Singapore VS Switzerland - Which is Best? (Taxes, Passport, Banking, Costs, Lifestyle, etc)

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Here in Offshore Citizen, we LOVE comparing countries!
Some of our subscribers asked us to compare Switzerland and Singapore, as two allegedly best countries in the world!
When it comes to quality of life these two places score incredibly high on all the lists! When we talk to people many of them put either Switzerland or Singapore as their preferred country where they'd ideally like to relocate.
So which one is better?
We will talk about all the things that you need to know - immigration, citizenship (passport), banking, taxes, lifestyle, costs of living, and more!
If you're interested in either Switzerland or Singapore you're at the right place!
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We are Offshore Citizen team. We help people become global: get a second passport, set up a second residency, pay less taxes, do banking abroad, etc.
We have lots of interesting articles on different topics, we have relevant information up to date.
Author: Michael Rosmer
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Пікірлер: 115

  • @alese7531
    @alese7531 Жыл бұрын

    For years my dream was to move to Switzerland, but recently I moved to SG and no regrets so far :)

  • @roysnabilie8345

    @roysnabilie8345

    Жыл бұрын

    I can't wait to move there too but I hear it is not easy to immigrate there . For retirees is impossible even with wealthy budget.

  • @TT-kp5tp

    @TT-kp5tp

    Жыл бұрын

    Are you serious? Singapore will do your head in, give it time. It is that dull.

  • @rjjrjehehew

    @rjjrjehehew

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@roysnabilie8345 and that is a good thing, not anyone can just come in

  • @user-fb7rf4kr5k

    @user-fb7rf4kr5k

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TT-kp5tp Singapore is great!

  • @VeriteLexicon
    @VeriteLexicon Жыл бұрын

    Switzerland 🇨🇭 is way much better than Singapore but both are great places. I will choose both.

  • @Hop754

    @Hop754

    2 ай бұрын

    Certainly not. Swiss are xenophobic douchebags, swiss banks are pure incompetent thieves, tax are awful and absolutely not what your read everywhere as close to 0% (what they do not tell you is you will be requalified as professional investor as soon as you make 7 figures...). After 4 years in Geneva, I am SO HAPPY TO LEAVE this shitty country and never come back !

  • @GrossGeneralization
    @GrossGeneralization Жыл бұрын

    A few things to add to the list: 1) Language - you can get by with english in CH but you'll need to learn the local language for permanent residency & citizenship. 2) There are military service requirements in SG & CH, but different nuances make CH more flexible and you might even learn something useful. 3) In CH there are a lot of things that are not "taxes" but they add up anyway; think pension & unemployment schemes.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    All good insights, thanks! What would you choose, overall?

  • @90taetaeya
    @90taetaeya3 ай бұрын

    Switzerland is too strict. I just watched the youtube documentary Switzerland’s Strict Society, it’s crazy!

  • @ramimjb3215
    @ramimjb3215 Жыл бұрын

    I am a professor and I lived 7 years in Singapore and I live now in Switzerland. I am a Tunisian & French citizen. Singapore beats Switzerland in the following areas: taxes, bureaucracy, life expenses, real estate opportunities, banking system, safety. Switzerland beats Singapore in the followings: nature, climate, food quality, residency permits length, individual freedoms. I have left Singapore after they imposed 3 jabs on all foreigners. I remained vax free and left with my family.

  • @simroysten7963

    @simroysten7963

    Жыл бұрын

    The farma in the arm is what the leaders will live to regret.

  • @bismillahaa

    @bismillahaa

    9 ай бұрын

    Hi I'm Tunisian too and living in Italy , i started my own company online and I'm thinking to move to Switzerland! Any advice??

  • @Ersanba

    @Ersanba

    7 ай бұрын

    Oic.. you are anti-vaxxer..

  • @KevinBanks512
    @KevinBanks512 Жыл бұрын

    At 11:55 you mentioned CFC rules in Switzerland, but I thought there were none. Can you explicit a little bit? Thanks for the great content as usual!

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes that's true, however it's only true assuming they don't determine the foreign entity was established to avoid taxes then they have rules to include the income in Swiss taxes.

  • @RomilCPatel
    @RomilCPatel Жыл бұрын

    You should make a video going over all the visa options to move to Singapore along with how to get PR and citizenship there.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Good suggestion thanks!

