B, L and C permits in Switzerland: what’s the difference
Which permit you get, what it lets you do, how it is renewed and when it leads to settlement, for EU/EFTA and non-EU nationals.
In short
An L permit covers short stays of up to a year, a B permit is the standard residence permit for longer stays, and a C permit means settlement, usually after five or ten years. EU/EFTA nationals with a job get an L or B almost automatically; others need a qualified job, an employer’s application and a quota place.
What are the L, B, C and G permits?
They are the four permits most working expats meet. L is a short-term residence permit, B a residence permit for stays of over a year, C a settlement permit with no time limit or conditions, and G a cross-border commuter permit for people who live abroad and work in Switzerland.
Anyone staying more than three months needs a permit, and which one depends on your nationality, contract and purpose of stay (ch.ch, checked ). Two sets of rules apply: the free movement agreement (AFMP) for EU/EFTA nationals, and the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (AIG/LEI) for everyone else (ch.ch, checked ) (AIG, checked ).
UK nationals arriving since 1 January 2021 count as non-EU/EFTA nationals, with their own quotas; those living here before then keep acquired rights (SEM, checked ). See our guides for people moving from the UK and the USA.
Tax follows the permit too: without a C permit you generally pay tax at source, unless married to a Swiss citizen or C-permit holder (ch.ch, checked ).
The four permits compared
| Permit | What it is | EU/EFTA nationals | Non-EU/EFTA nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | Short-term residence | Contract of 3–12 months; valid for the contract | Up to 1 year, extendable to 2; quota |
| B | Residence | Contract of 12 months or open-ended; valid 5 years | First permit usually 1 year, then renewals; quota |
| C | Settlement | After 5 or 10 years, depending on nationality | Usually after 10 years; 5 with strong integration |
| G | Cross-border commuter | Live in the EU/EFTA, work anywhere in Switzerland | Live and work in the border zones |
Based on AFMP Annex I, AIG Art. 25 and 32–35, VZAE Art. 58 and SEM.
How do EU/EFTA nationals get a permit?
With a job, it is close to automatic. A contract of twelve months or more, or an open-ended one, brings a five-year B permit; a contract of three to twelve months brings an L permit for the contract’s length. Jobs of up to three months a calendar year need only an online notification by the employer.
Register with your commune within 14 days and before starting work, with your job contract; the permit is valid throughout Switzerland and lets you change employer (ch.ch, checked ) (AFMP Annex I, checked ). Shorter jobs of up to three months need no permit (SEM, checked ).
- Renewal: the B is renewed for five years; the first renewal can be limited to one year after over twelve months of involuntary unemployment (SEM, checked ).
- Job hunting: you can look for work for up to six months; the first three need no permit (ch.ch, checked ).
- Not working: retirees and others get a B permit with enough money and health and accident insurance (SEM, checked ).
- Losing your job: if it ends involuntarily in your first year, your right of residence ends six months later, or when unemployment benefit ends if that is later; after the first year, six months after benefit ends (AIG, checked ).
Family members of any nationality can join you: your spouse, children under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents; your spouse and children may work (AFMP Annex I, checked ) (ch.ch, checked ). A new Switzerland–EU package would adopt parts of EU Directive 2004/38/EC; until it takes effect, these rules apply (FDFA, checked ).
-
EU/EFTA B permit
5 years
validity with a contract of 12 months or more, then renewable.
Source SEM (opens in a new tab) ↗
-
No permit needed
Up to 3 months
of work a calendar year; the employer notifies online.
Source SEM (opens in a new tab) ↗
-
Where to apply
Your commune
within 14 days of arriving and before starting work.
Source ch.ch (opens in a new tab) ↗
How do non-EU/EFTA nationals get a permit, and what are the quotas?
Only as a manager, specialist or other qualified worker, usually with a degree and several years’ experience. Your employer must show that no suitable candidate was found in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA, pay local rates and apply for you. First-time permits count against federal quotas: 4,000 L and 4,500 B in 2026.
The AIG sets the conditions: priority for the domestic and EU/EFTA workforce, local pay, qualifications and suitable housing; for a B, also adaptability, language skills and age (AIG, checked ) (SEM, checked ).
- Your employer applies to the cantonal labour-market and migration authorities; if you are self-employed, you apply yourself (ch.ch, checked ).
- The canton decides on labour-market grounds, subject to approval by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) (AIG, checked ).
- If your nationality needs one, you apply for a visa (ch.ch, checked ).
- Within 14 days of arrival, and before starting work, you register with your commune (ch.ch, checked ).
The first B permit is usually valid for one year and can then be extended by two years (VZAE, checked ). An L permit can be extended to two years in total, and a job change on an L needs important reasons (AIG, checked ).
Quotas in 2026
The Federal Council caps first-time work permits (AIG, checked ). For 2026: 4,000 L and 4,500 B for non-EU/EFTA nationals, split between the cantons and a federal reserve (Zurich’s share: 399 L, 249 B), plus 1,400 L and 2,100 B for UK nationals (VZAE, checked ). The 2027 figures were not yet published when we checked.
