Switzerland Work Visa: Requirements and Procedure

Why Switzerland?

Explore new career opportunities in Switzerland, a globally renowned ambitious economy, with our comprehensive guide on working in this dynamic country. Learn about the work market, work culture, and visa requirements to strongly navigate your way into the Swiss workforce. Seize innovation and quality are synonymous with Switzerland, as its product embodies the same values upheld by the country’s top-performing small and medium-sized enterprises.

You will be amazed to experience the reliability and stability of economic and political conditions reflected in making it a standout choice in the market. Foreign employees are given the same salary and provided with the working conditions same as Swiss nationals.

Types of Work Permits in Switzerland

There are three types of work permits in Switzerland for foreigners (non-EU nationals):

Permit L	Permit B	Permit D
An “L” permit is generally granted for shorter stays of up to a year, and specifically for fixed-term contracts of at least three months and up to a year.	For the job contracts of one or more than one year. The visa can be granted for a year or even for an indefinite period.	National Visa or Long Term D visa for non-EU national allow them to stay and work in the country for the duration of their work contract.

For EU/EFTA Nationals

The nationals of EU/EFTA can also apply for a work visa in Switzerland with the following options:

Permit G	Permit B
Suitable for nationals of neighboring countries. Cross-border commuters who work in Switzerland but live in a border zone are eligible for a G permit. They must return to their main place of residence at least once a week.	Non-EU nationals who want to live in Switzerland for longer than a year can apply for a B permit if they have an employment contract lasting at least 12 months.

Requirements of Switzerland Work Visa

Since Switzerland has 26 cantons or regions, the requirements for employers and foreign workers can also vary such as additional language requirements. Here is a complete outline of the requirements and conditions for non-EU/EFTA citizens who are seeking employment in Switzerland. Breakdown of the key points are:

Credentials and Experience: Non-EU/EFTA citizens can work in Switzerland if they are highly competent, such as being a manager, specialist, or skilled professional. This usually requires having a degree from a university or institution of higher education, along with several years of professional work experience.

Long-Term Integration Criteria: If planning to stay in Switzerland for several years, individuals must fulfill other criteria for long-term professional and social integration. These include age, adaptability, and language skills.

Employer’s Responsibility: Employers hiring non-EU/EFTA citizens must show that there are no fitting candidates available from Switzerland or EU/EFTA states for the job vacancy. They must also ensure that the salary, social security contributions, and terms of employment for foreign workers follow regional, professional, and sector-specific standards.

Self-employment or Work Visa: To obtain a work permit in Switzerland as a non-EU/EFTA national, the trial varies depending on whether you are employed by a company or self-employed.

If you are employed by a company, your future employer naturally handles the application for a work permit from the cantonal immigration and employment market authorities. If you are self-employed, you handle starting the process yourself. Nevertheless, one may need to obtain a visa to enter Switzerland depending upon their nationality. After reaching Switzerland, you must tell the authorities about your living within 14 days (about 2 weeks). This is mandatory, and you cannot start working before the process.

How can you get a work permit for Switzerland?

The application procedure to obtain a work permit in Switzerland involves steps including:

Submission of Application: The employer sends the application and documents to the immigration authority. If the employee needs a visa, they need to apply for it through the Swiss representation abroad responsible for their place of residence.

Application Screening by Immigration Authorities: The competent cantonal authority screens the applications based on the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act and makes a primary decision. Applications approved by the canton are then sent to the “State Secretariat for Migration” (SEM) for final approval.

Application Screening by SEM: SEM reviews the applications according to admission criteria applicable throughout Switzerland. The official decision from SEM is reported to the applicant, employee, and cantonal authorities. Please check that there may be fees through this process, which are usually paid by the employer. However, receiving the official decision from SEM does not automatically grant permission for the employee to enter Switzerland.

Issuance of Visa: If the employee needs a visa, the cantonal immigration authority issues electronic visa authorization to the Swiss representative abroad based on SEM’s approval. The employee can then collect the visa from the representative before entering Switzerland.

What is the registration process for non-EU/EFTA countries individuals?

After arriving in Switzerland, the employee must tell the competent authority about their place of residence. This procedure is requisite, work cannot be started until it has been completed.

Please note working in Switzerland without a permit is illegitimate and can result in punishment, including imprisonment or fines, for both the employee and the employer. Also, staying illegally in the country can lead to expulsion from the country and a ban on entry to the Schengen area.

Employers in Switzerland handle obtaining work permits. They must apply to the labor market or migration authorities in the relevant canton. These authorities provide information about the procedure and the required application documents.