  • @markuswunsch
    @markuswunsch Жыл бұрын

    10:08 exactly my point of view as well - I don't mind paying my fair share but I want my money's worth! Plus do not to forget that Singapore also plans to introduce a wealth tax. The Swiss passport is probably really one of the best overall but it takes 10 years (whereas in SG it takes just 2) until you can naturalize so that's an important factor to consider in these dynamic times especially when other high-tax countries are already thinking about citizenship-based taxation. Switzerland plus Grenada citizenship (one of the few passports with visa-free access to China) is a killer combo nicely complemented by some PRs. SG is a great hub for family offices and business in general. I went with a Swiss foundation, a CI trust and SG holding / family office.

  • @johnrhodes2367
    @johnrhodes2367 Жыл бұрын

    I’ve always thought banking in Singapore, and living in Thailand would be the dream for me.

  • @vaniapetlane8391
    @vaniapetlane8391 Жыл бұрын

    Oh dear this has always been one of my conundrums. I completely love Singapore, down to the humidity. But I also value freedom of expression, and a little bit of chaos, which I don't think both countries have by the way. Both countries are very organised, almost at the centre of everything. Id stick to Singapore as I was the happiest, and loved the food and the people. I just wish the kids played more.

  • @dexterspeights3484
    @dexterspeights3484 Жыл бұрын

    Singapore + UAE are taxation friendly countries compared to the US which has draconian tax laws for citizens and green card holders.

  • @cryptonite1957
    @cryptonite1957 Жыл бұрын

    How about if you go to Singapore and live for one year and pay 0% from your capital gains, and then move the money out of the country? Does it have an exit tax?

  • @thedcrypted
    @thedcrypted Жыл бұрын

    Switzerland is definitely more my type of climate. Taxes are high but I’ll take the lifestyle in CH. Singapore is my favorite city though so maybe a house in Zug and a condo in Singapore? Who knows but those are two great places. In my opinion Dubai pairs better with Switzerland for weather.

  • @JDushime

    @JDushime

    Жыл бұрын

    A house in Zug???? Good luck finding a nice house there + the real estate price in this canton is off the charts + you won’t handle all the property taxes you need to pay in CH

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    What time of year do you like being in Singapore for weather?

  • @GrahamWinship
    @GrahamWinship Жыл бұрын

    Haven’t seen you in this location in a while

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah this is Bulgaria and I don't spend much time there these days

  • @Charcmode
    @Charcmode Жыл бұрын

    Can you do an offshore African comparison at some stage? If it’s even an option, negatives and positives.

  • @RomilCPatel

    @RomilCPatel

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes; I’d be interested to hear about up and coming countries in Africa like Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Mauritius, Botswana etc.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    I've done a bit about Mauritius in the past but will see about others

  • @Charcmode

    @Charcmode

    Жыл бұрын

    @@OffshoreCitizen thanks, looking forward to it. I know a few people I can share it with who are very interested in the Africa scene.

  • @bradgrasl3483
    @bradgrasl3483 Жыл бұрын

    Great video, as usual. Would you mind doing a video on the lump sum system in Switzerland at some point?

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Sure will do

  • @RomilCPatel
    @RomilCPatel Жыл бұрын

    A big downside of Singapore is leasehold land and insanely low rental yields(around 2%); this means that the vast majority of people will likely just rent as the opportunity cost to buy is too much, especially if you’re going to lose it in 99 years.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    That's true though appreciation over some periods has been quite high. I'm not sure renting is a huge downside though and if you can get very low interest mortgages that can also compensate for the opportunity cost.

  • @sprezzatura8755
    @sprezzatura8755 Жыл бұрын

    I love Switzerland never been to Singapore but hope to. But what about Kuala Lumpur? I think Switzerland has a flat tax for entrepreneurs.

  • @thefrenchgermantrader7220
    @thefrenchgermantrader7220 Жыл бұрын

    There is also the cultural and geographical aspect. And appetite or not to invest in Asia

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    What would be your choice?

  • @avrinrose5457
    @avrinrose54575 ай бұрын

    In my fictional world, both countries are great

  • @EGO0808
    @EGO0808 Жыл бұрын

    Well explained as allways, spot on. One thing that me laugh: Cosmopolitan Singapore… Singapore to me is everything BUT cosmopolitan. And that exactly kills the big city feel you would have in other metropoles. And as you mentioned, the Singapore passport may be strong when traveling, but no dual citizenship allowed. That is a major drawback imho.

