Swiss Pensioners Flee to Germany for Financial Reasons

The financial worries of Roland Zulauf (61) and his wife Gudrun (68) began with the pandemic. The Swiss couple lived in a condominium in Nürensdorf in the canton of Zurich. The 68-year-old had just retired and her husband was no longer able to work as the owner of a small caravan company. Added to this were rising living costs and high health insurance premiums. “We were afraid that at some point it would no longer work financially,” Zulauf told the Swiss portal “blick ch”.

The Swiss couple decided to sell the condominium in Switzerland and thus finance their new start in Germany. With the proceeds, the seniors bought a 3000 square meter property in the Brandenburg district of Barnim and built a single-family house on it.

More and more Swiss pensioners are moving to Germany for cost reasons

Emigration from Switzerland to Germany is in vogue, as the Swiss Abroad organization “Swiss Community” confirms to “Blick”. “In our consulting work, we repeatedly receive inquiries from people who want to emigrate for financial reasons or who have already emigrated,” says a spokeswoman. “Most requests come from retirees.”

Although interest rates in Germany rose even more sharply than in Switzerland last year, home ownership in Germany is still cheaper. A market expert from the German real estate association IVD Süd emphasizes: “In the current market environment, brokers in Germany sometimes have trouble finding buyers. Swiss interested parties are welcome there.”