Before you apply for a work visa in Switzerland, know this

• Foreign nationals can only work in Switzerland in senior management positions, as consultants, or in other competent roles. Permits are granted based on the overall economic interests of Switzerland. Preferably, individuals with higher education plus several years of professional experience have more chances of being considered. Special training and experience may also be accepted depending on the profession or specialization.
• Work permits for third-country nationals are only authorized when no suitable Swiss or EU/EFTA national is available for the job.
• The number of work permits issued to third-country nationals in Switzerland is limited. There are also specific regulations, such as the 8-day regulation where employees can spend a total of 8 days per calendar year without a work permit, which exempts certain transnational services from requiring a permit for up to eight days per calendar year. However, exceptions exist, such as in the erotic entertainment sector, where a work permit is needed from the first day of employment.

Highly paid jobs in Switzerland

Occupation	Average Annual Salary
IT and Software	CHF 80’000
Engineering	CHF 112’500
Accounting and Finance	CHF 86’050
Human Resource Management	CHF 103’999
Hospitality	CHF 96’000
Sales and Marketing	CHF 81’000
Healthcare	CHF 80’000
STEM	CHF 82’500
Teaching	CHF 61’880
Nursing	CHF 69’380

In-Demand Jobs and Occupations in Switzerland for Foreigners

Engineers, Technicians, Fiduciary jobs, Information technology (IT), Medicine and pharmaceutical, Technical specialists, Legal jobs, Technical draughting jobs, Chemical and plastics processing jobs, Metalworking and mechanical engineering jobs

Advertising, Marketing, Tourism, Postal and telecommunications, Food and luxury food manufacturing and processing, Electrical engineering and electronics, Watchmaking industry jobs, Vehicle and appliance, Engineering and maintenance jobs, Wood processing, Paper manufacturing and processing jobs, Social sciences, Humanities, Natural sciences, Teaching and educational jobs, Machinists, Banking and insurance sector jobs,

Media professionals and related jobs, Public order and security jobs, Entrepreneurs, directors and head clerks, Therapy and caregiver jobs, Artistic jobs, Public welfare, Educational and pastoral jobs, Transportation and logistics jobs, Textile processing, Printing and warehouse, Trade and retail jobs, Construction, Hospitality, Housekeeping, Commercial and administrative jobs, Cleaning, sanitation and personal care jobs.

Trade and qualification recognition

To work in Switzerland, you surely need to get your vocational qualification or graduation documents attested by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). This department gives you complete information about the procedure to get your recognition of skills and education in Swiss cantons. Click here to open the official website of this department.

How to find jobs in Switzerland as a foreigner?

There are always many ways to find a job in a country like Switzerland. The most important place for this is the federal government agency and regional employment centers. The main website of regional employment centers helps you find a job in different cantons of Switzerland with your desired positions and choice. You can register on the website to get more information, tips, and tricks to find an employer in Switzerland. Click here to open this website for complete information.

Other portals are as follows:

• EURES
• Jobs.ch
• Jobscout 24
• JobUp
• Jobwinner
• Monster
• Seasonworkers – ski jobs
• StepStone
• Total jobs

• Alpha – for executives
• Euro Science Jobs – research and post-doc jobs
• Robert Walters – accountancy and finance
• SwissLinx – executive, technology, and finance
• Techno Jobs – IT and technical jobs
• Swissdev Jobs
• Glassdoor
• Jobs in Geneva
• Jobs in Zurich
• The Local
• American International Club of Geneva
• Business and Professional Woman (BPW)
• Career Women’s Forum
• Executives International
• Irish Business Network
• LinkedIn
• Organization of Women in Trade: Geneva

Other residence permits and their requirements

In certain cases, the following mentioned residence permits have different requirements:

i) Family members

No additional approval procedure is necessary for family members of Swiss nationals, residents, and residents without a permit to pursue self-employed or employed employment. Family members of short-term residents, however, require a permit. The local and professional wage and working conditions must be adhered to and personal requirements must be proven.

ii) PhD students/postdocs

People who, beyond their basic university education, continue their studies or research work at a recognized or approved Swiss university to specialize and thus ensure the optimal development of science and technology in Switzerland.

iii) Transfer of management or specialists in international companies

Priority does not apply to the operational transfer of higher management and essential specialists in international companies. This means a residence permit does not give priority to the level of jobs you do in Switzerland.

iv) Internship, training, and further education

– in globally active companies (know-how transfer)

– Mandatory internships during your studies

v) Au pair employees

Au pair employment consists of temporary accommodation by families of young foreigners who arrive in Switzerland to perfect their language skills and expand their general education through better knowledge of the host country in exchange for certain services (light household chores and childcare).

Au pairs from third countries between the ages of 18 and 25 can be admitted for a stay of up to 12 months. They are not subject to the requirements of priority. However, because this increases the need for protection (human trafficking, exploitation), mandatory placement by an organization recognized in Switzerland is planned.

vi) Employment after studying in Switzerland

Foreigners can be admitted to gainful employment without proof of priority if their employment is of high scientific or economic interest. This regulation only applies to degrees from recognized Swiss universities (universities and technical colleges).