Swiss B permit (residence permit)

Switzerland's permits are named by letter: L for short stays, B for residence and C for settlement. Anyone who works in Switzerland or stays longer than three months needs a permit, issued by the cantonal migration office where you live. The canton of Zurich describes the B permit as the one used for open-ended or multi-year employment contracts, while L permits cover fixed-term contracts under a year. B permits are issued as biometric cards whose chip stores two fingerprints and a facial image.

Without a C permit, your employer deducts income tax at source from your pay.

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) says EU and EFTA citizens with an employment contract of at least 12 months, or of unlimited duration, receive a B permit valid for five years. It can be renewed for another five years if the conditions are still met, although the first renewal can be limited to one year after more than 12 consecutive months of involuntary unemployment. There is no quota and no labour market test. UK nationals are no longer covered by free movement and have their own quota.

• Quota. For 2026 the canton of Zurich reports a federal quota of 4,500 B permits and 4,000 L permits for specialists from third states, plus up to 2,100 B and 1,400 L permits for UK nationals.
• Qualified workers only. SEM admits managers, specialists and other qualified workers, usually with a university or university of applied sciences degree and several years' experience. Adaptability, language skills and age are also weighed.
• Priority. The employer must show it could not recruit a suitable person from Swiss nationals, permit holders or EU and EFTA citizens, registering the vacancy with the regional employment centre (RAV) and advertising it on EURES.
• Pay and conditions. Salary and terms must match local, professional and sector norms.

A B permit lets you live and work, but you also need your diploma recognised or registered, through MedReg for doctors or the Swiss Red Cross and GesReg for nurses, and cantonal permission to practise.

1. Your employer applies to the cantonal employment or migration office, with a contract that only takes effect if the permit is granted.
2. The canton makes a preliminary labour market decision and sends approved files to SEM.
3. SEM decides for the whole of Switzerland and charges the employer a fee.
4. If you need a visa, the canton authorises the Swiss representation abroad to issue it.
5. Register with your municipality within 14 days of entering Switzerland. You may only start work after registering.
6. Attend a biometric appointment; the card is then produced and sent to you.

• Starting work before registering. SEM is clear that work starts only after registration.
• Confusing the permit with a licence. The B permit does not authorise clinical practice; your canton decides whether you may work under supervision or need a Berufsausübungsbewilligung.
• Quotas. Third-state B permits are capped by maximum numbers the Federal Council sets each year, so an approval is never automatic.
• Renewals. A new biometric card is issued only after the old permit expires or your data changes, so keep track of the expiry date.