Moving to and from Switzerland: figures, permits, rules
In 2025, 204,261 people moved to Switzerland from abroad and 133,829 moved abroad (FSO). At the end of 2025, 2,566,958 people lived in Switzerland with a foreign nationals’ permit, most of them with a C or B permit. Anyone staying longer than three months or working here usually needs a permit; for work by EU/EFTA nationals of under three months per calendar year, the online notification is enough. The cantonal migration office decides on permits.
Moving to Switzerland
Which permit applies to whom, how long it is valid and when you get a C permit.
All permits and figures →Leaving Switzerland
Deregistering, what happens to your permit, keeping a C permit, withdrawing pillar 3a.
Leaving Switzerland: step by step →Moves across the border since 1981
The main rules
- Without gainful employment you need no permit and no registration for a stay of up to three months within six months. (VZAE Art. 9)
- EU/EFTA nationals need no permit for work of under three months per calendar year; it is reported through the online notification procedure. For a job of three months to one year they are entitled to an L permit. (SEM)
- 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)
- You can apply for naturalisation with a C permit after ten years in Switzerland in total, three of them in the last five. Years between your 8th and 18th birthday count double, but the actual stay must be at least six years. (SCA Art. 9)
- If you move abroad, deregister with your commune at the latest 14 days before you leave. (VZAE Art. 15 para. 2)
More figures and tools
Naturalisations by canton →
Foreign residents by canton →
Cross-border commuters →
Moving cost calculator: tax, rent and premiums in a new place →
Sources: FSO: demographic balance and permanent resident population by permit type · FNIA · VZAE · SCA · SEM · SLI-2026-10-10.39
Frequently asked questions
Which permit do I need?
It depends on your nationality, the purpose and the length of your stay. Thanks to free movement, EU/EFTA nationals have easier access than people from other countries. The overview of the L, B, C, Ci, G, F, N and S permits shows who gets which permit. The cantonal migration office decides.
How many people move to Switzerland every year?
In 2025 there were 204,261 arrivals from abroad and 133,829 departures abroad (FSO, demographic balance).
When do I get 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. 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.
When can I apply for Swiss citizenship?
You can apply for naturalisation with a C permit after ten years in Switzerland in total, three of them in the last five. Years between your 8th and 18th birthday count double, but the actual stay must be at least six years. In addition, cantons require a minimum residence in the canton of two to five years.
Is this page legal advice?
No. The page summarises the laws and federal pages and links the source of every rule. The cantonal migration office decides on your permit.
Information, not legal advice. The laws and the decision of the cantonal migration office are authoritative.
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