Ed Pies

I am currently based in Dubai, where I have been working as an Architect on a hotel out here, which has now been put on hold. There is not much work out here at the moment so I am looking further afield.

I speak French, and I have been offered a position working on a hotel in Geneva. The pay would be Chf: 135,000 year. I am married with children (5, 3). I know Geneva is notoriously expensive - would we manage on this salary?
Would we be better off living in France?

The company have said that it is not usual to offer and type of 'package', or help with our moving costs - is this right for expat Professionals in Switzerland?

What are the chances of my wife finding part time work as a part time PA (no written French)?

Thanks for your help

dmu

Can't help with any of the other questions, but my French brother-in-law has a house in Prévessin, near Ferney-Voltaire, just over the border from Geneva, and says that a lot of people (French and Swiss) live in F-V and catch the bus to work in Geneva. They have the best of both worlds, although they may have head-aches sorting out tax and social security questions....

Ed Pies

I have heard similar feedback from a friend, that France may be a better and cheaper option for family life.

Any info regarding expat friendly villages / schools etc. greatfully received.

thanks.

dmu

You'll probably get more info if you posted on the France Forum.

le plumber

Hi Ed

I would say YES!!


I live in an area not far from the swiss border and I know of quite a few people who do this. In the plumbing trade you can earn the double of what you earn in France and the workmanship is of higher quality. Last year I knew someone like me who owned a plumbing company here in France who shut up shop to go and work in Switzerland. He's looking to move to Pontarlier which is just on the border, but can't until he sells his house, so at the moment he does a total of 3 hours driving there and back everyday, but hes happy and thinks its worth it and loves not having the hassle of running his own company.

littlemissnaughty

please get in touch

Roger O

CHF 135,000 is currently 88,700.72 EUR which makes over 7,000 EUR per month or just over CHF11,000
Even in expensive Geneva you should have quite a a good life. The average (not working in a Bank!) Swiss gets between CHF4,000 and 6,000 p.m. in a fairly average white collar job. As an architect in CH you will command respect - one of the professions people "admire".

My two daughters live there (near Zurich) and I lived there for 24 years working with Swissair as airline systems IT specialist.

If you could wangle a "frontalier" status (think you would have to be French but could now be open to EU citizens of certain "calibre"..) you could set up house in Annecy - which is expensive for France, but less than Geneva and is a beautiful town with a lakeside setting - only quite a short drive away.

(A frontalier lives over the border in France with a special tax arrangement and commutes to work in CH.) Best of both worlds if you can get it!

Best to ask someone about the salient points. They have changed recently due to the relaxed regulations in CH concerning Schengen.

Good luck!

Can't find an English equiv for this site
http://www.frontalier.com/
but there's another one which looks promising
http://www.geneve.ch/permis/uk/p_p_deta_ue_uk.asp

Herman

I once applied for a job in Geneva and we planned to live in Annecy and commute. The pay for that job I recall was very good, somewhere like 150,000 euros pa. plus bonuses. For that reason hundreds applied. I got to the final round of interviews but I didn't get it as my French language skills were too weak and they felt I was too young (I was 28 at the time and the job was investments manager for the WHO looking after about a billion $ of investments). I did get an offer of a job there from one of the big 4 accountancy firms after working with a partner from Geneva on a project in Zurich, but that was about half the pay and probably twice the work of the other role. So we chickened out in the end. Anyway, there was talk at the time of a new fast train line, not sure if that was ever completed?

littlemissnaughty

I live in Annecy in the middle of the old town. It is expensive here relative to other cities & mostly because of the Geneva commuters.

I bought as an investment & fingers are tightly crossed Annecy wins the Olypimic Games bid, then prices should rise rapidly.

I have also been told, not sure how true, they are trying to get the Lake listed under Unesco World Heritage, if they do, it signals the end of building around the lake.

Herman

My neighbours in Paris have 2 investment apartments in Annecy, one they bought 5 years ago and one last year. They've have quite a bit of trouble getting tenants but overall they are happy and they also mentioned that prices are expected to rise in Annecy.