Travelling or living in Singapore and Switzerland bring totally different experiences. They are continents apart, literally. The most obvious difference is their climate. Located in Europe, Switzerland has a cool climate with four seasons while Singapore, located near the equator in Southeast Asia, has a hot tropical climate. While Switzerland is loved for its chocolates and fondues, luxury watches, and gorgeous sceneries, Singapore is loved for its variety of cheap Asian food, efficiency in processes, and modern architecture.
However, There are definitely some similarities between these two countries. Singapore and Switzerland are both known to be small, rich, and safe countries. In this article, we discuss deeper what other factors make Singapore and Switzerland similar.
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Politically Neutral
Switzerland is known for its neutral stance in politics and has been in this position since 1515. She has not participated in any wars since 1847, which was a civil war. This policy was self-imposed and designed to ensure external security and promote peace.
Singapore was colonised by the British for 144 years before surrendering to the Japanese during World War II. Singapore’s transition to become an independent nation was rife with uncertainty and chaos post the War. This made Singapore determined to be independent and maintain good diplomatic relations internationally.
The benefits of being politically neutral are obvious – low unemployment, low civic and social unrest, increase in foreign investments, allow global trade and business relations, thus more money available to spend on building the nation, thus leading to having a great economy, as can be seen in both countries.
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Financial Centres
Singapore and Switzerland are both economic powerhouses; both are financial centres in their respective regions in Europe and Southeast Asia. Both countries have tapped finance and offshore banking for their economic growth with different approaches via their framework, risk concentration, and strategy for getting top talent.
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Mandatory Military Service
There are mandatory military service for men in both countries.
In Singapore, boys aged 16.5 years old must register for National Service and will be scheduled for enlistment at the earliest opportunity upon reaching 18 years of age. For those who are pursuing full-time further studies such as GCE ‘A’ Level or Polytechnic Diploma studies (or equivalent) may defer their enlistment. However, further deferments for university studies are not granted. This means all National Service-liable men must be enlisted before they enrol or complete their university studies.
In Switzerland, men receive summons the year they turn 18. Similar to Singapore, Swiss men will have to undergo a recruitment process where a doctor will determine if they are fit to serve in the military. After which, they will go through basic training which lasts about 18 weeks. Deferment for school, job or for medical reasons is also allowed in Switzerland. However, those who fail to complete their basic training before 25 years old are discharged from the Armed Forces and are required to pay an exemption tax.
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Official Languages
Both countries are made up of multi ethnicities, thus both countries have 4 official languages each. Switzerland’s official languages are French, German, Italian, and Romansh while Singapore’s official languages are Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil.
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Clean Streets & Recycling
Both countries are known for their impeccably clean streets, however, both countries are one of the biggest waste producers in their region. With a relatively small population of 5.5 million and 8.7 million respectively, both Singapore and Switzerland are having a waste problem. In 2021, Singapore generated about 6.94 million tonnes of solid waste while Switzerland generated between 80 to 90 million tonnes. Both countries have ramped up efforts to reuse and recycle their waste in an effort to be sustainable long-term.
Expats choosing between Singapore and Switzerland
Both countries have high standards of living but both are attractive places for expats in the finance and environmental sustainability sector.
Recent trends show Singapore’s booming growth in the fintech and sustainability industries. There is an increase in the number of crypto-related, waste management, and urban farming businesses in Singapore. With the help of the government, these businesses are receiving tax rebates, grants, and capital funding to grow these sectors.
Business owners who would like to take advantage of Singapore’s growing financial and environmental sustainability sectors may set up their companies in Singapore. Contact Immigration@SG at +65 6493 1830 for more information.
