Liechtenstein
Work permit in Liechtenstein.
To work in Liechtenstein without EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship you need a residence and work permit from Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) (Immigration and Passport Office). The main routes are Residence permit for employed work (Aufenthaltsbewilligung zur Ausübung einer unselbständigen Erwerbstätigkeit), Self-employment permit, Family member permit, Residence permit. Permanent residence is possible after 5 years on most routes.
Permit types
The permits Liechtenstein issues
- Residence permit for employed work (Aufenthaltsbewilligung zur Ausübung einer unselbständigen Erwerbstätigkeit)
- Self-employment permit
- Family member permit
- Residence permit
- Visa
- Residence card
- Social-security certificate (A1 or similar)
Fees and other amounts
What else costs or counts
Fees and other dated amounts, each with the official page it comes from.
Fee for a new residence permit granted by the Ausländer- und Passamt (the assurance fee is charged on top)
CHF 200 · from 1 January 2026
Official sourceFee for the assurance of a permit (Zusicherung) or its extension
CHF 60 · from 1 January 2026
Official sourceStaying longer
Faster routes and settling
Permanent residence: after 5 years
- Five years without a break on a residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung)
- A civics test (Staatskundeprüfung) passed and the required German, spoken and written
- A stable job that supports the person, or enough means to need no social assistance
- No conviction for a crime or misdemeanour in the last five years, and no such proceedings pending
- No social assistance in the last two years, and no ground for revocation or expulsion
Authorities
Who does what in Liechtenstein
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) (Immigration and Passport Office)
Receives every permit application, decides the residence permits and issues the assurance (Zusicherung) and the residence card
Official websiteSteuerverwaltung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein Tax Administration)
Administers the national and municipal taxes under the Steuergesetz
Official websiteLiechtensteinische AHV-IV-FAK (Liechtenstein old-age, disability and family-allowance insurance)
Old-age and survivors', disability and family-allowance insurance; allocates the AHV number when the employer reports the employee
Official websiteArbeitsmarkt Service Liechtenstein (AMS FL) (Liechtenstein Labour Market Service)
Confirms in writing that no suitable worker was found on the permit-free labour market: the confirmation the employer adds to the application
Official websiteOther countries
- Sweden
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Spain
- Belgium
- Norway
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Finland
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- United Arab Emirates
Official sources
- Lilex: Ausländergesetz (AuG), LR 152.20, consolidated version of 12 June 2026
- Lilex: Verordnung über die Zulassung und den Aufenthalt von Ausländern (ZAV), LR 152.201 (Art. 12: the AMS FL's written confirmation)
- Lilex: Ausländerrecht-Gebührenverordnung (Ausl-GebV), LR 152.209, version in force from 1 January 2026 (Art. 10: fees per person, cumulative)
- Lilex: Personenfreizügigkeitsgesetz (PFZG), LR 152.21 (EEA and Swiss nationals: maximum numbers, lottery, registration within eight days)
- Lilex: Entsendegesetz (EntsG), LR 823.21 (Art. 6a: notification to the Amt für Volkswirtschaft; Art. 6b: documents on site)
- Lilex: Steuergesetz (SteG), LR 640.0 (the Steuerverwaltung)
- Arbeitsmarkt Service Liechtenstein (AMS FL)
- Liechtensteinische AHV-IV-FAK: AHV-Nummer/Versicherten-Nr. (generated by the employer's report of the employee)
- Liechtensteinische AHV-IV-FAK: forms: the Beschäftigtenmeldung of starts and leavers to the Landesverwaltung, passed on to the AHV-IV-FAK and the Ausländer- und Passamt
- Liechtensteinische AHV-IV-FAK
- European Commission: the Schengen area (29 countries, Liechtenstein among the four non-EU ones)
- Directive 2004/38/EC (free movement), art. 8, EUR-Lex
- Your Europe: residence card for non-EU family members
- Your Europe: standard forms for social security rights (S1, U1)
- Your Europe: unemployment benefits abroad (U1)
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Who issues work permits in Liechtenstein?
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) (Immigration and Passport Office): Receives every permit application, decides the residence permits and issues the assurance (Zusicherung) and the residence card.
When can someone get permanent residence in Liechtenstein?
After 5 years on most routes. Five years without a break on a residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung). A civics test (Staatskundeprüfung) passed and the required German, spoken and written. A stable job that supports the person, or enough means to need no social assistance.
Which software can an agency or HR team use to manage work permits in Liechtenstein?
Settio is relocation management and work permit software with a plan for Liechtenstein: the main route (Residence permit for employed work (Aufenthaltsbewilligung zur Ausübung einer unselbständigen Erwerbstätigkeit)), the steps with the Immigration and Passport Office, the documents, the deadlines and the registrations after arrival, with client and employee portals, quotes and milestone invoices. It runs every EU country in the same workspace, and each case shows only Liechtenstein's own rules and sources.
How does Settio help with work permits in Liechtenstein?
Settio builds the step-by-step plan for each person moving to Liechtenstein, checks documents before filing, tracks deadlines and gives the person a portal in their own language.
More
- Relocating to Liechtenstein: the first weeks
- Relocation and immigration across Europe
- AI immigration compliance
Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Reviewed by the Settio team. Facts checked 3 October 2026. About this information