B permit: the residence permit
The B permit is the residence permit for a longer stay with a specific purpose. At the end of 2025, 955,652 people held one (FSO). The first permit is valid for one year and can be extended by two years; for EU/EFTA nationals with employment of at least 365 days it is valid for five years.
The rules
- The first B residence permit is valid for one year and can be extended by two years. Your passport must remain valid for six months after the permit expires. (VZAE Art. 58)
- Apply to renew a B permit no earlier than three months and no later than 14 days before it expires. You may stay in Switzerland during the procedure. (VZAE Art. 59)
- If you move to another commune or canton, register at the new place within 14 days and deregister at the old one within the same period. (VZAE Art. 15 para. 1)
- For families of B permit holders the same conditions apply, but there is no entitlement: the authority may grant the permit. (FNIA Art. 44)
- You can get a C permit after at least ten years in Switzerland with an L or B permit, the last five years without interruption on a B permit, if there are no grounds for revocation and you are integrated. (FNIA Art. 34 para. 2)
- Early after five years: if you held a B permit without interruption for the last five years, are integrated and communicate well in the national language spoken where you live. (FNIA Art. 34 para. 4)
People with a B permit since 2010
People with a B permit by canton, end of 2025
| Canton | People | Share of all permits |
|---|---|---|
| Aargau | 72,383 | 33.7 % |
| Appenzell Inner Rhodes | 850 | 37.8 % |
| Appenzell Outer Rhodes | 3,599 | 33.8 % |
| Basel-Landschaft | 23,650 | 29.7 % |
| Basel-Stadt | 33,112 | 40.5 % |
| Bern | 73,501 | 36.0 % |
| Fribourg | 28,931 | 31.4 % |
| Geneva | 77,206 | 37.7 % |
| Glarus | 4,702 | 39.9 % |
| Grisons | 22,208 | 42.8 % |
| Jura | 3,836 | 30.6 % |
| Lucerne | 39,532 | 39.9 % |
| Neuchâtel | 15,919 | 31.5 % |
| Nidwalden | 3,841 | 44.9 % |
| Obwalden | 3,364 | 44.9 % |
| Schaffhausen | 9,973 | 36.7 % |
| Schwyz | 13,638 | 32.4 % |
| Solothurn | 23,995 | 31.1 % |
| St. Gallen | 55,074 | 36.7 % |
| Thurgau | 32,494 | 37.7 % |
| Ticino | 34,376 | 31.4 % |
| Uri | 3,162 | 48.1 % |
| Valais | 43,725 | 40.0 % |
| Vaud | 117,286 | 39.3 % |
| Zug | 16,287 | 38.1 % |
| Zurich | 199,008 | 41.0 % |
C permit: the settlement permit →
Family reunification in Switzerland: who, when and on what conditions →
Work permits in Switzerland: rules, priority, quotas →
All permits compared →
Moving to and from Switzerland →
Sources: FSO: demographic balance and permanent resident population by permit type · FNIA · VZAE · SCA · SEM · FSO px-x-0103010000_101 · SLI-2026-10-10.39
Frequently asked questions
How long is a B permit valid?
The first B residence permit is valid for one year and can be extended by two years. Your passport must remain valid for six months after the permit expires.
When do I have to renew my B permit?
Apply to renew a B permit no earlier than three months and no later than 14 days before it expires. You may stay in Switzerland during the procedure.
Can I bring my family on a B permit?
For families of B permit holders the same conditions apply, but there is no entitlement: the authority may grant the permit.
When does a B permit become a C permit?
You can get a C permit after at least ten years in Switzerland with an L or B permit, the last five years without interruption on a B permit, if there are no grounds for revocation and you are integrated.
Information, not legal advice. The laws and the decision of the cantonal migration office are authoritative.
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