The Local (Switzerland)

1 month ago | thelocal.ch | Ben McPartland

The Twint app, which was first introduced in Switzerland in 2014, has become hugely popular in the country with around 5 million users It is now accepted by 80 percent of retailers and supermarkets in Switzerland. In a recent statement Twint announced a series of upgrades aimed at making it simpler for customers but also for business owners. One of the new features will allow businesses to offer customers an “Express checkout” to customers when they shop online.

1 month ago | thelocal.ch | Claudia Delpero |Europe Street

EU countries granted citizenship to 1,050,100 foreign residents in 2023, the latest data by Eurostat, the EU statistical office, revealed. This is an increase of over 6 percent compared to 2022 and does not consider the naturalisation of people living abroad, those who acquired citizenship by marriage or descent for instance. Spain was the country that granted the largest number of citizenships (240,200), followed by Italy (213,600), Germany (199,800) and France (97,300).

Jan 20, 2025 | thelocal.ch | Ben McPartland

Learning the local language in Switzerland will help with integration but it's also necessary to have a certain level if you want to apply for Swiss citizenship. Taking a language course might seem like a good idea. But is it worth it? Or are there better, cheaper ways in Switzerland to learn French, German or Italian? Sharer your views and any recommendations you have with other readers in the quick survey. If the survey doesn't appear below please click here.

Jan 15, 2025 | thelocal.ch | Ben McPartland

Zug’s more restrictive citizenship law, which went into effect on January 1st, incudes three new requirements. Firstly, applicants must not have received social assistance in the last five years; previously, this period was three years. Secondly, candidates for naturalisation in the German-speaking canton must now have a B2 level for oral communication. Prior to the change, level B1 was sufficient —  that is, if the German was sufficient for everyday situations.

Jan 14, 2025 | thelocal.ch | Ben McPartland

Many ski resorts in Switzerland use a system of dynamic pricing meaning a ski pass can cost you less or more — depending on the time of day you buy it. The price depends on demand so the cost of day pass is not fixed. It will rise if its busy and decrease during quiet periods or bad weather. So during school holidays or if conditions are perfect for skiers then people can expect to pay more for a pass. Prices can fluctuate throughout the day.