| Escape
To Geneva |
| What You
Need To Know To Make Your Escape |
| By Aimée Skidmore |
| “I should
like the window to open onto the Lake of Geneva, - and there I’d sit and
read all day like the picture of somebody reading.”
- John Keats.
Keats was
not alone in his affection for Geneva, Switzerland. The young
and famous; the rich and retired; the eccentric and persecuted have all
sought refuge in Switzerland for hundreds of years. Nastassja Kinski,
Isabelle Adjani, Aga Khan, Alain Delon, and Yoko Ono are just a few of
the famous who have relocated to Geneva because of the appealing surroundings,
quality of life, and privacy afforded them. |
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There are
many other benefits to living in Geneva as well. They city is small, but
urban. There are 178,000 residents in a city with a vibrant and bustling
downtown as well as quiet neighbourhoods. It is difficult to find a city
more international than Geneva. Home to some 200 international organizations,
about one-third of the population are immigrants.
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The city is cultured,
clean, and calm. Geneva is has over 40 museums, 120 art galleries, an opera,
and more than 300 hectares of parks.
Geneva also
boasts an efficient and environmentally friendly public transportation
system as well as a capable public works department. |
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| Genevans
value their children; the canton has an excellent public school system
(90% of Swiss send their kids to public school) and numerous art, music,
craft, and sport programs are offered, many of them inexpensive, if not
free. Liberal vacation leave (4-5 weeks), the four-day school week and
two-hour lunch break for students, all mark the importance of family time
for Genevans. Situated on Lac Leman, the city offers many water sports,
cruises, and hosts Europe’s biggest lake sailing race. Geneva is less than
an hour’s drive from all major alpine sports, and a quick flight whisks
you away to Milan, Paris, Frankfurt, or London.
So what
is the down side? Well, the Swiss enjoy their way of life and are eager
to protect it. As a result, they do not make it easy to immigrate and settle
in Switzerland. While this presents a challenge, it is a challenge that
can be overcome. There are two types of work/residence permits. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| A B permit,
permis de séjour, allows you to live in Switzerland for more than
180 days per year, work, and bring your family with you. To receive
this, you must have a job contract with a company in Switzerland. A C permit
is a permanent residence permit that allows you more rights than a B permit
and is given after you have lived in Switzerland for 5- 10 years. United
Nations employees receive a carte de légitimation that allows them
to live and work in Switzerland. Citizens of the EU have yet another type
of residence permit. Obtaining a B residence/work permit is difficult unless
you are independently wealthy and famous, married to a Swiss, a retiree
with independent means, or a professional with a job contract in a specialized
market (consulting, finance, pharmaceuticals, high tech firms, international
development).
Let us assume
you fall into one of the two latter categories and want to immigrate to
Geneva. Begin by scouring international job websites for positions
in your field. Look into requirements for vacancies at the United
Nations or other international organizations. Get certified to teach
English at a world-renowned language school, like Berlitz or Wall Street
English, and then see if they have openings in Geneva. |
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| Use one
of the many online job search engines, like monster.com
or devnetjobs.org. A quick search
will reveal plenty of jobs in high tech and IT. Apply, apply, and reapply
for as many jobs as possible. If you want to retire to Switzerland and
are over 55, contact the DEEE (département de l'économie,
de l'emploi et des affaires extérieures) to see if you qualify.
Once you get a solid job offer, or meet the criteria for a retired foreign
resident, you can start thinking about your dream house or apartment.
Speaking and/or reading French, Italian, German or Spanish will boost your
chances of being hired. Start those French courses now!
To buy residential
property in Geneva you must have a Residence Permit B, C, or carte de légitimation.
The scarcity of properties and higher population make Geneva a hotspot,
even for the Swiss, so they do not make it easy for foreigners. Within
the city of Geneva, prices for a single-family house range from about $700,000
to several million. |
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Offshore
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| Escape
From America Magazine - The Magazine To Read To If You Want To Move Overseas |
| - Began Summer
1998 - Now with almost a half million subscribers, out eZine is the resource
that expats, and wantabe expats turn to for information. Our archives
now have thousands of articles and each month we publish another issue
to a growing audience of international readers. Over 100 people a
day subscribe to our eZine. We've been interviewed and referenced
by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Washington Post, London Talk Show
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~ Overseas Jobs ~ Expat Resources ~ Offshore Investments ~ Overseas
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| Keep in
mind that real estate prices are extremely high and most banks are only
willing to finance up to 80% of the property’s value. However,
the mortgage, or hypothèque, rates are low (usually under 5% for
a 10-year mortgage). For many, the tax benefits for ownership also provide
an attractive incentive. You will not need a special cantonal review
of your case if you purchase a property less than 3,000m2; this is not
usually a problem as you are unlikely to find a place this big in Geneva
anyway.
Like in
the United States, most likely you will secure financing from a bank before
you begin looking for your dream home. The buying process usually takes
about two months. Once you have found a property you like, and secured
your residence permit, you will need to agree on a price with the seller
or seller’s agent. You will probably find it useful to have a real
estate agent for the negotiation, if for nothing else. After a price is
secure, the seller hires a Notary Public, notaire, to complete the legalities
of the sale. Unlike in the United States notary publics in Switzerland
have more responsibilities and rights and usually act in place of a lawyer.
