Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland?
It is slow, and the numbers agree: in the Expat Insider 2026 survey, expats ranked Switzerland 28th of 31 countries for making local friends. The classic way in is a Verein, a club: join one and keep showing up.
Ep. 7 · Ueli's Word · 56 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
Many newcomers feel the Swiss are polite but closed, and surveys agree: expats rank Switzerland 28th of 31 for making local friends. The image people use is a coconut, hard outside and soft inside. The way in is shared routine, not small talk: join a Verein, a club, and keep showing up.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. True. Making local friends: Switzerland ranks 28th of 31.
VEREIN: literally: “a union”; really: a club Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli. Crack the coconut slowly.
Learn more: How to Crack the Coconut, the free book
The rule, explained
The Swiss are often compared to a coconut: hard outside, soft inside. Expats feel the shell. In InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 survey, reported by iamexpat.ch, Switzerland ranked 28th out of 31 for making local friends. The inside is real too: once you are in, you are in. The most reliable door is a Verein, a club for a shared purpose, from gymnastics to choir. You meet the same people every week, and friendship grows from that. The free book How to Crack the Coconut has the whole story.
Sources: iamexpat.ch, 27 July 2026, on Expat Insider 2026 (InterNations); Duden, Verein
Questions people ask
How do you make friends in Switzerland?
Join a Verein, a club, and keep showing up. Friendships grow slowly from regular contact.
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