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Moving to Switzerland

The 3 routes into Switzerland we have on record, and what each one actually requires. This is published information, not an assessment of your case.

Switzerland — Third-country work permit (L/B, quota-limited)

Work
What it actually requires

Only 'highly qualified' admitted: managers, specialists, skilled professionals - typically university degree + professional experience. Employer must prove no suitable candidate from Switzerland or EU/EFTA (priority test) and Swiss-standard pay/conditions. Annual federal quotas apply; cantonal + federal approval. (PR: C permit typically after 10 years (5 for some nationalities/well-integrated))

Source: www.sem.admin.ch · last reviewed 2026-07-17

Switzerland — Residence without gainful activity for over-55s (rentier, Art. 28 FNIA)

Passive income
What it actually requires

Age 55+, close ties to Switzerland (prior stays, family, cultural links), no gainful activity in CH, sufficient financial means + health insurance. Cantonal approval - pending: per-canton practice not verified this pass. (PR: possible C permit after 10 years)

Source: www.sem.admin.ch · last reviewed 2026-07-17

Switzerland — Residence via 'significant cantonal fiscal interest' (lump-sum taxation route)

Investment
What it actually requires

Non-EU nationals can be admitted outside quotas where the canton has a major fiscal interest - in practice tied to expenditure-based (lump-sum) taxation; effectively negotiate a minimum taxable base with the canton (federal floor CHF ~435,000 for 2026; Vaud/Geneva practice higher; 5 cantons incl. Zurich have abolished it). No gainful activity in CH allowed. (PR: possible C permit after 10 years)

Source: www.sem.admin.ch · last reviewed 2026-07-17

Switzerland also has a citizenship-by-descent route, which is a different kind of claim: it can mean you already hold the right rather than qualifying for one.

Check an ancestry claim →

What else we hold for Switzerland

  • What each step costs and how long it takes.

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