As in Germany, there are also cost-intensive hotlines in Switzerland. The so-called premium numbers in Switzerland usually start with 0900, so you should be careful when calling back or accepting a call from such a number.
Roaming
Emigrating to Switzerland: It is also important to be mobile when abroad. The EU has also recognised this and created an EU tariff so that it is now possible to surf, call and text in EU countries at home rates without additional roaming costs. Although Switzerland is not officially part of the EU, most mobile phone providers include it among the EU countries. The majority of German mobile phone providers therefore also offer roaming-free use of mobile phone contracts for German holidaymakers in Switzerland.
Important: to avoid any surprises, we strongly recommend that you confirm the conditions with your mobile phone provider before travelling abroad, e.g. by e-mail, to find out which tariffs apply abroad.
Serafe reception fee (licence fee)
In Switzerland, a device-independent reception fee is levied. Every Swiss household is liable to pay the fee and receives an invoice from the company Serafe (Swiss collection centre for radio and television fees). Serafe receives the data from the municipal population register. Private households pay a reception fee of CHF 335 per year (as of 2022). The reception fee applies per household.
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Our advisory team and office staff specialise in emigrants from Germany and Austria, and we help people emigrate to Switzerland every day. If you would also like to emigrate to Switzerland, please get in touch using the contact form and get to know our team in Zurich - we look forward to hearing from you! 🤗
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You want to emigrate to Switzerland? We are here for you. Our consultations are free of charge. You can reach us via the contact form or drop by for a coffee in Zurich.
