Liechtenstein residence permit for employment (Aufenthaltsbewilligung B)

Under the Foreigners Act (Ausländergesetz, AuG), every foreign national who wants to work in Liechtenstein needs a permit, whatever the length of stay. For employed work there are two main permits:

• Short-stay permit (Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung, L). For stays of up to one year in total, for a set purpose, with a post of at least 50% of full time.
• Residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung, B). For stays expected to last more than a year, with a post of at least 80% of full time. It is usually issued for one year and can be extended.

After five years without a break on a residence permit you can apply for a settlement permit, which also needs a civics test and German at A2. This page covers non-EEA nationals; EEA nationals follow separate free movement rules.

The Act sets strict conditions for a permit for employed work:

• The application comes from a Liechtenstein employer and serves the national economic interest.
• Only managers, specialists and other qualified workers with a completed apprenticeship or long professional experience qualify.
• The employer must prove that no suitable worker can be found on the permit-free labour market: Liechtenstein nationals, existing permit holders, and EEA or Swiss cross-border commuters.
• Pay and conditions must match local, professional and sector norms.
• You need suitable housing, enough money to avoid social assistance and no convictions for crimes or misdemeanours, and cross-border commuting must not be a reasonable alternative.

The Government may cap the number of permits; the caps do not apply to extensions. For health professionals the permit is only half the picture: you also need a licence to practise from the Amt für Gesundheit, whose laws favour EEA nationals.

1. Your employer applies to the APA. Incomplete applications are returned once, with 30 days to complete them.
2. Wait abroad for the decision. You need an assurance of the permit (Zusicherung) or authorisation for a visa before you start work, and the law says you wait for it outside Liechtenstein.
3. Enter and register. Within eight days of arrival you register in person with the residents' registration office (Einwohnerkontrolle) of your municipality, with your passport and the assurance or visa.
4. Give biometrics and collect your card. The residence card carries a chip with your photo and fingerprints.

The Act says complete applications for a residence permit are usually decided within three months, and short-stay permits within two weeks. An assurance for a residence permit is usually valid for three months. Under the fees ordinance, the employer alone pays for permits for employment: CHF 60 for the assurance, CHF 200 for a new residence permit from the APA (CHF 1,000 if the Government issues it), CHF 60 for an extension, plus CHF 30 for biometrics and CHF 20 for the card. Apply to extend at least two weeks before the permit expires.

• Starting work too early. The Act says work may only begin after you receive the assurance or the visa, and you wait for the decision abroad, even if you entered legally as a visitor.
• Expecting the permit to solve licensing. The APA decides on residence; the Amt für Gesundheit decides whether you may practise. Check the nationality rule for your profession first, as explained in our Liechtenstein country guide.
• Missing the eight-day registration. Register with your municipality within eight days of arrival, and tell it within eight days if you move.