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Expat Finance Switzerland: The Complete Guide

By Thierry Borgeat, Co-Founder arvy · Last updated: March 2026 · 7 in-depth guides · 11 interactive calculators

You moved to Switzerland for the opportunity. The salary is high, the quality of life is exceptional, and the financial system — once you understand it — is one of the most powerful wealth-building environments on Earth. Tax-free capital gains. A pension system that actually works. And more investable income than almost anywhere else.

But the system only works if you understand it. And most expats don't — at least not in year one.

We built this guide to fix that. Seven in-depth articles covering every financial decision you'll face in Switzerland — from your first payslip to your departure day. Written by the team behind 30+ NZZ The Market analyses, used by 12,000+ weekly readers, and backed by 11 interactive calculators that turn theory into your personal numbers.

Start where you are. Read what you need. Bookmark the rest.

🛬 Phase 1: You Just Arrived

Bank account, health insurance, first payslip, pension system — the basics that need to happen in month 1–3. Get these wrong and you'll pay for it (literally) for years.

💰 Phase 2: Save Thousands in Tax

The two biggest tax tools for expats in Switzerland: Pillar 3a (instant tax deduction) and ordinary assessment (claiming back overpaid withholding tax). Together, they save CHF 3,000–8,000 per year.

📈 Phase 3: Invest and Build Wealth

3a is sorted, tax is optimised, emergency fund is full. Now: invest everything else. Capital gains are tax-free in Switzerland — the most powerful structural advantage you have.

✈️ Phase 4: Plan Your Departure

Whether you're leaving next year or in ten years — planning early saves thousands. 3a withdrawal tax, the EU pension trap, which investments survive a move, and the complete admin checklist.

🧮 Your Calculators

Every guide above links to the relevant calculator. Here they all are in one place — use them to turn general advice into your personal numbers:

Who wrote this

This guide was created by arvy — a Swiss investment app built by three experienced investors (Thierry Borgeat, Florian Jauch, Patrick Rissi — all CFA Charterholders) who invest their own money in the same ~30 quality companies as their clients. Over CHF 100,000 of the founders' personal wealth sits in the same portfolio you'd invest in.

arvy is known for 30+ published analyses in NZZ The Market, a weekly newsletter read by 12,000+ investors, 11 free financial calculators, and a book club that breaks down the best investment books into 10-minute reads.

With arvy, you can have everything under one roof: Pillar 3a (5 strategies from Strolling to Climbing), App Savings Plan from CHF 100/month, Children's Account for your kids, and the equity fund directly. You can use arvy as your entire investment setup — or combine it as a quality component (30–50%) alongside an ETF core. Both ways work. What makes us different: the ~30 quality companies we select, the weekly analyses that help you understand what you own, and the fact that the founders invest their own money — six figures — in the same portfolio as you.

→ Why smart investors combine robo-advisors and quality investing

This guide was created by Thierry Borgeat, Co-Founder of arvy, and reviewed by Patrick Rissi, CFA, and Florian Jauch, CFA. Last updated March 2026.

Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes and does not constitute personal tax, financial, or investment advice. All referenced articles contain individual disclaimers. Tax regulations vary by canton, permit type, and personal situation. For individual advice, consult a qualified advisor. arvy is a FINMA-supervised asset manager. Legal Notice & Disclaimers