-
L quota 2026
4,000
first-time L permits for non-EU/EFTA workers.
-
B quota 2026
4,500
first-time B permits for non-EU/EFTA workers.
Diagram: The admin journey after you arrive. A winding path with five stops. Step 1: register at the commune, within 14 days and before you start work. Step 2: the canton issues your residence permit card after you register. Step 3: take out basic health insurance within 3 months; cover is backdated to your arrival. Step 4: open a bank account for your salary, rent and rental deposit. Step 5: tax at source is deducted from your salary. Then you are settled in.
Can you change job or canton on each permit?
On a B or C permit you can change job freely and work anywhere in Switzerland. On a non-EU L permit a job change needs important reasons and approval. Moving to another canton needs the new canton’s permit on an L or B; B holders are entitled to it unless unemployed, C holders unless there are grounds to revoke.
EU/EFTA nationals have full job and geographic mobility (AFMP Annex I, checked ). For others, the AIG rules are below; within your permit’s canton you can live anywhere (AIG, checked ).
What each permit lets you do (non-EU/EFTA)
| L | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change job | Only for important reasons, with approval | Free, no new permit | Free |
| Move to another canton | Needs the new canton’s permit | Entitled unless unemployed or grounds to revoke | Entitled unless grounds to revoke |
| Spouse and children may work | After getting a work permit | Yes, anywhere | Yes, anywhere |
AIG Art. 36–38 and 46; ch.ch.
When can you get a C permit?
Normally after ten years in Switzerland, the last five without a break on a B permit, if you are integrated and there are no grounds for revocation. Nationals of countries with a settlement treaty, mostly EU and EFTA states, can get it after five years. Others can apply early after five years with good language skills.
The C permit has no time limit and no conditions (AIG, checked ). It is not automatic: outside the settlement treaties the canton may grant it, and SEM sets the earliest date (AIG, checked ) (SEM, checked ).
Three routes
- Ordinary (ten years): ten years on an L or B permit, the last five without a break on a B, integration criteria met, and the local national language at A2 spoken and A1 written (AIG, checked ) (VZAE, checked ).
- Settlement treaty (five years): nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, and of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, after five years’ regular, uninterrupted residence. Other EU states have no such treaty (SEM, checked ).
- Early C (five years): five uninterrupted years on a B permit, integration, and the local language at B1 spoken and A1 written (AIG, checked ) (VZAE, checked ).
Integration means respecting law and order and constitutional values, the language skills above, and taking part in work or education (AIG, checked ). Study years count only if followed by two unbroken years on a B for a lasting stay (AIG, checked ).
Cantons set the paperwork: Zurich wants an in-person application at the commune, a debt-enforcement extract and a recognised language certificate, with German, Austrian and Liechtenstein nationals exempt from the language proof (Canton of Zurich, checked ).
The road to a C permit
-
Year 0
Arrive on a B permit
Keep your residence uninterrupted.
-
Year 5
Treaty or early C
Treaty nationals, or B1 spoken and integrated.
-
Year 10
Ordinary C
Last five years on a B; A2 spoken.
-
Every 5 years
Renew the card
The C card is reissued for control.
How does family reunification work?
EU/EFTA nationals can bring a spouse, children under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents. For non-EU nationals it depends on the permit: C holders have a right to bring a spouse and children under 18, B holders a possibility at the canton’s discretion, and applications have deadlines.
For non-EU/EFTA sponsors, a spouse and unmarried children under 18 can be admitted if the family lives together in suitable housing without social assistance or supplementary benefits, and the spouse speaks the local language or is enrolled in a course to at least A1 (AIG, checked ) (VZAE, checked ).
- Deadlines: apply within five years of getting your permit or of the family relationship starting; for children over 12, within twelve months. Later, only for important family reasons (AIG, checked ) (VZAE, checked ).
- Spouse’s renewal: a spouse’s B permit is renewed only with spoken skills of at least A1 (VZAE, checked ).
- Settlement: spouses of C holders are entitled to a C after five years’ uninterrupted residence if integrated, and children under 12 are entitled to one (AIG, checked ).
Only married or registered partners qualify (ch.ch, checked ). If the marriage ends, you may keep a B permit after three years of marriage and living together if you are well integrated, or for important personal reasons (ch.ch, checked ).
Bringing your family
| Sponsor holds | Spouse and children | Language for the spouse |
|---|---|---|
| EU/EFTA permit | Right; children under 21 or dependent, plus dependent parents | No language condition |
| C permit (non-EU) | Right to a B, if conditions are met | Local language, or enrolled in a course to A1 |
| B permit (non-EU) | Possible, at the canton’s discretion | Local language, or enrolled in a course to A1 |
| L permit (non-EU) | Possible, as a short-term permit | No language condition |
AFMP Annex I Art. 3; AIG Art. 43–45 and 47; VZAE Art. 73–73a.
