Do Uk Citizens Need A Work Permit For Switzerland
Do Uk Citizens Need A Work Permit For Switzerland? If you are a UK citizen, you do not need a work permit for Switzerland. But there is more to the story and if you would like to know all of it, welcome to the page, please read on.
Do Uk Citizens Need A Work Permit For Switzerland? Uk Citizens who want to take up employment in Switzerland do not require a work permit. Thanks to the free movement of people agreement, Uk and Swiss citizens can work in either country on a self-employed basis or as an employed person. However, the work permit is still required: -for non-Swiss citizen nationals; and -for self-employed Uk and Swiss citizens if they are working in certain occupations.
Do Uk Citizens Need A Work Permit For Switzerland
There are many misconceptions about the labour market for UK Citizens moving to Switzerland, who often assume that if they have a work permit and a job then it is a green light for them to move to the country. However, in actuality, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered before making such a decision. Here at the UKBA Advice blog we discuss these issues facing UK Citizens wishing to move abroad with our resident expert Joni, who has been helping people come to terms with their immigration implications since 1999.
If you were living in Switzerland before 1 January 2021
Some parts of this guide only apply if you have been living in Switzerland since before 1 January 2021. You should read these in addition to the rest of the guidance in each section.
You should also read our Living in Europe page for information about citizens’ rights under the UK – Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement and the Swiss government’s FAQs for UK nationals.
Coronavirus
Follow the advice of the Swiss government and your local authority. You should also read the Switzerland travel advice.
For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in Switzerland read coronavirus travel advice.
Visas and residency
You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.
Check the entry requirements for Switzerland. You should also read the Swiss Government’s guidance for UK nationals coming to Switzerland to work from 1 January 2021. It explains the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (FNIA) requirements you must meet to live or work in Switzerland.
The Federal Court sets quotas for residence permits and short stay permits. The Court releases quotas every 3 months and the cantons manage them. Read the Swiss Embassy guidance on residency permits.
Within 14 days of arriving, you must register at your local office of resident services in your municipality (Einwohnerdienste or Centre du contrôle des habitants).
If you stay in Switzerland for more than 90 days, you will need to apply for a residence permit with your local cantonal authority (Einwohnerdienste or Centre du contrôle des habitants).
If you are employed by an international organisation
If you have an international permit (carte de légitimation), you are not covered by the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement. Special provisions apply to international permit holders wishing to retire and remain in Switzerland.
Visas and residency if you were living in Switzerland before 1 January 2021
If you have lived in Switzerland since before 1 January 2021, you and your family members have rights under the UK – Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement. Your current residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung, or Permis de séjour or Permessi di dimora) remains valid. It also shows your right to enter Switzerland, and exempts you from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and visa requirements.
You should apply for a new permit before your short or long stay permit, or frontier worker permit expires.
Read the Swiss government’s FAQs for UK nationals.
Your close family members continue to be able to join you and settle in Switzerland at any point in the future. Read more information on who this applies to in the Living in Europe guidance. They must travel to Switzerland and then apply as your family member. Nationals of certain non-EU countries may need a visa before travel. The Swiss authorities should issue family reunion visas free of charge.
Passports and travel
Coronavirus travel restrictions may affect travel to and from Switzerland.
You can apply for or renew your British passport from Switzerland.
Check the Switzerland travel advice for passport validity requirements.
Always carry your passport when travelling within the Schengen area. If you have citizenship of an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, in addition to your British citizenship, you should enter and leave Switzerland using your EU or EFTA passport.
If you stay in Switzerland with a Swiss residence permit or long stay visa, this time does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for the Schengen area.
If you visit other Schengen area countries outside Switzerland, make sure you do not exceed the visa-free 90 days in any 180-day period. You are responsible for counting how long you stay under the Schengen visa waiver, and you must comply with its conditions.
Different rules apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.
If you were living in Switzerland before 1 January 2021
When you travel, carry your residence document (Aufenthaltsbewilligung/Permis de séjour/Permessi di dimora) or frontier worker permit issued under the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.
You must proactively show your residence document, or other evidence of residence status, if you are asked to show your passport at border control. Other evidence may be your tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020. If you have applied for, but not yet received, your residence document, show your certificate of registration.
If you cannot prove that you are resident in Switzerland, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the Schengen area. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.
If you have rights under the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement, you can enter and exit Switzerland with a valid passport. You do not need any additional validity on the passport beyond the dates on which you are travelling.
Healthcare
Read our guidance on healthcare in Switzerland and make sure you are correctly registered for your circumstances.
Travel insurance is not intended to cover healthcare costs if you live overseas.
Unless you have UK-funded healthcare in Switzerland, you must buy insurance with a Swiss health insurance company within 3 months of arriving in Switzerland.
Read the Swiss government guidance on:
- health insurance for foreigners in Switzerland
- social insurance for foreign nationals
- old-age and survivors’ insurance
- disability insurance
You should also read guidance on:
- finding an English-speaking doctor in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
- travelling with medicines
Working in Switzerland
If you are planning to move to Switzerland and work, you have to get a work permit. There is a work permit quota for UK nationals.
Read the Swiss government’s guidance on working in Switzerland as a foreign national and how to get a visa.
If you work 8 hours or more a week, you’re covered against occupational and non-occupational accidents by your employer.
To apply for a job you may need to: