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City guide

Zurich

Switzerland

Zurich is the Swiss expat move with a real change of scenery: the city speaks German, runs like clockwork and offers families a rare quality of life. The challenge is twofold: a budget among the highest in the world, and the language, which the French lycée and the francophone community help you tame.

Currency
Swiss franc (CHF)
Languages
German (Swiss German day to day)
Time vs Paris
None
Emergencies
112 (general), 144 (medical)

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Zürich Accueil

Since 1998

Since 1998, Zürich Accueil has kept French alive on the banks of the Limmat: coffee meetups, hikes, cultural visits, big yearly events like the egg hunt and the wine and cheese night, and a very active WhatsApp community.

Where to meet them

No physical drop-in desk: everything runs by email and through the online activity calendar.

Visit the association's website Email the association See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Coffee meetups for newcomers
  • Hikes and snowshoe outings around Zurich
  • Family events: egg hunt, wine and cheese night, Dîner Blanc
  • WhatsApp community and a list of francophone babysitters

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Zürich

    The Zurich chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger (UFEZ): welcome, mutual aid and social events for the French in German-speaking Switzerland.

    Visit the website Facebook page
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Suisse

    The Swiss section of Français du monde - ADFE defends the rights of French residents in Switzerland and helps with their paperwork.

    Visit the website

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

CCI France Suisse

The Franco-Swiss chamber has an office in Zurich: networking, job offers and practical support to settle professionally in German-speaking Switzerland.

Visit the website CCI country page

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

On the schools front Zurich gives you real choice: the Lycée français international covers the whole curriculum in French, public school is free but in German, and international schools round out the picture.

Good to know

  • The Lycée français international de Zurich (AEFE partner) teaches around 1,150 pupils in Dübendorf, east of the city.
  • All 15 levels are homologated, from nursery to the final year: continuity with the French system is guaranteed.
  • Zurich public school is free and very solid; Kindergarten is compulsory from age 4, in German.
  • English-speaking international schools abound but are pricey: compare and plan ahead, waiting lists are real.

Children's healthcare

No French-style sécu here: every family member must take out their own health insurance (LAMal) within three months of arrival. Once insured, the quality of care is remarkable.

Good to know

  • Take out LAMal for each child on arrival: the legal deadline is three months, retroactive.
  • Child premiums are reduced and vary between insurers: compare before signing.
  • The Kinderspital Zurich is one of Switzerland's largest paediatric hospitals.
  • 144 is the medical emergency number; many paediatricians consult in English, some in French.

French-speaking community

Smaller than in Geneva, the francophone community in Zurich is all the more tight-knit: you find your bearings fast, with Zürich Accueil as home port.

Good to know

  • Zürich Accueil (FIAFE network) has run coffee meetups, hikes and big gatherings since 1998.
  • Its WhatsApp community and list of francophone babysitters help out day to day.
  • UFE Zürich completes the support network for the French in German-speaking Switzerland.
  • Around the French lycée in Dübendorf, francophone families cross paths every morning.

Family outings and events

Zurich is a city of water and hills: lake and river swims in summer, sledging on the Uetliberg in winter, and the zoo to save every rainy Sunday.

Good to know

  • The badis, the public lake and river baths, are the family institution of summer.
  • The Uetliberg, the city's home mountain, is a train ride away: hiking in season, sledging in winter.
  • Zurich Zoo and its Masoala rainforest hall are worth the trip in any weather.
  • In April, Sechseläuten burns the Böögg, the winter effigy: a ritual children love.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

Coming soon: the full Zurich guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Zurich page first.

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