Relocation plan: Switzerland

Do you need a visa?

Yes, and it is hard. For people from outside the EU/EFTA, work permits are subject to annual quotas and reserved for highly qualified people (managers, specialists, a degree or equivalent experience).

• The employer must show that it found no suitable person in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA, and pay the usual salary conditions for the region and profession.
• The employer applies to the cantonal authority; the SEM (State Secretariat for Migration) must approve. You then apply for a D visa, if your nationality requires one.
• UK citizens have their own quota.

SEM: working in Switzerland

Documents and where to get them

In your country, before you leave

• Passport, valid for the whole move; the visa is issued in the passport.
• Birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if married). Usually with an apostille (or legalisation) and a certified translation; check with the embassy.
• Criminal record certificate from your country of nationality and, if different, from where you lived recently: visa applications often require it. Request it close to the date it will be used.
• Degree, transcript and references from previous jobs, digitally, with certified translations if the visa asks for them.

In Switzerland

• Lease and your employment contract, for the commune registration.
• Compulsory health insurance (LAMal/KVG): taken out by you with a Swiss insurer within 3 months of arriving; premiums vary by canton and insurer (Federal Office of Public Health).
• AHV/AVS number (social security): handled by the employer.
• Tax at source: with an L or B permit, tax is usually withheld from your salary.

Step by step

Before you leave

1. Sign the contract and confirm in writing the gross annual salary in francs, the number of salaries per year (often 13), the start date and the relocation support.
2. Wait for the cantonal and SEM approval and apply for the D visa, if needed.
3. Find housing: landlords usually ask for a debt register extract (Betreibungsauszug) and a deposit of up to 3 months' rent.
4. In your country, tell the authorities you are moving: update your registered address and your tax residence. In the year you leave, tax may be due for the part of the year you were still resident.

First week

1. Register at the commune before you start work (deadline: 14 days).
2. Open a bank account.

First month

1. Take out health insurance (deadline: 3 months; it covers you from arrival).
2. Check the tax at source and contributions (AHV, unemployment, occupational pension) on your payslip.