Immigration & permits in Basel

The Migrationsamt Basel-Stadt, Abteilung Bewilligungen, Spiegelgasse 12, answers on +41 61 267 70 70 on weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (Kanton Basel-Stadt, checked 21 Oct 2026). EU/EFTA nationals with an open-ended contract or one of at least 365 days are entitled to a B permit, register at the Einwohneramt and receive the permit later by post; a B permit is usually valid for five years for them and one year for third-country nationals (Kanton Basel-Stadt, checked 21 Oct 2026). A contract of three months to 364 days leads to an L permit, and job seekers staying beyond three months receive an L permit for nine more months, twelve in total (Kanton Basel-Stadt, checked 21 Oct 2026).

The C permit is examined after ten years of stay, or five for nationals of Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Spain and some other states; nationals of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Ireland can be granted it after five years without a legal entitlement. Early grants need B1 oral proof, otherwise A2 oral and A1 written are required, and the fee for an adult C permit is CHF 95 (Kanton Basel-Stadt, checked 21 Oct 2026) (Kanton Basel-Stadt, checked 21 Oct 2026).

Newcomers register with the Einwohneramt of Bevölkerungsdienste und Migration at Spiegelgasse 6; from 2 November 2026 its counters work from a temporary building on Schwarzwaldallee, opposite Badischer Bahnhof. The deadline is 14 days (2026) (Einwohneramt BS, checked 21 Oct 2026): the date of the online booking counts, not the date of the appointment. Registration costs CHF 25 per person (Einwohneramt BS, checked 21 Oct 2026). The general steps are in registering at your commune.