How do renewals work, and what can put a permit at risk?
Apply to renew no earlier than three months and no later than two weeks before your permit expires, at your commune or canton depending on where you live. Renewal can be refused if there are grounds for revocation, and a permit lapses if you deregister abroad or stay away too long.
Bring your passport or ID and any expiry notice; non-EU passports must stay valid three months beyond the permit (ch.ch, checked ). Apply in time and you may stay while it is processed (VZAE, checked ).
- Integration counts: when issuing or renewing a B, the canton sets its validity with your integration in mind and can require an integration agreement (AIG, checked ).
- Leaving Switzerland: deregistering abroad ends your permit. Leave without deregistering and an L lapses after three months, a B or C after six; a C can be kept for up to four years on request (AIG, checked ).
- Moving canton: the new canton’s permit replaces the old one (AIG, checked ).
Keep your permit safe
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What is a G permit, and who gets one?
A G permit is for cross-border commuters who live abroad, work in Switzerland and return home at least once a week. EU/EFTA nationals can live anywhere in the EU/EFTA and work anywhere in Switzerland. Non-EU nationals need permanent residence in a neighbouring country and must live and work in the border zones.
For EU/EFTA commuters it is valid for five years with an open-ended contract or one over a year, otherwise for the contract; border zones no longer apply (SEM, checked ). Non-EU/EFTA commuters must have lived in the neighbouring border zone for at least six months; after five years’ uninterrupted work they are entitled to renewal and to change job (AIG, checked ).
Commuters are taxed at source (ch.ch, checked ); for their health insurance rules, see Swiss health insurance for expats.
Who can help with a Swiss permit application?
For EU/EFTA nationals with a job, the commune and employer usually handle it. Specialist help pays off for non-EU applications, family reunification, early C permits and refusals. Immigration advisers prepare files, relocation agencies handle arrival admin, and lawyers can represent you before the authorities and in appeals.
This guide is general information, not legal advice; check your case with the cantonal migration office or a professional. Our directory lists immigration and permit specialists, lawyers and notaries and relocation agencies.
For the full route from job offer to arrival, see how to immigrate to Switzerland, then your first 90 days and registering at your commune.
Immigration and permit specialists
Bell Switzerland
Naturalisation · GenèveGeneva language school offering private coaching for Swiss naturalisation: civics knowledge, Geneva specifics and interview simulations.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?Boundless Consultancy
Immigration consultants · GenèveGeneva consultancy founded by a former Swiss immigration officer, helping individuals and families with permits, family reunification, student permits and naturalisation.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?CONVINUS
Permit applications · ZürichGlobal mobility specialist since 2002 handling Swiss work and residence permits, business visas, family member permits and assignment management, with offices in Zürich, Basel, Geneva and Zug.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?What else do people ask about Swiss permits?
Is a B permit the same as permanent residence?
No. A B permit is a residence permit tied to a purpose and renewed periodically. Permanent residence is the C (settlement) permit, which has no time limit and no conditions.
Can I get a C permit after 5 years, for example as a US, Canadian or Indian citizen?
Only through the early route, with B1 spoken skills and good integration. The five-year treaty route covers 14 EU states and the EFTA states; everyone else otherwise waits ten years.
How long can I leave Switzerland without losing my permit?
If you haven’t deregistered, a B or C permit lapses after six months abroad and an L after three. You can ask to keep a C permit for up to four years before you leave.
Are UK citizens treated as EU/EFTA for Swiss permits?
Not if they arrived after 31 December 2020. They are third-country nationals with their own quotas: 1,400 L and 2,100 B permits in 2026. Those resident before 2021 keep acquired rights.
When should I apply to renew my permit?
Between three months and two weeks before it expires. Depending on your canton, you apply at your commune or directly with the canton.
Sources
Last checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team
- Fedlex, SR 142.20 Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (AIG/LEI), Art. 20, 21, 23, 25, 32–38, 39, 43–47, 58a, 61 and 61a (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 142.201 Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment (VZAE/OASA), Art. 58–62, 73–73b and Annexes 1–2: 2026 quotas (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 0.142.112.681 Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (FZA/ALCP), Annex I Art. 3, 6, 7 and 8 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Permit B EU/EFTA (residence permit): five-year validity and renewal (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Permit L EU/EFTA (short-term residence permit) (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Permit C EU/EFTA (settlement permit): settlement treaties and five-year countries (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Permit G EU/EFTA (cross-border commuter permit) (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Non-EU/EFTA nationals: access to the labour market (opens in a new tab)
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) United Kingdom: nationals arriving from 1 January 2021 and acquired rights (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Permits for living in Switzerland: renewal and separation (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Family reunification in Switzerland (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Working in Switzerland as a foreign national (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Tax at source in Switzerland (opens in a new tab)
- Canton of Zurich, Migration Office Niederlassungsbewilligung: requirements, documents and language certificates (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Content of the Switzerland–EU package (free movement of persons) (opens in a new tab)