Immigration & permits
expat-services.ch lists 4 hand-checked English-speaking immigration consultants in Zürich: Fragomen Switzerland, Henley & Partners Switzerland, KPMG Switzerland – Immigration Services and Swiss Law International.
Besides English, they also work in French, German, Arabic and Italian. Every profile shows the services, languages and contact details, checked by hand before going live. See also Lawyers and notaries in Zürich.
4 providers
Global immigration consultancy with Swiss teams in Zürich and Prilly/Lausanne handling work authorisation, corporate mobility and immigration compliance for companies and individuals.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Residence and citizenship planning firm with Zürich and Geneva offices, advising wealthy private clients on Swiss residence options incl. lump-sum taxation routes.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?KPMG Law team supporting employers with Swiss work permit and visa processing, business traveller programmes, compliance audits and complex cross-border immigration advice.
Checked by our editors · not yet confirmed by the business.
Is this your business?Legal consultancy near Zürich supporting immigration processes, relocation and employment law, with paid consultations and a visa eligibility check for foreign nationals.
Local facts
A lawyer is not required to challenge a decision of the Migrationsamt: an appellant can file alone or be represented by an authorised person who hands in a written power of attorney (Rekursabteilung ZH, checked ). Before the cantonal Administrative Court, professional representation is in principle not reserved to lawyers entered in the bar register, though there are exceptions (Verwaltungsgericht ZH, checked ).
Appeals (Rekurse) against the Migrationsamt go to the Rekursabteilung of the Sicherheitsdirektion at Neumühlequai 10, which handles about 900 a year, mostly migration cases and road-traffic administrative measures. They must be signed by hand and sent by post; e-mail and fax filings are not accepted (Rekursabteilung ZH, checked ). Costs are usually CHF 700 to 1,500 and fall on an unsuccessful appellant; people without means can ask for exemption from costs and an unpaid legal representative if the appeal is not hopeless (Rekursabteilung ZH, checked ).
The appeal deadline is stated in the notice of appeal rights on the decision. Before the Administrative Court it is 5, 10, 20 or 30 days depending on the procedure, starts the day after receipt, cannot be extended and pauses during the court holidays around Easter, from 15 July to 15 August and from 18 December to 2 January (Verwaltungsgericht ZH, checked ). The Zürcher Anwaltsverband runs an online lawyer search and legal information desks (Verwaltungsgericht ZH, checked ).
Arrivals from abroad register in person at the Personenmeldeamt Zürich Süd in the Stadthaus, Stadthausquai 17, with a booked appointment, and only once they actually live in the city (City of Zurich, checked ). The deadline is 14 days (2026) (City of Zurich, checked ); the fee is CHF 40 per adult, plus the cantonal migration office’s permit fees for foreign nationals (City of Zurich, checked ). More in our guide to registering at your commune.
Read more B, L and C permits in Switzerland: what’s the differenceB permit in Switzerland: requirements, fees and processing times by canton
Checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team