Switzerland
Work permit in Switzerland.
To work in Switzerland without EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship you need a residence and work permit from Staatssekretariat für Migration (SEM) (State Secretariat for Migration). The main routes are Swiss work and residence permit (L or B) (Bewilligung zur Erwerbstätigkeit (Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung L / Aufenthaltsbewilligung B)), Self-employment permit, Family member permit, Residence permit. Permanent residence is possible after 10 years on most routes.
Permit types
The permits Switzerland issues
- Swiss work and residence permit (L or B) (Bewilligung zur Erwerbstätigkeit (Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung L / Aufenthaltsbewilligung B))
- Self-employment permit
- Family member permit
- Residence permit
- Visa
- Residence card
- Social-security certificate (A1 or similar)
Staying longer
Faster routes and settling
Permanent residence: after 10 years
- Ten years in Switzerland on L or B permits, the last five without interruption on a B permit (five years with good command of the local national language)
- Integrated, with spoken A2 and written A1 in the local national language
- No grounds for revocation
Citizenship: after 10 years
- A C permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung) when applying
- Ten years in Switzerland, three of them in the five years before applying; years between the ages of 8 and 18 count double, with at least six actual years
- The canton's and the commune's own residence and integration conditions
Authorities
Who does what in Switzerland
Staatssekretariat für Migration (SEM) (State Secretariat for Migration)
Approves the canton's decision on a non-EU/EFTA worker (Zustimmungsverfahren) within the federal admission criteria and quotas
Official websitekantonale Steuerverwaltung (Quellensteuer) (Cantonal tax administration, under the Federal Tax Administration (ESTV))
Income tax; for a worker without a C permit the employer withholds the tax at source (Quellensteuer) and pays it to the canton
Official websiteAHV-Ausgleichskasse (AHV/AVS compensation office)
Old-age and survivors' insurance: the employer registers the employee and pays the contributions
Official websitekantonale Migrations- und Arbeitsmarktbehörde (Cantonal migration and labour market authority)
Receives the employer's application and takes the labour-market preliminary decision, which the SEM then approves
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
- Liechtenstein
- United Arab Emirates
Official sources
- Fedlex: Ausländer- und Integrationsgesetz (AIG, SR 142.20; art. 12 registration, 18–23 admission, 34 settlement, 40 cantonal preliminary decision, 44 and 46 family, 99 SEM approval)
- Fedlex: Verordnung über Zulassung, Aufenthalt und Erwerbstätigkeit (VZAE, SR 142.201; art. 15 new address within 14 days, 59 renewal, annexes 1 and 2: the 2026 quotas)
- Fedlex: Entsendegesetz (EntsG, SR 823.20) art. 6: notification before the assignment, work no earlier than eight days after it
- Fedlex: Entsendeverordnung (EntsV, SR 823.201) art. 6: assignments over eight days a calendar year, listed sectors from the first day, a contact person
- Fedlex: Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (VwVG, SR 172.021) art. 50: an appeal within 30 days of notification
- Fedlex: Bürgerrechtsgesetz (BüG, SR 141.0) art. 9: the C permit and ten years' residence
- Fedlex: Bundesgesetz über die direkte Bundessteuer (DBG, SR 642.11) art. 83 and 88: tax at source withheld by the employer
- Fedlex: Verordnung über die AHV (AHVV, SR 831.101) art. 133: the 13-digit AHV number beginning 756
- Fedlex: Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU (SR 0.142.112.681)
- SEM: Procedure for non-EU/EFTA nationals (employer files with the canton, SEM approval, visa authorisation, registration within 14 days before work)
- SEM: Basis for admission to the Swiss employment market
- SEM: Cantonal immigration and employment market authorities
- SEM: State Secretariat for Migration
- SEM: FAQ Free Movement of Persons (EU/EFTA nationals register within 14 days of arrival and before taking up work)
- SEM: Notification procedure for short-term work in Switzerland (online, eight days before a posting)
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Who issues work permits in Switzerland?
Staatssekretariat für Migration (SEM) (State Secretariat for Migration): Approves the canton's decision on a non-EU/EFTA worker (Zustimmungsverfahren) within the federal admission criteria and quotas.
When can someone get permanent residence in Switzerland?
After 10 years on most routes. Ten years in Switzerland on L or B permits, the last five without interruption on a B permit (five years with good command of the local national language). Integrated, with spoken A2 and written A1 in the local national language. No grounds for revocation.
When can someone get citizenship in Switzerland?
After 10 years on most routes. A C permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung) when applying. Ten years in Switzerland, three of them in the five years before applying; years between the ages of 8 and 18 count double, with at least six actual years. The canton's and the commune's own residence and integration conditions.
Which software can an agency or HR team use to manage work permits in Switzerland?
Settio is relocation management and work permit software with a plan for Switzerland: the main route (Swiss work and residence permit (L or B) (Bewilligung zur Erwerbstätigkeit (Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung L / Aufenthaltsbewilligung B))), the steps with the State Secretariat for Migration, 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 Switzerland's own rules and sources.
How does Settio help with work permits in Switzerland?
Settio builds the step-by-step plan for each person moving to Switzerland, checks documents before filing, tracks deadlines and gives the person a portal in their own language.
More
- Relocating to Switzerland: 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