Welcome to Switzerland

A warm welcome to my fellow Bahamians.

The Representative Office will be happy to assist you to feel at home. We do hope that the information in this page provides you with a good starting point of reference.

Switzerland and the Bahamas have a lot in common; to name a few:

• both are proud of their heritage and culture
• the banking & tourism industries are major contributors to the overall GDP
• strict banking laws
• and on a more humorous note:
  both are Islands, The Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean; Switzerland in Europe

Country & People

Switzerland has a rich and diverse culture, with influences coming from all 4 official languages and cultures – German, French, Italian and Romanch. At the same time it also manages to keep a strong culture and identity, achieved through an astonishing mix of the new and the old.

The three main languages spoken in Switzerland are - German (65%), French (20%) and Italian (10%). The Swiss speak German in their own strong dialect known as Swiss German. Romanch is a Latin-Germanic language spoken by only 1% of the population. The Swiss are multilingual and many speak English.

Religion- 46% of the population are Roman Catholic, 40% Protestant, 5% others and 9% non-denominational.

More Information on Swiss Travel & Culture, News, Politics etc. can be found on the websites: Swiss Info or My Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Charter 1291

Source: The Origin of the Swiss Confederation Section 1, Document Volume 1, Aarau, 1933

1291 IN THE NAME OF GOD – AMEN. HONOR AND THE public weal are promoted when leagues are concluded for the proper establishment of quiet and peace. Therefore, know all men, that the people of the valley of Uri, the democracy of the valley of Schwyz, and the community of the Lower Valley of Unterwalden, seeing the malice of the age, in order that they may better defend themselves, and their own, and better preserve them in proper condition, have promised in good faith to assist each other with aid, with every counsel and every favor, with person and goods, within the valley and without, with might and main, against one and all, who may inflict upon any one of them any violence, molestation or injury, or may plot any evil against their persons or goods. And in every case each community has promised to succour the other when necessary, at its own expense, as far as needed in order to withstand the attacks of evil-doers, and to avenge injuries; to this end they have sworn a solemn oath to keep this without guile, and to renew by these presents the ancient form of the league, also confirmed by an oath. Yet in such a manner that every man, according to his rank, shall obey and serve his overlord as it behooves him.

We have also vowed, decreed and ordained in common council and by unanimous consent, that we will accept or receive no judge in the aforesaid valleys, who shall have obtained his office for any price, or for money in any way whatever, or one who shall not be a native or a resident with us. But if dissension shall arise between any of the Eidgenossen (confederates; Eid = oath, Genosse = fellow, comrade ), the most prudent amongst the confederates shall come forth to settle the difficulty between the parties, as shall seem right to them; and whichever party rejects their verdict shall be held an adversary by the other confederates. Furthermore, it has been established between them that he who deliberately kills another without provocation, shall, if caught, lose his life, as his wicked guilt requires, unless he be able to prove his innocence of said crime; and if per chance he escape, let him never return. Those who conceal and protect said criminal shall be banished from the valley, until they be expressly recalled by the confederates. But if any one of the confederates, by day, or in the silence of the night, shall maliciously injure another by fire, he shall never again be considered a fellow-countryman. If any man protect and defend the said evil-doer, he shall render satisfaction to the one who has suffered damage. Furthermore, if any one of the confederates shall spoil another of his goods, or injure him in any way, the goods of the guilty one, if recovered within the valleys, shall be seized in order to pay damages to the injured person, according to justice. Furthermore, no man shall seize another's goods for debt, unless he be evidently his debtor or surety, and this shall only be done with the special permission of his judge. Moreover, every man shall obey his judge, and if necessary, must himself indicate the judge in the valley, before whom he ought properly to appear. And if any one rebels against a verdict, and, in consequence of his obstinacy, any one of the confederates is injured, all the confederates are bound to compel the culprit to give satisfaction. But if war or discord arise amongst any of the confederates and one party of the disputants refuse to accept the verdict of the judge or to give satisfaction, the confederates are bound to defend the other party. The above-written statutes, decreed for the common welfare and benefit, shall endure forever, God willing. ln testimony of which, at the request of the aforesaid parties, the present charter has been drawn up and confirmed with the seals of the aforesaid three communities and valleys. So done in the year of the Lord 1291 at the beginning of the month of August.

Permits

What is a B permit?

A "B-Permit" (permis de séjour, Aufenthaltsbewilligung, permesso di soggiorno ) is an annual residence permit. It gives you the right to live in Switzerland for 180 days a year or more. It has to be renewed every year. The B permit is issued by the Cantons and imposes a restriction on relocating to another Canton. Please ensure prior to moving, that the permit can be re-allocated. Self-Employment is restricted.

What is a C permit?

A "C-Permit" is a permanent residence permit. It is valid for as long as you remain in Switzerland. It has almost no restrictions and enables you to do many things not possible with B permits. A holder of the "C-Permit" will not be able to take part in federal ballots. Some Cantons do allow municipal voting.

Born in Switzerland

A child born on Swiss soil to foreign nationals is not granted any particular birth-rights

Swiss citizenship must then be acquired by naturalization.

Obtaining Citizenship

Swiss citizenship can be acquired through what is called naturalization.

The following conditions need to be met before applying;

• You are integrated in the Swiss community.
• You are accustomed to Swiss way of life and practices.
• You comply with the Swiss legal system.
• You understand the political system,
• You are in command of one of the 4 languages of Switzerland.

Since Swiss Citizenship is not granted on federal status but by canton and municipality (Place of Origin),  authorization must then be obtained from the canton and the municipality.

The canton and municipality of residence can add further conditions and set the cost of acquiring citizenship before approving it. Conditions vary greatly from one region to the next.

Please contact the Federal Office of Migration to obtain detailed information

Taxes

Income tax

You pay taxes where you live, and these taxes are divided between the the federal government, the canton and the city. There are wide variations in tax rates between cantons and even cities, and your overall tax bill will very much depend on where you live.

Withholding tax

All interest income is subject to withholding tax of 35% which is withheld by the Financial Institution and delivered to the Federal Tax Authorities. If the interest income is declared (Income Tax form), the deducted 35% is reimbursed in full on your tax bill.

Wealth tax

Swiss cantons levy a small wealth tax on your net assets. This is the oldest tax in the country.

Estate tax

Several cantons levy a small estate tax a.k.a. Inheritance tax. The rate of taxation depends on the canton and kinship.

Capital gain tax

Professional equity and real estate traders are subject to capital gain tax. In addition a sale of real-estate could be subject to taxation.

Nationals Registration

As of July 5, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the online Registration for Bahamians living abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to meet the consular needs of all Bahamians abroad. Please fill out this brief form so that we can better help our citizens.

Access to Register: https://mofa.gov.bs/registration/ here

Will need to provide your Passport and NIB Numbers at registration.

Bahamians in Europe may contact the High Commission of the Bahamas in London for additional information.
Email: information@bahamashclondon.net