Seasonal Work Guide · Switzerland
Working in Davos
Davos is Europe's highest city and a dual-purpose destination: a major ski resort and an international congress hub. This creates year-round hotel demand, including a notable spike during the World Economic Forum in January. The worker scene is lively but more mixed than pure ski resorts — guests range from conference delegates to families, which adds variety to the day-to-day experience.
At a glance
Country
Switzerland
Region
Graubünden
Altitude
1,560m
Year-round
Yes
Languages needed
Jobs available
In Davos, employers commonly hire for:
- Hotel reception
- Restaurant service
- Kitchen & cooking
- Housekeeping
- Mountain restaurant
- Ski instructor
- Congress / event staff
Employers in this area include: Davos Klosters Mountains (DKM) — lifts and on-mountain restaurants, Congress and conference hotels, Independent hotels and guesthouses, Ski schools.
View current listingsWhen to apply
Season
Best time to apply
Hiring follows predictable cycles. Apply August–October for winter roles. For summer, apply February–April. Start early — accommodation-included positions fill fastest.
Pay & wages in Switzerland
Wages are governed by the L-GAV (Landesgesamtarbeitsvertrag des Schweizer Gastgewerbes). All roles — kitchen, service, housekeeping, reception — fall under the same framework.
Entry level (no qualification)
CHF 3,713–3,943/month gross
Legal minimum
Trained / qualified
CHF 4,528–4,635/month gross
Legal minimum
These are legal minimums — actual wages are often higher, especially at premium resorts. Gross figures before deductions. Last verified: 2026-04-15. These are legal minimums. Resort employers in premium destinations frequently pay above minimum. Actual wages can be CHF 200–500/month higher, particularly in Zermatt and St. Moritz.
Accommodation
Staff housing (employer-provided)
CHF 300–600/month
Employer-provided staff housing is standard in Swiss alpine resorts, particularly in car-free villages (Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Verbier) where independent housing is near-impossible to find. Costs are typically deducted from salary and usually include utilities.
Private room (market rate)
CHF 800–1,800/month
Private room rental near Swiss alpine resorts is extremely competitive and expensive. CHF 800–1,200/month is possible in Grindelwald or Davos sharing a flat; Zermatt and St. Moritz typically reach CHF 1,200–1,800+ for a room in a shared flat. Many seasonal workers report private accommodation is near-impossible to find without pre-existing local contacts.
Source: Seasonaire forum reports; Swiss federal cost-of-living data (BFS). Last checked: 2026-04-15.
Browse accommodation listingsWork permits in Switzerland
EU / EEA / EFTA citizens
Switzerland is not an EU or EEA member state. EU and EFTA citizens (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) can start work immediately without prior authorisation, but notification obligations apply from day one: your employer must notify the cantonal migration authority before or on the first working day. For stays over 90 days, a residence permit is required — L permit (short-term, up to one year) for fixed-term contracts, B permit for longer stays. EU and EFTA nationals are covered by the bilateral Agreement on Free Movement of Persons (AFMP), not standard EU free movement rules.
Non-EU citizens
Switzerland has no general working holiday programme. Non-EU/EFTA citizens (including UK nationals, who are treated as third-country nationals) require an employer-sponsored work permit, subject to quotas. This is difficult to obtain for seasonal hospitality roles in practice. Bilateral "young professionals" agreements exist with a small number of countries but are quota-limited and primarily aimed at trained professionals, not entry-level hospitality.
Permit rules change frequently. The information above is a general guide only — always verify current requirements with the official government source before making any employment decisions.
Other destinations in Switzerland
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Browse jobs in DavosGuide last updated: 2026-04-15. Wage and permit data is for informational purposes only — always verify with official sources before making employment decisions.