School search in Switzerland: international or local?

The full transcript

0:00 The school drives the move

Moving to Switzerland with children? For families, the school drives the whole move. ReloFinder lists 43 agencies that work as education advisers: shortlist, applications, and a flat in the right catchment.

0:17 Public, bilingual or international

Swiss public schools are free and taught in the local language: German, French or Italian. Younger children often settle in fast; teenagers mid-curriculum may be better served by an international or bilingual school.

0:33 Fees, and when to start

International day schools charge about CHF 14,000 to 40,000 a year in tuition, before one-off fees, and the popular ones fill early. The Swiss school year starts in August; for top schools, start 1 to 2 years ahead.

0:50 The address decides the school

For public schools, your address decides the school, so the flat and the school are one decision. Settle the school before you sign the lease.

1:01 What an education adviser does

An education adviser works in five steps. Your children's ages, curriculum, languages and start date. A shortlist across public, bilingual and international. Applications, assessments and interviews, across several schools at once. A waitlist strategy with a fallback. And a flat in the right catchment.

1:26 What it costs

School search typically costs around CHF 200 an hour, billed hourly or as a family package. 41 of the 43 agencies offer a free first consultation.

1:40 Get matched

Tell us about your move. Meet your consultant this week. Two minutes of questions, then a consultant from one of our partner agencies gets in touch. Free, with no obligation. The link is in the description.