Loading…
Search hundreds of plain-language answers from our advisors, or filter by destination and journey stage — studying, working, visiting, immigrating, and citizenship.
This is Switzerland's main route for third-country workers: admission is capped by annual federal quotas, reserved for managers, specialists and highly qualified professionals, and requires the employer to clear a labour-market test before a permit is granted.
There is no dedicated startup or investor visa in Switzerland; non-EU/EFTA entrepreneurs apply under the self-employment route and must show the business serves Switzerland's overall economic interest, subject to the same quotas and labour-market rules as employment.
Sweden's EU Blue Card is for highly qualified employment: it needs a qualified job offer, a salary above the Blue Card threshold and normally a completed higher-education qualification, and it offers favourable family rules and a faster path to permanent residence and EU mobility.
The national (D) visa is the long-stay visa that visa-required third-country nationals need to enter Switzerland for stays over 90 days, issued by the Swiss representation abroad only after the underlying residence or work permit has been approved by the canton and SEM.
The G permit is for people who live in a neighbouring country and work in Switzerland, returning home at least weekly; for employed EU/EFTA commuters it matches the contract length (3–12 months) or is valid five years for longer or open-ended contracts.
EU/EFTA citizens move to Switzerland under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with no quota or labour-market test; an L permit matches a contract of 3–12 months, while a B permit (valid five years, renewable) covers contracts of 12 months or longer.
Ask Acey, our immigration assistant, or talk to a regulated advisor about your case.