  • @thor4379
    @thor4379 Жыл бұрын

    You mentioned that the tax rate in switzerland is higher than compared to singapore. Is this also true for holding companies? Using the participation excemption a swiss company can be excempt from dividend and capital gains income. Wouldn't that result in an effective tax rate very close to 0 % (plus equity tax and some othrt minor taxes). I would love to hear from you thoughts and experience.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Singapore is far better for this let's go through 1. Switzerland is more expensive to set up and maintain a company 2. Switzerland requires a 1 year holding time for the capital gains exemption 3. Switzerland requires a minimum shareholding for the dividend exemption 4. Switzerland has withholding tax of 35% that you need to reduce under a tax treaty Compare to Singapore 1. Cheaper and easier to set up and maintain 2. No holding period for capital gains exemption so long as it's not considered active business 3. No minimum shareholding for dividend exemption, granted here there are some jurisdiction limitations & tax treaties could matter 4. No withholding taxes

  • @thor4379

    @thor4379

    Жыл бұрын

    @@OffshoreCitizen Thank you for your insights 😄

  • @hendrixansel9750
    @hendrixansel9750 Жыл бұрын

    Can you make a video on the difference between Schengen Area and freedom of movement right as being EU citizen ?

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    I've made some videos on those things you can do a search on the channel

  • @GleeSmee
    @GleeSmee Жыл бұрын

    Singapore being so dense, with mostly apartment dwellers living in small apartments and relying on public mass transit, would have made it a hellhole during Covid lockdowns, which the government there seemed pretty keen on. Switzerland seemed to be more reasonable in that regard.

  • @raymondloke

    @raymondloke

    Жыл бұрын

    No more lockdowns after more than 90% vaccination rate

  • @Theodora937
    @Theodora937 Жыл бұрын

    how expensive is expensive for about a month when living normally?

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Totally depends how you want to live the spectrum can be huge though both are generally expensive

  • @annmcgowan8417
    @annmcgowan8417 Жыл бұрын

    From my understanding they don't give you a passport in Switzerland, they lend it to you. If you are not in Switzerland during a 4 year period, they take it back.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    No this isn't accurate You can lose it if you're a dual citizen but this is extremely rare and generally from some particular behavior

  • @maxmaxi7236
    @maxmaxi7236 Жыл бұрын

    Also CH does not have capital gain taxes! So kind of strange you point it out explicitly for SG.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    It depends, generally immovable real property is subject to capital gains tax at the level of the canton

  • @Hop754

    @Hop754

    2 ай бұрын

    WRONG. COMPLETELY WRONG. Do not believe everything youtubers say while theyr never experienced what they are talking about. You will be requalified as pro nvestor, therefore your capital gain requalified as income, the second you'll declare a 7 figures capital gain the same year. And the tax office has no explanation to provide for its decision. SWISS = NIGHTMARE.

  • @liesus720
    @liesus7204 ай бұрын

    FYI 26 cantons in CH

  • @georgeho8997
    @georgeho8997 Жыл бұрын

    Singapore has come a long way to be able to compare with Switzerland. Switzerland has almost everything it needs to be a heavenly country, and SG is devoid of almost everything.

  • @simroysten7963

    @simroysten7963

    Жыл бұрын

    Switzerland is deep state country on the way down like the rest of EU.

  • @anonymous6594

    @anonymous6594

    Жыл бұрын

    Please elaborate meaning devoid of anything?

  • @sprezzatura8755

    @sprezzatura8755

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@anonymous6594 I think he is saying that Switzerland has a lot of culture and various climates right at your fingertips. From Switzerland you can be in five countries within a couple of hours. There are mountains, there is the sea, art, music you name it.

  • @mjmf1430

    @mjmf1430

    8 ай бұрын

    Granted that no country in the world have everything, if Singapore is "devoid of anything", then it wouldn’t be widely acknowledged to be the Switzerland of the East and amongst the best cities of Asia from many measures, no?

  • @mjmf1430

    @mjmf1430

    8 ай бұрын

    @@sprezzatura8755Singapore has many cultures, music, the arts, the seas, fruits, food and islands and more, these are different from what Switzerland is offering, that alone does not mean Singapore has less culture, music or the arts or has less to offer than Switzerland.

  • @peaceonearth8693
    @peaceonearth8693 Жыл бұрын

    Which country someday in the future has less chance of experiencing nuclear fallout? Seems like that would be Singapore.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Argentina 😜

  • @avrinrose5457
    @avrinrose54575 ай бұрын

    In my fictional world, Malaysia surpasses Singapore in every area because they have Boboiboy and Ejen Ali

  • @stormbear7330
    @stormbear7330 Жыл бұрын

    you have a bad reflux problem.. get you digestion system checked.

