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WORK PERMITS

Is a job offer enough to work in Switzerland as a non-EU/EFTA citizen?

If you come from a non-EU/EFTA state and would like to work in Switzerland, you will need to meet a range of admission requirements to be granted access to the Swiss employment market.

Zurich
Citizens from non-EU/EFTA states must meet strict criteria to work in Switzerland. Photo by Bryan Dijkhuizen.

When it comes to hiring talent from outside its borders, Switzerland follows a dual system which favours workers from EU and EFTA states under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons.

Each year, Switzerland admits only a limited number of highly qualified employees from other countries – known as third states – to the labour market.

According to the State Secretariat for Migration, experience has shown that workers with a degree from a university or an institution of higher education with several years of professional work experience under their belt have better long-term professional and social integration prospects than those with lower qualifications.

But does a job offer alone suffice to work in Switzerland as a non-EU/EFTA state citizen?

In short, no.

As exciting as the prospect of a new life in Switzerland may be, a job offer itself is sadly not enough to make you eligible for a work permit in Switzerland if you are a citizen of a non-EU/EFTA country.

In Switzerland, the admission of non-EU and non-EFTA state nationals is limited with the Federal Council determining the quota for permits on an annual basis. in 2023, the government has issued 8,500 permits for third-country employees (with the exception of UK nationals — see below).

Your employer will need to respect the principle that Swiss and EU/EFTA workers enjoy precedence when it comes to employment.

Your employer will need to apply one for you by showing that your qualifications and experience are in the best interest of the country’s economy.  in addition, they must prove that work  salary conditions are met prior to you being granted a permit.

What if I am a UK citizen?

Since January 1st, 2021, UK nationals are no longer citizens of the EU and are therefore subject to the same rules that apply to third-country nationals, including quotas.

However, they have a separate quota contingent — 3,500 permits set aside just for them. 

Are there any exceptions to the admission requirements?

Yes, in some cases legally regulated exceptions can be made that may allow you to work in Switzerland even if all admission criteria are not met.

For instance, senior managers or specialist staff being transferred by an international company may be allowed to work in Switzerland.

Similarly, employees in training as well as those are hoping to move for an internship or further education may also be allowed to work in Switzerland, so long as they work for a multi-national company (knowledge transfer) or are placed there (compulsory placement) while studying.

Those pursuing doctoral and post-doctoral studies in Switzerland may also seek employment in the country, though whether or not they can remain here after graduating is still being worked out on the legislative level.

Additionally, au-pairs and from non-EU/EFTA states between 18 and 25 years old may also move to Switzerland for up to 12 months.

What if I am a family member hoping to work in Switzerland?

If you are a family member of a Swiss national or an individual with a residence permit, you will not need to go through an additional permit process to take up employment or become self-employed.

Do I need a visa and residence permit to work in Switzerland if I already have a permanent residence permit for an EU/EFTA state?

If you are a citizen of a non-EU/EFTA state and hold a permanent residence permit for that state, you will still need to meet the admission conditions as everyone else who enters Switzerland directly from a third state country.

In Switzerland, being in possession of a permanent residence permit for an EU/EFTA state as a non-EU/EFTA citizen does not automatically grant you entrance to access to the Swiss employment market.

Generally, all non-EU/EFTA nationals will need an entry visa which can be obtained from Swiss authorities in your country after you have been granted a residence permit.

Although there are a couple of exceptions to this that are worth knowing about.

Can my employer second me to Switzerland for an indefinite period?

No, your employer may not second you to a job in Switzerland for an indefinite period.

However, if you are an employee of a corporation that has its registered office in an EU-27/EFTA state, your employer can in fact second you to a job in Switzerland for up to 90 days per calendar year.

In this case you will need to have previously been integrated long-term in the regular employment market of either an EU or EFTA member state, that is you must have a temporary or permanent residence permit for at least 12 months.

Your placement in Switzerland will then be governed by the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) between the EU and Switzerland and must be reported to the Swiss authorities.

If you are seconded to work in Switzerland for up to 90 days from a non-EU/EFTA state on the basis of the AFMP, you will not need a visa for your stay.

You will, however, be required to have on hand a valid, recognised travel document as well as a valid residence permit that has been issued by a Schengen member state.

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WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

Switzerland sees record high immigration from European countries

Switzerland has seen record immigration from European countries and a new report reveals a correlation with the country's low unemployment rate.

Switzerland sees record high immigration from European countries

Lots of data indicates that Switzerland needs foreign workers to fill job vacancies.

Now a report from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) confirms the importance that employees from the European Union and EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) have had for Switzerland’s labour market and economy in general. 

That is why “demand for foreign labour was strong in Switzerland in 2023,” SECO said in its annual report published on Monday, which assessed the impact that the Free Movement of Persons agreement (FMPA) has had on the country’s employment.

In 2023, 68,000 people from EU and EFTA countries came to work in Switzerland, according to SECO, driven by “employment growth that has significantly exceeded the EU average.”

Why does Switzerland need EU / EFTA workers?

Simply put, they are needed for the country’s economy to function optimally.

As SECO pointed out, while the number of pensioners is growing (due mostly to Switzerland’s exceptionally high life expectancy), “Swiss working-age population has experienced only slow growth over the past 20 years.”

“The country’s economic growth is not possible without immigration,” said Simon Wey, chief economist at the Swiss Employers’ Union. “We need foreign labour if we want to maintain our level of prosperity.”  

READ ALSO: How EU immigrant workers have become ‘essential’ for Switzerland 

In what sectors is the need for these workers the highest?

“A large number of people from the EU coming to work in Switzerland are highly qualified and are employed in demanding activities in high-growth branches of the service sector, such as the branch of special, scientific and technical activities, that of information and communication or the health sector;” SECO’s report said.

But the Swiss economy also recruits EU nationals as low-skilled labour, particularly in the hotel and catering industry, as well as construction and industry.

Why are only people from the EU / EFTA states recruited?

The reason is that, unlike nationals of third countries, people from the EU / EFTA have an almost unlimited access to the Swiss employment market, thanks precisely to the FMPA. 

Also, those coming from the neighbour countries (as most of Switzerland’s foreign labour force does), have the required language skills to easily integrate into the workforce in language-appropriate Swiss regions.
 

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