Logbook
Stories, numbers and behind-the-scenes from someone living and driving across Switzerland.
Prämienverbilligung: the Swiss health insurance discount the canton only gives if you ask for it — and the 2027 deadline is 31 December
One in four people in my canton gets this discount on their health insurance bill. Plenty of immigrants qualify and never apply, because they assume it is welfare for people without a job, or because the canton's letter never landed in their mailbox. It is not welfare: it is written into federal law. Here is how the canton does the maths, why newcomers almost never get the notice, and the exact 2027 dates.
Driving licence in Portugal: the law changed, and yours may expire sooner than you think
A Portuguese law changed in June 2026 and almost nobody noticed. If you are Brazilian and live in Portugal on a residence permit, your driving licence now expires on the same day your residence does. If you hold European citizenship, none of this touches you. I explain the difference in plain words, with the law open on the table — plus what changes for anyone who wants to drive a truck.
Swiss health insurance (Krankenkasse): what it really costs in 2026 and where you can save
There is no public health service here: healthcare is private and compulsory, and the bill lands every month. Here are the official 2026 numbers, the three-month deadline that catches every newcomer off guard, two myths that keep circulating, and a discount most employees never realise they are entitled to.
Swapping a foreign licence for a Swiss C+E: how it went for me in the canton of Aargau
On paper it sounds simple: you arrive and you swap your licence. In practice every canton has its own rules — and the truck category (C+E) demands more. Here is how it went for me in Aargau, with no waffle and no promises.
How much does a truck driver earn in Switzerland in 2026?
Real market averages, in francs, by region — the gross figure, what comes off before it reaches your account, and the part nobody explains properly. No payslips, no promises: the honest maths from someone who lives here.
Can you work in Switzerland without speaking German? The honest answer
The honest answer from someone who arrived exactly like that: yes, you can start — but there is a ceiling. Here is where the language does not block you, where it charges you, and the plan I would follow again.
How to find a job in Switzerland: where to start
It is not luck, it is method. The real path that worked for me: the right profession, the legal basis, the language and how to prepare before you board — with no shortcuts promised.
What it is really like to be a truck driver in Switzerland
Forget the image of the long-haul driver sleeping in the cab. This is another life entirely — here is what my day really looks like, from the tachograph to the best office view in the world.
Is it worth moving to Switzerland? What nobody tells you before you come
The honest answer from someone who lives here — what genuinely pays off, the price Instagram does not show, and who this life is actually worth it for.
How to move to Switzerland as a foreigner: the real path (no illusions)
There is no magic formula — there is a path. Here, with no waffle, is what actually opens the door to Switzerland: the legal basis, the profession, the language and the part nobody talks about.
What does it cost to live in Switzerland in 2026? The real maths from someone who lives here
Rent, health insurance, groceries, transport and the deductions from your salary — the real numbers, in francs, from someone who pays these bills every month. No illusions and no scaremongering.
Now live: the free NM23 financial tracking tool
I have taken the platform's first tool off the drawing board — a multi-currency dashboard (CHF, EUR, USD and BRL) for anyone who needs to see their own money clearly. It is free and ready to use.
3 money mistakes almost every newcomer makes in Switzerland
I made at least two of them. It is not a lack of intelligence — it is a lack of someone to warn you beforehand. So let me warn you.
Why is my truck called Shrekão?
No, it is not the colour. The nickname was born on the road and it stuck. Here is the story of the red giant.