Residence Permit and Naturalisation

Working in Switzerland or remaining in the country for more than 3 months requires a permit. The permit is issued by the cantonal Office for Migration and Citizenship (Amt für Migration und Bürgerrecht). There are short-term permits (up to 1 year), residence permits (temporary), settlement permits (permanent) and cross-border commuter permits.

• Short-term permit (L): This permit is for persons who will reside in Switzerland for a limited time (usually 1 year) for a particular reason. Most citizens of EU-/EFTA-countries who have evidence of a work contract with a duration between 3 months and 1 year are entitled to this permit.
• Residence permit (B): This permit is for persons residing in Switzerland for an extended period of time. Most citizens of EU-/EFTA countries are entitled to this permit if they have a work contract with a duration exceeding 1 year. EU-/EFTA-citizens will receive permits for a duration of 5 years. Citizens of other countries will receive permits for a duration of 1 year after which an extension must be applied for. The extension may be granted under certain conditions, such as that applicants take German classes. Applicants are not entitled to an extension. Reasons that may act against an extension include, for example, a criminal offence or dependency on social welfare. The residence permit expires upon an uninterrupted period abroad of more than six months. Recognised refugees are also granted B permits.
• Settlement permit (C): This permit is granted following 5 or 10 years of Swiss residency. Here, too, different conditions apply to persons from EU/EFTA states and third countries. For people moving abroad, the settlement permit may be retained under certain conditions for a maximum period of four years. This requires submission of an application to the Office for Migration and Citizenship.
• Provisionally admitted foreigners (F): This permit is granted to asylum seekers who have not been officially recognised as refugees, but have been provisionally admitted. This permit must be renewed every year.

Foreigners living in Switzerland receive a foreigner identification card (Ausländerausweis). The type of identification card depends on various criteria. There are credit card format and paper identification cards (non-biometric foreigner identification card, Nicht biometrischer Ausländerausweis). Some individuals receive a biometric foreigner identification card. This ID card has a data chip, while fingerprints and a picture are recorded. They must have their biometric data collected at the Office for Migration and Citizenship. All non-German-speaking new arrivals are also invited to an initial information meeting, where they receive important information about their arrival in the canton. Lost or stolen identification must be reported to the police immediately.

According to type of permit and citizenship, the process of applying for an extension may differ. If an extension is necessary, a form is issued (Verfallsanzeige). This form must be completed, confirmed by the employer and then submitted to the Office for Migration and Citizenship (Amt für Migration und Bürgerrecht) together with a copy of the passport from the original country or the identity card (for EU/EFTA). The community of residence or the Office for Migration and Citizenship are available to answer questions in this context.

Those who have lived in Switzerland for ten years may submit an application to obtain a federal naturalisation licence. The years a person has spent in Switzerland between the ages of 8 and 18 count double. A sufficient period of residency in Switzerland, German language proficiency, integration and a good financial and legal standing are important requirements for naturalisation.

Under certain legal requirements, simplified naturalisation is mainly open to foreign spouses of Swiss citizens and the children of a Swiss parent. The federation is solely responsible to taking naturalisation decisions in the case of simplified naturalisation.