You will also pay a droits de mutation, a transfer tax, usually below 4%
of the property’s value.
If you do
not have a residence permit, you can buy a vacation home in a designated
tourist area (not Geneva) or buy an investment property.
This is allowed with no restrictions, other than how much money you must
invest. However, this is not a good option for those wishing to make
Switzerland their primary home because there are restrictions as to how
long you can stay in the country. The most likely investment option
for non-resident foreigners is to buy a low-rent building, but this is
a long-term investment, usually lasting for 20 years or more. These
low-rent buildings do not carry the stigma that they do in the U.S., nor
are they considered slums. Residents of these buildings usually receive
substantial rent subsidies and are carefully screened. While returns on
such investments are usually good, the laws and regulations governing investment
ownership in Switzerland are complicated. Those wanting to pursue investment
properties in Geneva would do well to hire a real estate company that specializes
in foreign investors. For a fee of about 1% of purchase price, real estate
companies will take care of everything for you- from investing your money
to closing on a house.
Renting
is the perfect option for those wanting to try out a new place before committing
their life savings to a house, or for those on temporary assignment.
In fact, over 85% of Genevans rent. While the rental market in Geneva
is tight, it is not impossible to find that quaint apartment with high
ceilings and French windows, or the ultra modern city loft with Jacuzzi
bath. If you are lucky, your company may make housing arrangements for
you. Most likely, however, you will be left on your own to find a place.
The first thing to do is get a good idea of what is available through a
basic internet search. In Geneva, the number of rooms listed includes the
kitchen. Always look at the number of chambres, or bedrooms, to be
sure you will have enough room. Upon arriving, explore local newspapers
and free real estate papers like Tribune de Genève, Le Temps, GHI,
Tout L'Immobilier or go directly to one of the 40 real estate companies
in Geneva. Inquire at the Geneva Welcome Centre for more information
and assistance.
When you
find a place you like, you will need to fill out a demande de location,
or rental application, with the listing agency. Most agencies permit
application on only one property at a time. Check to see if there
is a fee assessed if you decide not to take a place. Be patient and polite,
but call every couple of days to check on the status of your application.
In the meantime, keep looking in case your application is rejected. Decisions
are made on a first come first served basis, but your financial situation,
the impression you make on the agency, and your family status may influence
the decision. So dress up when you visit the agency and bring along the
kids, providing they are clean and well-behaved. Families are given priority
on bigger apartments.
When your
application is accepted, most property owners will require a garantie,
or deposit, usually equal to three months rent. This money is held
in a special account, nom du compte, by your own bank and is linked to
your checking account. When you sit down to sign the rental contract do
not let yourself be carried away by your desire for the apartment or your
impatience to move out of a hotel room. These contracts contain details
about what you are allowed to display on your balcony, when you are allowed
to do laundry, and rules about noise. Be sure to read all the fine print
and, if necessary, hire a lawyer or bring along a French-speaking friend
to help you understand the terms.
Next, you
will have an appointment to fill out the Etat des lieux, or check-in list.
Take this appointment seriously, as your entire deposit is on the line.
You are required to leave the property in the same condition as you found
it; there is no such thing as normal wear and tear. There should be no
stains on the carpet, chips or holes in the paint, or scratches in the
floor. Point out any marks on the kitchen counters or dings in the bathtub.
You may want to bring a third-party witness along to the appointment. Finally,
you will receive your keys and can begin moving in. If your shipment
has already arrived, custom authorities will release it now that you have
an address. This is something to consider when you ship your personal items;
if your shipment arrives before you have settled on a place, you will have
to pay storage costs until you have a Geneva address.
Relax, breath-
you did it. Celebrate your new dwelling with a fondue or raclette and a
bottle of local wine. Begin your moving day with a renversé,
coffee with milk, as you watch the movers balance your furniture on their
backs as they ascend three flights of impossibly narrow stairs. If you
are willing to do some research and have persistence, then living in an
enriching, multilingual, and multicultural environment can be a reality
for you and your family. The high standard of living, cultured society,
and panoramic lake views will soon convince you that you have escaped to
somewhere very special indeed.
Resources
Geneva Welcome
Centre
www.cagi.ch
Laws And
Regulations For Foreigners
Direction des
affaires juridiques du département de l'économie, de
l'emploi et des affaires extérieures (DEEE)
www.ge.ch
(in French only)
Real Estate
Professionals Listing
www.sr-ge.ch/list.php
One-stop real
estate service:
Micheloud &
Co.
+41 (0) 22
310 09 83 (9:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday)
email to: info@micheloud.com
Popular
Property Listing Websites:
www.homegate.ch
www.zannonces.ch
www.immostreet.ch
www.swissimmo.ch
www.geneveimmobilier.ch
The following
is Aimée's first article for the magazine:
To contact Aimée
Click
Here |
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Article
Index ~ Switzerland
Index ~ |
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