  • @RomilCPatel
    @RomilCPatel Жыл бұрын

    Are you back in Bulgaria? (Based off the background it’s definitely not Dubai)

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes, but for a few days only

  • @ronaldhee6608
    @ronaldhee6608 Жыл бұрын

    Lovely video! I think one more aspect to consider is how open the countries are to foreigners. CH as I understand is largely white, and has had issues with migrants in the past decade and their assimilation. Singapore is a nation of immigrants and continues to take it people every year, subject to the existing racial quota. While yes, racist, this policy has also made it quite easy for many to feel right at home - Europeans/Americans/Aussies, Chinese/overseas Chinese, Indians/overseas Indians, and Malays from across SEA. This applies to language as well. The official languages are English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay. All four have hundreds of million of speakers across the globe. Not that many speak Swiss, French or German.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    That's an interesting point of view. Thank you for sharing your insights. What would be the ideal country to live in, in your case?

  • @ronaldhee6608

    @ronaldhee6608

    Жыл бұрын

    Between the two? Singapore. Won't have to learn another language. Won't have any fear of prejudice, if not now, then at some point in the future.

  • @207history2011
    @207history2011 Жыл бұрын

    I felt that Swiss are more rigid and not flexible.

  • @BobSmith-br7hk
    @BobSmith-br7hk Жыл бұрын

    Two words… Asian girls 👯‍♀️

  • @ashtonal

    @ashtonal

    Жыл бұрын

    1 word: snooooooooowwwwwww

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    🤣🤣🤣

  • @joannabusinessaccount7293

    @joannabusinessaccount7293

    Жыл бұрын

    One word: Swiss guys.

  • @bell-xk5dd
    @bell-xk5dd Жыл бұрын

    Singapore 🇸🇬 is best 😂

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    What makes you think so? :D

  • @bell-xk5dd

    @bell-xk5dd

    Жыл бұрын

    @@OffshoreCitizen Because I am a Singaporean 🤣

  • @bell-xk5dd

    @bell-xk5dd

    Жыл бұрын

    @@OffshoreCitizen Some would say Singapore is Switzerland of the east. So maybe Switzerland is Singapore of Europe? 🤔

  • @Helpmefindaverylongusernamepls

    @Helpmefindaverylongusernamepls

    Жыл бұрын

    is it tho?

  • @Helpmefindaverylongusernamepls

    @Helpmefindaverylongusernamepls

    Жыл бұрын

    hmmmmm

  • @YellowWhiteEye
    @YellowWhiteEye Жыл бұрын

    Good comparison, but the most important question is: What does the future of these countries look like? CH is doomed, because it is surrounded by EU-countries and the EU is continuously and successfully blackmailing CH to adopt their „values“, which are deeply rooted in marxism. SG is beyond its zenith: They are business-friendly, but only if you bring along 10 million US$ at least. Come with less and you are shunned (my experience). This cuts off startups that are not backed by venture capital, especially in the crucial IT sector. I did a due diligence last year on places to move, which also included CH and SG, but I now ended up in Hungary. Compare HU to CH and SG, and you will also find pros and cons in every category. But HU has constantly improved and has a government that boldly supports businesses. Income tax is low (9% corporate, 15% personal) and cost of living is much cheaper than CH and SG. HU (and all of Eastern Europe) have been somewhat in the shadows of South-East Asia, but their economic performance was great - and my opinion is that they have a better future outlook than SG and certainly CH.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad you're liking Hungary! They are definitely different. A flip side of Singapore not mentioned if you're in IT is access to capital is much better in Singapore than Hungary. Hungary unfortunately carries with it a bunch of jurisdictional stigma to global investors. I'd be inclined to have a subsidiary there or similar areas but not base the main company there. As for living I can certainly see why you'd pick it. Are you living in Budapest?

  • @YellowWhiteEye

    @YellowWhiteEye

    Жыл бұрын

    @@OffshoreCitizen Yes, I am in Budapest. This city has a stunning beautiful heritage. But my company is not registered here. You are right that there are better places where to incorporate.

