Thinking about moving to Switzerland as a UK Clinical Psychologist — advice welcome

Switzerland Knowledge Base
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Hi all,

I’m currently living in London and considering relocating to Switzerland. I have an EU passport, so I wouldn’t need a visa, but I’m aware there are still challenges with the job market and cost of living.

I only speak English fluently as I was born in the UK, and all my qualifications are from the UK. I’m a qualified Clinical Psychologist with a Master’s and a Doctorate from the UK. I’m unsure how (or if) it’s possible to convert my qualifications to be recognised in Switzerland. I’d be open to related roles in areas like social work, policy, or human rights if those are more accessible.

If you’ve made a similar move or are living in Switzerland, I’d really appreciate any advice:

  • How did you find the transition?
  • Any tips for job searching as a newcomer?
  • Are there roles in mental health where English is enough to start?
  • What’s the process for getting UK degrees recognised (if possible)?
  • Anything you wish you’d known before moving?

Thanks in advance!

2

You need, at least, one of the national languages preferably two, plus English.

3

Check the website of the Swiss red cross for the recognition and no, only english is not enough.

4

You are not going to get far if you don’t speak at least one of the national languages competently, have your qualifications recognised and ensure that your services are covered by the Swiss healthcare system.

It is not terribly difficult to find Swiss professionals who can provides services in English, so it is not as if there is a big slicpe of the market going unserviced.

5

You won’t even get your qualifications recognised without B2+ in a Swiss language.

6

There might be jobs at UN organizations that would be a fit, and your qualifications and language skills might be assessed differently than if you wanted to work in the Swiss sector.

As others have said, generally one can’t use the title psychologist here without having qualifications recognized. However, one can use the title of counsellor and there are some psychology-related jobs that wouldn’t necessarily need the qualifications recognized. Certain areas of Switzerland do have a need for more English-speaking therapists.

Here’s a link I found on Google about the qualifications for psychology and psychotherapy:

And here’s a handy search tool, linked from the Swiss Red Cross page, that lets you click through various professions to see whether or not you’d need your qualifications recognized. For example, you could be a “life coach” without having your qualifications recognized.

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7

That actually depends on where in Switzerland you live, it’s not that easy to find English around here.

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I thought about suggesting Geneva and the organisations but cutting staff is just about all the human resources departments are doing. With Trump and other UN members cutting funding there is litterally no chance of getting a UN professional job at the moment. Come back in four years, at least.

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