What languages are actually spoken in Graubünden?

All three of German, Italian and Romansh hold official cantonal status. A clear majority of residents speak German as their first language (mostly in Chur, the Rheintal and the wider central canton), a minority speaks Romansh (mostly in the Surselva, the Sutselva and the Lower Engadin), and another minority speaks Italian (in the four southern valleys: Mesolcina, Calanca, Bregaglia and Poschiavo). Communes choose their own official language(s), and several are bilingual or trilingual.

Is Romansh really a living language?

Yes — in a meaningful subset of communes in the Surselva and the Engadin, Romansh is a daily language of family life, primary schooling and local administration. It is a Swiss national language (since 1938) and one of the four official languages of the canton, even though only about 0.5% of the Swiss population speak it as a first language. The language has five main written varieties plus the standardised Rumantsch Grischun used for official cantonal texts.

Can I live year-round in St. Moritz or Davos?

Yes, but it's harder than newcomers expect. The Lex Weber rules cap new second-home construction in tourist communes, but the existing housing stock is dominated by second homes and seasonal lets, so the year-round rental market is thin and expensive. Davos has a more functional year-round economy (Kantonsspital Davos, the schools, the Davos Congress Centre and several federal research institutes) than St. Moritz, which is more seasonal.

Do I need German to live in Chur?

Yes — Chur and the wider Rheintal are German-speaking with a distinct Bündner dialect. The international tourism layer in the resorts uses English widely, but the cantonal administration, the Kantonsspital and the Einwohnerkontrolle assume German. In the Italian valleys you will need Italian; in the Romansh valleys, German plus a willingness to learn the local Romansh idiom.

Why is Chur called Switzerland's oldest town?

Archaeological evidence places continuous settlement on the site of Chur to at least the early Bronze Age — making it the oldest continuously inhabited town in Switzerland by most academic accounts. The old town's medieval and episcopal architecture, with the cathedral district above the main shopping streets, is a tangible remnant of that depth of history.

Graubünden relocation checklist

Chur • German / Romansh / Italian • Updated August 2026

Graubünden (French: Grisons, Italian: Grigioni, Romansh: Grischun) is Switzerland's largest canton by area and its only trilingual one — German, Italian and Romansh all hold cantonal official-language status. The capital is Chur, often described as Switzerland's oldest town. The canton is dominated geographically by the Alps and economically by alpine tourism (St. Moritz, Davos, Arosa, Lenzerheide, Flims-Laax), supplemented by the cantonal administration in Chur, agriculture in the lower valleys, and the global political-economy moment that is the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. The Romansh-speaking valleys — the Surselva, the Engadin, the Sutselva — preserve Switzerland's fourth national language; Italian-speaking valleys (Mesolcina, Calanca, Bregaglia, Poschiavo) are a Ticino-style enclave inside the canton.

Income tax (~CHF 100k)

21.0%

Rent 1BR

CHF 1’400

Health insurance

CHF 300/mo

Graubünden · free tool

See what you'd actually pay in tax in Graubünden

Tax calculator — pre-filled for Graubünden. No signup.

First 90 days in Graubünden

Build a rental dossier — Chur and the Rheintal are easier than the resort communes, where year-round rentals are scarce
Register at the Einwohnerkontrolle / Controllo abitanti / Controlla dals abitants of your commune within 14 days — the office language follows the commune
Apply for your permit at the Amt für Migration und Zivilrecht GR in Chur — the office handles all three language regions
Pick a KVG insurer within 3 months — GR is below the national average on premiums
Open a Swiss bank account — Graubündner Kantonalbank (GKB) is the local default and operates in all three cantonal languages
Get an Engadin Mobil, libero or Bündner regional abo, or a GA if you cross the canton regularly — the RhB is the backbone of cantonal transport
Above CHF 120k gross, file a regular GR tax return — the canton's e-filing is available in German, Italian and Romansh
If you have school-age kids, schools follow the language of the commune (Lehrplan 21 in German communes, Piano di studio in Italian communes, plan d'instrucziun in Romansh communes); choose housing accordingly

Pick your stage in Graubünden

Graubünden — Just arrived

Deadlines that start counting the day you land.

Graubünden — Moving soon

The weeks before your move — paperwork and housing.

Graubünden — Still planning

Permits, budget and canton choice before you commit.

Graubünden — With family

Schools, family reunification and partner work rights.

Graubünden — Self-employed

Company setup, AHV registration and VAT thresholds.

Graubünden — Student

Student permit, insurance exemptions and part-time work.

Taxes, housing and insurance in Graubünden

At an indicative gross salary of CHF 100,000 (single, no kids), the combined federal, cantonal and municipal income tax in Graubünden works out to roughly 21.0%. Switzerland's largest canton by area. Tax rates vary enormously between Chur and resort communes like Davos. Cantonal child deductions and family allowances apply on top of the federal allowance — for an exact figure for your household, use the official cantonal calculator linked above. Your real tax bill depends on the commune (each sets its own Steuerfuss / coefficient), your civil status, Pillar 3a contributions and any BVG buy-ins.

Graubünden's rental market splits dramatically by valley. In Chur and the Rheintal, vacancy has historically been comfortable by Swiss standards and rents track the cantonal averages shown above. In the international resorts (Davos, St. Moritz, Klosters, Arosa), year-round rentals are scarce and expensive — much of the housing stock is second homes or seasonal lets, and the Lex Weber restrictions on new second-home construction have not loosened the long-term rental market materially. The Italian-speaking valleys are the cheapest in the canton.

Adult standard premiums in canton Graubünden on the standard franchise are below the Swiss average. The canton runs as one premium region.

Graubünden · free tool

Calculate your net salary after Graubünden cantonal tax

Salary calculator — pre-filled for Graubünden. No signup.

Keep reading

Graubünden is set as your canton, so checklists and tools across HowToSwiss now use its rates.

First 90 days in Graubünden

Pick your stage in Graubünden

Taxes, housing and insurance in Graubünden

Keep reading

All 26 canton checklists