Moving to Switzerland from Syria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Syria to Switzerland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Syria to Switzerland, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bern averages 55°F vs 78°F in Damascus, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Syria to Switzerland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Syria to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Syria and Switzerland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Syria generally does better on environment, though Switzerland leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Switzerland performs significantly better than Syria across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Syria leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Switzerland performs significantly better than Syria across all family life metrics.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Syria, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Damascus | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Bern |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria and Switzerland. To live, work, or study long-term in Switzerland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Switzerland's immigration authority.
Syria passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Required
Switzerland passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
With 47.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Syria and Switzerland.
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Syria?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 11.9 in Syria. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