  • @guyfawkes2105

    @guyfawkes2105

    Жыл бұрын

    @@YellowWhiteEye But Hungary is also surrounded by marxist EU and event part of the EU. Switzerland has a good VC market, lots of rich people willing to be Venture Angels. It also attracts the best and brightest from around the world. Its also small enough to solve the demographic crunch over the next decades because they only need to find 10-20k of young professionals per year to move there. Other big countries will have much bigger problems with that. For me the big downside of Switzerland is that its kinda boring for young people, it doesn't feel metropolitan.

  • @YellowWhiteEye

    @YellowWhiteEye

    Жыл бұрын

    @@guyfawkes2105 IMHO the situation in Eastern Europe is not comparable to Western Europe. The weaker of the eastern countries bow to Brussels because they get the EU money. But the memories from Sowjet rule are too fresh here to allow for a colossal shift to marxism. I lived in Zurich before I came to Budapest and I can tell you that the situation there is not different to Paris or Frankfurt - maybe just not that bad as in Berlin. Switzerland has an old image or „brand“ of the „old“ Switzerland that you partly described, but that does no longer represent the reality. One should not mistake the fact that a place is expensive as a sign that it is thriving. Switzerland/Zurich is more behind its zenith than Singapore is. But the high price levels are lagging far behind, because decay starts slowly, and will stagnate and then fall 10-15 years onward. As I wrote in my original comment: You need to consider the future outlook of a place. I would not invest in Zurich.

  • @Hop754
    @Hop7542 ай бұрын

    STOP PRETENDING THERE ISNO CAPITAL GAINS IN SWITZERLAND: you will be requalified immediatly when reaching 7 figures, and your capital gains requalified as income.

  • @matthewlaw5107
    @matthewlaw5107 Жыл бұрын

    Singapore.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    What makes you choose Singapore?

  • @matthewlaw5107

    @matthewlaw5107

    Жыл бұрын

    @@OffshoreCitizen better on taxation. More happening in the city. Close to great locations like Bali. Still good flights to europe. Asia on the up, Europe in decline.

  • @matthewlaw5107

    @matthewlaw5107

    Жыл бұрын

    Also thanks for replying and your contribution to a better, freer world.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @simroysten7963
    @simroysten7963 Жыл бұрын

    Go to where the next century is gonna be.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    What's your prediction for the next century?

  • @amostofi1999
    @amostofi1999 Жыл бұрын

    You forgot language, locals being open to foreigners, racial bias, etc. You need to pay more attention to the human and social aspects of immigration.

  • @JamesBondEsq.

    @JamesBondEsq.

    Жыл бұрын

    "Amen!" At the end of the day, it's all about human relationships.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    That's fair but I also find it's quite personal. I've been surprised for example to hear from friends a range of different responses to race in Netherlands. A lot of this I think comes down to who you're interacting with and how you're interacting with them.

  • @TT-kp5tp
    @TT-kp5tp Жыл бұрын

    I live in Singapore (past 4 years). It is a hellhole. The climate is oppressive/brutal, and getting worse with global warming. Heat island effect from all the concrete, place never cools down overnight. The people are super boring, dull, lifeless. Live to work, hampster wheels, always look super stressed, beaten down, rarely smile. The place is plastic and fake, soulless. Shopping mall after shopping, same shit different stickers. The beaches have been trashed. Layers of plastic and crap everywhere. Yes, it was a nightmare during covid. People are also very calculating (greedy/money grubbing), lack basic common sense, follow rules to the point they become an ass.

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your experience. What are your long-term goals? Anywhere you're going to relocate to?

  • @annb2818

    @annb2818

    Жыл бұрын

    Yet you’re still there reaping the benefits. Have you tried immersing yourself in the culture and getting to know the locals?No doubt it has it issues. Climate change… drought, fires in US… it’s in the 80s/high 20s now in October when it’s supposed to be cooler here in the NW US. Spent time in the French Riviera over the summer. Had not rained all year, and it never cooled off in the evenings even with the Mediterranean right there.

  • @lijianfa5070

    @lijianfa5070

    Жыл бұрын

    and you stayed for 4 years....money grubbing?

  • @mrk4818

    @mrk4818

    Жыл бұрын

    So funny. Lived for 4 years and……

  • @qyu...976

    @qyu...976

    Жыл бұрын

    @@annb2818 😂😂😂😂

  • @LimbovitschHaim4Mir
    @LimbovitschHaim4Mir7 ай бұрын

    to compare Swiss vs Singapore it is like to compare diск vs finger !

  • @OffshoreCitizen

    @OffshoreCitizen

    7 ай бұрын

    Which is which?