Mobile and internet, what works on day one

You will want a Swiss number for two-factor codes, delivery slips, and being treated as a resident.

Prepaid SIMs at Migros, Coop, or Salt shops cost around CHF 10 and work the same afternoon. Good for the first month.

For a contract, Salt is usually cheapest, Swisscom has the best coverage in the mountains, and Sunrise sits in the middle. Wingo, Yallo, and M-Budget are the low-cost virtual carriers on those same networks. Our pick is Salt, a partner of Swiss Expat Guide, unless you live above the tree line.

Home internet is the slow one: it typically arrives 2 to 4 weeks after ordering, so order it the day you have a signed rental contract, not the day you move in.

You can keep your foreign number active on eSIM for another few weeks while your family adjusts. No rush to cancel abroad.