Applied for my residency / work permit, but as many threads tell me this will take a long time to arrive.
Issue I have is that my bank (UBS) wants the residency permit in order to give me a credit card/ online banking etc.
I went back to the kreisburo and got a receipt from them saying I have applied for residency however the bank won't except it and say that when I apply the kreisburo should have given me a form saying I am a resident...needless to say the buro know nothing of this and say they can't help until my permit has been approved.
So the question is, are the bank being deliberately difficult or am I asking the buro people for the wrong thing?
UBS handled me in exactly the same way. They require either a.) a residency permit or b.) a certain amount of money to open a bank account. And b.) does not give one the right to have either a credit or Maestro card. This is just from my own experience. I had to wait two to three months (i.e. when I received my residency permit) until I was able to apply for a Visa and Maestro / Eurocard at UBS.
BAH!!! barstewards I want my internet banking and credit card.
how long does it take to get my permit ???
:S
My e-banking never even worked properly -- I tried at least 15 times to pay for my health insurance. The payment would never go through. I've not tried to use it since.
It seems to take quite some time! I posted a thread about that earlier today -- I've been without one for two+ months again now! I was actually just rejected -- I need to get another signature.
Someone else remarked that it is entirely dependent upon the canton. In Aargau I'd say two to three months.
Edit: Oh... and I only have about two weeks to apply for a driver's license -- otherwise I have to take the bloody Swiss test! Crap. Without my permit I can't do it. I guess it was stupid of me to have expected them to be a bit quicker when it came to moving within the same canton than moving into the country the first time.
you need a Bestätigung from the office who will state that they will issue the permit. You're EU I assume (without going back through posts)? This statement should solve a lot of your problems.
You might still find it's a challenge to get credit card but e-banking should be ok and works a treat - download UBSPay from the UBS site and it's much better to use.
Last month I opened an account at the UBS at Geneva Airport. I got both a Maestro card and e-banking without either work permit or depositing any cash.
I do have to wait until work permit is through to collect the credit card though.
So far no problems and the staff at UBS are have been very helpful.
UBS/VISA/ Mastercard want to see a minimum of 6 months salary being paid into the account until they will entertain a credit card. Went through similar hassles when I first arrived.
As for e-banking, ask again, as I was issued with access & the silly machine as soon as I opened my account.
It does seem just like a Monty Python sketch, I remember the situation very well.
Who are you working for?
Assume you are a contractor through an agency?
If you are working for UBS through an agency get the agency to help directly.
If you are working for another bank, use them instead.
I went through identical hassles when I first arrived. Every book and website about working in Switzerland says bank account not a problem, take passport and walk in to bank and walk out with an account.. total BS.
Best advise is get your agency to do an intro after all how are you going to get paid?
Forget a credit card, you will 99% sure get turned down if you have an L permit, and just arrived, ask for an ATM/maestro card.
BTW no idea why most don't suggest it more go and open a Post Finance (Post Office) Yellow account. You will have it in about a week and can use it the same a bank account, pay bills, pay for shopping etc and costs are cheaper than the banks. They will start to hassle you for the permit after a month, just say delayed but they don't freeze the account and accepted the delay getting it. It has a linked saving and esaver account, full ebanking and you can send money home and pay bills electronically. I pay all my bills online with it.
My first permit took 4 1/2 months to arrive for a 6 month L permit and was back dated to the date I arrive so was valid for just 6 weeks! I was sent a renewal for a B permit this time just last week but I am leaving CH soon and going home where the rates are better, but I'll apply for the B permit even if I have to surrender it in the end so if I ever do come back I can say I have had one in the past so I hopefully will not have the same problems. Seems you have to close all the normal bank accounts when leaving too!
Regards,
Dom
Interesting.
When I picked up my maestro card a few weeks ago, they already had my credit card but they won't give it to me until they see my work permit and take a copy; theres been no mention being here for 6 months or anything...YET!
Ok I wrote and asked..
" Eine kurze Frage... ich möchte gern Krankenversicherung organsieren, jedoch muss ich eine Kopie von meiner Aufenthaltsbewilligung bei dem Antrag beilegen. Ist es möglich etwas schriftlich zu bekommen."
and they've told me no.
" Leider kann ich Ihnen das nicht bestätigen, das müsste das Migrationsamt machen."
Bugger.
O yeah and I'm EU.
And not a contractor, and don't work for a bank...and I showed them my rental agreement, work permit, passport. I have a cash card, but nowt else...if I yell loudly will that work?
ask for a Bestätigung rather than a copy. Bestätigung des Wohnsitzes or something like that...
I remember that bit of paper... the kries mob will charge you 20CHF for it. It is a confirmation of the permit application, and also states all your personal 'official' information, like DoB,address , marital status, address etc and it will have a nice official stamp on it. Let the bank copy it but keep the original. I used mine to also get a mobile phone from one of the phone shops, sent a copy to the post finance mob etc....
If they give you something without charge it probably isn't it. And it should say Wohnsitzbestaetitung on it.
Dom
Oh don't worry. The health insurance company will charge you from the date stated on your permit -- i.e. the date you entered the country! You don't need to purchase until the issue of your residency permit has been issued.
I got lucky and didn't have to pay at all in 2006 -- don't ask me how. It just happened. I was already insured in the US and kept pressing the case -- in the end it worked. I was not only able to skip the period of time during which my permit was being processed, but also 2+ months more. As you are beginning to see, everything in Switzerland is entirely dependent upon luck -- I don't see much consistency.
I think he was using that as an excuse to get a "copy" of his permit
Understood. Sorry for my slowness -- but you know me... I tend to be rather slow (being serious, not sarcastic). I read it the way that I did because back when I was applying for my first permit I became rather confused. The cantonal authorities demanded a health insurance company, etc., but the health insurance company demanded a permit (Bewilligung).
Similar but not identical experience...Was able to open the account with the letter saying that my application for residence had been accepted but credit card application only went through when I had actual permit in hand. Had to deposit 200CHF to open account...thought something like 10 CHF would have done..