How to Move to Switzerland?

Moving to Switzerland can be generally more difficult than many other countries because of strict immigration policies, a competitive job market, and high financial requirements for residency.

If you are considering moving, the first thing you need to do is understand what your options are.

1. Understand Your Immigration Options

If you are planning to move to Switzerland, it is important to know what your immigration options are. You typically need a strong reason to move, such as:

• For a work visa: job offer in a highly qualified position
• For a student visa: admission to an educational institution
• For a retirement visa: ties to Switzerland and independent income.

Moving to Switzerland for work

As a non-EU/EFTA citizen, you can work in Switzerland only under very specific conditions, the main one being that you have to be highly qualified—a manager, specialist, or skilled professional with a university degree and work experience. Additionally:

• Your employment must benefit Switzerland’s economy, considering market conditions, long-term growth, and your ability to integrate.
• Your employer must prove they could not find a suitable candidate from Switzerland or the EU/EFTA before hiring you.
• You must receive pay and benefits that align with Swiss standards.
• You must demonstrate your qualifications, professional adaptability, language skills, and ability to integrate into Swiss society.

You can bypass standard rules if you are a corporate transfer, intern, doctoral/postdoctoral researcher, or family member of Swiss residents.

Moving to Switzerland to study

If you’ve been accepted into an educational institution in Switzerland, you can apply for a student visa. This visa allows you to live in Switzerland for the duration of your studies—if you manage to find work after graduation, you can convert it into a residence permit for work and live there indefinitely.

With your student visa, you can work part-time (no more than 15 hours per week).

Retiring in Switzerland

To retire in Switzerland, you need to be financially independent and prove you have strong ties to the country. These are the visa conditions:

• You must be over the age of 55.
• You must not be working.
• You must be able to support yourself financially.
• You must have some personal ties to Switzerland (Swiss origin, owning real estate, investment, a business, etc.).

Giving proof of personal ties is the trickiest part; sometimes, just purchasing real estate or investing is not sufficient. All applications are considered on a case-to-case basis and will differ depending on the canton you plan to move to.

2. Apply for a Visa

You have to apply for a visa from a Swiss embassy or consulate in your country of residence. You must schedule an appointment, submit supporting documents, and then wait until the visa is processed to travel to Switzerland. Here’s the step-by-step guide:

• Fill out the visa application form. Download the national visa form, and fill it out entirely. Sign it at the end.
• Schedule a visa appointment. You can find which embassy is in charge of visa applications, based on your residence, on the SEM website. Follow the instructions on setting up an appointment.
• Collect the required documents. The Swiss diplomatic representation will provide a list of required supporting documents, which you must collect before the date of your appointment.
• Apply and pay the visa fee. On the date of your appointment, you have to show up in person at the embassy or consulate to submit your documents, pay the visa fee, and provide fingerprint scans.
• Collect your visa & travel to Switzerland. If your visa has been approved, you can pick it up and travel to Switzerland within the dates specified.

The Swiss embassy or consulate will forward your application to the competent cantonal authorities in Switzerland. They will make a decision, and notify the embassy/consulate who then issues your visa.

3. Settle in Switzerland

Once you have secured your visa and arrived in Switzerland, there are a few more administrative steps to complete before fully settling in. These include registering your residence, obtaining a residence permit, and ensuring you have the necessary health insurance.

Register Your Residence

In the first 14 days of arriving in Switzerland, you have to register your address (even if you’re still living in a temporary residence, such as a hotel). You have to register at the municipality’s residents’ registration office. You need the following documents:

• Valid passport
• Proof of residence: lease, rental agreement, or temporary accommodation.
• Work contract or admission to university (whichever is applicable)
• Work permit (if applicable)
• Entry visa.
• If you are moving with your family:
  • Birth certificate(s) for dependent children, and marriage certificate for spouses.
  • Language certificate Level A1 or proof of registration in a language course.
• Police records from your country.

This is not the exact list of required documents. That depends on why you are in Switzerland as well as the specific canton where you are settling. Make sure you contact the residents’ registration office (or check their website, if available) for information about which documents to submit.

If you move to a different apartment after your initial registration, you have to register your new address again within 14 days. The second time, you can do it online.

Obtain a Residence Permit

Anyone who is not an EU/EEA citizen, and plans to live in Switzerland longer than three months, has to get a residence permit at the Swiss cantonal immigration and employment authorities. You can apply for your residence permit in one of two ways:

1. At the same time as your national visa. When you apply for a national visa at the Swiss embassy in your country, the embassy will forward your application to the Swiss cantonal authorities; if it is approved, the embassy will process your visa and you can travel to Switzerland. Once you are in Switzerland, you just have to register your address, and you will receive your residence permit.
2. After you arrive in Switzerland. If the Swiss embassy does not submit your application for approval, you have to apply for your residence permit after you arrive in Switzerland. Typically, you cannot work until the residence application is approved, so if you are moving for work, you should apply as soon as possible.

Register for Health Insurance

Within the first three months of relocating, you have to register for health insurance. If you’ve moved with your family, everyone has to be individually insured. You can choose from the list of approved health insurers (see here)—if you do not, you will be assigned to one automatically, so it is better to do it yourself and check which suits you best.

You can calculate your health insurance premiums here.

Moving to Switzerland as an EU/EFTA citizen

As an EU/EFTA citizen, the requirements for moving to Switzerland are much less stringent. See for example:

Short-Term Employment (Up to 3 Months)

You do not need a residence permit if you work in Switzerland for up to 3 months per calendar year. However, your employer must register your employment through the official notification procedure at least one day before you begin working.

Employment Longer Than 3 Months

If you plan to work in Switzerland for more than 3 months, you have to apply for a residence permit from the local Swiss commune where you will live. You need:

• A valid passport or national ID card
• Proof of employment, such as an employment contract or employer confirmation

Once granted, the residence permit allows you to change jobs or employers freely and is valid throughout Switzerland.

The validity of this residence permit validity depends on the length of your employment contract

Self-Employment in Switzerland

If you plan to be self-employed, you must:

• Register your arrival within 14 days of moving
• Apply for a residence permit at your local commune
• Submit documents proving your self-employment status and ability to financially support yourself (e.g., business records, financial statements)

Moving Without Employment

As an EU/EFTA citizen, you can live in Switzerland without working if you meet these conditions:

• You have sufficient financial resources (you will not rely on Swiss social welfare) or
• You are enrolled in an educational institution (if moving to study)

You can stay in Switzerland for up to 90 days within six months without a permit. For longer stays, you have to register as a resident with the local cantonal immigration office. The residence permit is valid for 5 years and automatically renewed if you still meet the requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions