How to Find a Girlfriend in Switzerland

Last Updated: April 11, 2022 References

Looking for love in the land of the Alps? You’re in luck. Even if you aren’t a native Swiss, there are still plenty of opportunities to find that special someone—as long as you know where to look. From physical meet-ups to dating sites, we’re here to walk you through the ins and outs of the Swiss dating scene, so you can hit it off with the girl of your dreams.

Section 1 of 4:

How do I meet girls in Switzerland?

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Hit up a local club or hobby class. Getting active in the Swiss social scene is one of the best ways to make some meaningful connections.^{[1]
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Research source} Keep your eyes peeled for group sign-up sheets, or hop on a website like Meetup to see what people are doing in your area. Joining a club is a great way to meet a girl with similar interests to yours!
- If you’re studying at a Swiss university, see what kinds of clubs and groups your college offers.^{[2]
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Join a hiking group. From the Swiss Grand Canyon in Versam to the Swiss National Park near Vernez, there’s no shortage of gorgeous outdoor scenery to explore.^{[3]
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Research source} Why not join a hiking group and explore Switzerland’s beautiful sights with some potential new friends? On your treks, you might strike up a conversation with a fellow female explorer.^{[4]
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- Facebook is a great place to find a potential hiking group.
- If you aren’t sure where to hike, check out sites like https://www.wanderungen.ch/ and https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/winter-en.html to help you pick out the perfect hiking trail.
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Look for volunteering opportunities. Check out what events and fundraisers are going on in your area. Whether it’s a weekend-long festival or a charity drive, any kind of volunteer work is a great way to make new potential connections, including romantic ones.^{[5]
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- Organizations like ICVolunteers and Swiss Volunteers can help set you up with volunteering gigs.^{[6]
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Ask your co-workers for help if you work in the country. Your native Swiss colleagues already have their own solid friend circles and could help you meet new people. Ask if they have any single friends or acquaintances; with any luck, you could score a date just by reaching out.^{[7]
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Section 2 of 4:

Best Dating Apps and Websites

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LoveScout24: LoveScout24 inspects the IP addresses of its new users upon sign-up, making sure that each new member is actually from Switzerland.^{[8]
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Research source} Beyond this special security feature, LoveScout24 operates like most other online dating services, giving you a chance to browse, match, and chat with other singles on the site. You can join LoveScout24 for free, or get extra features with a paid membership—some perks include getting an unlimited number of messages and removing all ads.^{[9]
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- Check out their website here: https://www.lovescout24.ch/
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Meetic: Meetic is a popular Swiss dating site that offers both free and paid account features through its service. You don’t need a premium account to sign up, check out other people’s profiles, and send digital “winks,” but you do need a paid profile to message matches. A premium account also lets you see who’s checking out your profile and sending you winks.^{[10]
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Research source} Just keep in mind that the Swiss version of this site operates in French!
- Here’s a link to their site: https://fr.meetic.ch/
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Parship: Parship takes its dating service to the next level by inviting new users to fill out an in-depth personality test. The site then uses your completed test to pair you with compatible matches.^{[11]
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Research source} Parship offers a free, basic membership, along with a paid premium membership that comes with extra features.^{[12]
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- Get started on Parship here: https://parship.ch
- The Swiss Parship site is in German.
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Tinder: This iconic dating and meet-up service is just as prevalent in Switzerland as it is in other Western countries. If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to meet up with Swiss women on the fly, Tinder’s got you covered.^{[13]
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Research source} Tinder is free to use and download, but you can unlock extra features with a Tinder Plus, Gold, or Platinum account.^{[14]
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- Tinder Plus removes ads and lets you “like” and “rewind” as much as you want. Tinder Gold unlocks extra features, like free boosts and Super Likes. Platinum membership gives you a chance to message other users before you match with them.

Section 3 of 4:

Swiss Dating Culture

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The dress code is casual, clean-cut, and comfortable. Swiss fashion is simplistic rather than flashy. You’re better off dressing in dark, neutral tones, like a clean-cut shirt and a nice pair of pants. People in Switzerland really care about the environment, so you can score some extra points by wearing environmentally-friendly fabrics like linen, bamboo, hemp, or alpaca wool.^{[15]
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- Swiss fashion isn’t all that different from other Western countries, especially in the younger generations.^{[16]
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The Swiss aren’t big on physical touch right off the bat. Plenty of Swiss women value their personal space, and won’t be in any rush to give you a hug or kiss on the cheek. A handshake is okay, though, especially when you’re meeting for the first time.^{[17]
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Punctuality is super important to Swiss people. Swiss society is well-known for its timeliness—the trains almost always arrive on schedule, and the people show up to their doctor appointments 15 minutes ahead of time. This isn’t to say that you have to head to your date early—but you definitely don’t want to keep her waiting, either.^{[18]
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Many couples split the check on their dates. It’s definitely okay to pay for her on your first date, but that’s not the standard in the long run. Swiss people are really big on equality, so don’t be surprised if your girlfriend offers to pay for her share of the date in the future.^{[19]
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Swiss people enjoy having time to themselves. Don’t rush into booking a second date, even if the first date goes really well. Swiss women like their alone time, and it’s not uncommon to go a couple of weeks without seeing her.^{[20]
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The Swiss don’t usually date multiple people at once. In places like America, it’s totally normal to date multiple people when you first enter the dating scene. The Swiss approach casual dating more monogamously, but you should be fine as long as you’re honest with your dates about what you’re up to. Just make sure all of your dates stay casual, and that nothing turns intimate while you’re meeting up with multiple people.^{[21]
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Section 4 of 4:

Tips for Dating a Swiss Girl

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Brush up on your German, Italian, or French. Switzerland lists German, French, Italian, and Romansh as its official languages, with German, French, and Italian being the most widespread. Even if your girlfriend speaks English fluently, everything else is going to be in a completely different language. Sign up for a language class or download a language-learning app; not only will it be easier to get around, but your girlfriend will be impressed with your dedication and know-how.^{[22]
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- Duolingo, MemRise, HelloTalk, busuu, and Babbel are all great online language-learning resources.^{[23]
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- The language you learn really depends on what part of Switzerland you’re visiting or living in. People in northern, central, and eastern Switzerland all speak German; citizens in eastern and southeastern Switzerland speak French; and members of southern Switzerland speak Italian.^{[24]
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- Romansh is Switzerland’s fourth official language, but less than 1% of Swiss people are fluent in it. Unless your girlfriend is from the canton of Graubünden, you don’t have to worry about learning it.^{[25]
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Schedule a date somewhere outside. Many Swiss women love to spend time outside, and a hike or other outdoor adventure could be the perfect locale for your first date.^{[26]
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Research source} If you aren’t quite ready for a trek to the mountains, stick with something a little more low-key. Here are a few beautiful places you could check out together, depending on where you live:
- Zurich: Lindenhof park
- Jungfrau Region: Hiking trails, aerial tram, and cliff walks
- Basel: Rhine river ferry ride
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Treat her to a classic Swiss dish on your date. Switzerland has a lot of different cultural influences, especially when it comes to food. Since the country is bordered by Germany, France, and Italy, it’s no surprise that a blend of German, French, and Italian cuisines is really common. ^{[27]
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Research source} You could really impress her by whipping up a well-known Swiss recipe, like:
- Papet Vaudois
- Polenta and braised beef
- Zurich-style diced veal
- Tartiflette^{[28]
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Take time to get to know her. While every person is different, Swiss people as a whole aren’t well-known for being bubbly and chatty from the get-go. As you start getting to know her, keep your questions casual, and try not to pry into her personal life. She’ll gradually share more about yourself as you get to know her better.^{[29]
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- Questions like “What’s your favorite thing to do in the city?” or “Watch any good movies lately?” are pretty safe to ask.
- Certain topics are off-limits in the beginning, like asking about her loved ones and career. As you go on more dates and spend more time with her, these topics are okay to bring up.
- Try not to overshare too much on your end, either! Swiss women don’t tend to like learning about their dates all at once.
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Prepare to wait before getting intimate. Research shows the average Swiss citizen waits a little longer before losing their virginity (compared to the average American). But as you and your girlfriend get closer and more comfortable with each other, all bets are off—according to the Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey, Swiss people have way more sex than the average global citizen.^{[30]
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Stay open-minded about your long-term relationship. Marriage definitely isn’t out of the question if you’re dating a Swiss woman, but statistically speaking, you might have to wait a while. The average Swiss citizen doesn’t get married until their very late 20s or early 30s.^{[31]
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Research source} The Swiss aren’t that hung up on marriage anyway—Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office has reported fewer Swiss marriages with each passing year.^{[32]
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Research source} So, your GF might be more interested in a long-term partnership than anything official.
- If you’ve got your sights set on marriage, you may be in luck—each year, over ⅓ of Swiss marriages involve tying the knot with someone from a different country.^{[33]
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