Imagine a software engineer in Manchester whose company opens a new team near Zurich. She keeps her employment contract, her manager and her home payroll, but her desk moves to Switzerland for a while. That is the everyday picture of a posted worker: you stay employed by your home-country employer while the work happens on Swiss soil.
This guide explains what is different about that setup, in the order things tend to happen. It is general information. Your employer's mobility team and the Swiss authorities decide the details, and a specialist can look at your own situation through the request at the bottom of the page.
What "posted" really means
A posting is a work arrangement, not a visa category. Three things usually define it:
- your employment contract stays with the sending company abroad;
- the company sends you to Switzerland for a defined project or period;
- you are expected to return, or to move on, when the assignment ends.
A local hire is different: a Swiss company signs you directly, and the contract is under Swiss employment law from day one. Many people mix the two up, and the difference shapes almost everything below: permits, payroll, social security and taxes.
If your employer is moving you but you are not sure which kind of assignment you have, the page on how an assignment works walks through the common set-ups.
Step one: which permit regime applies
Switzerland has two admission regimes. One covers nationals of EU and EFTA states, who come under the free movement agreement with the EU. The other covers nationals of third countries, meaning everyone outside the EU and EFTA. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) publishes the framework for the second group.
For a posted worker, the regime follows nationality, not the employer's location. A French colleague and an Indian colleague sent by the same company can face quite different paperwork. The detailed conditions, such as qualification levels or priority rules for the local labor market, are set by the authorities and are not repeated here.
To get a first idea of the route that usually fits a profile, try the permit finder. It is a guide to the questions, not a decision.
Short assignments
Some postings are short. For certain service providers from EU and EFTA states, a lighter notification procedure can replace a full permit application, but its scope, timing and limits depend on the sector and on current rules. The page on short assignments explains the idea; the authorities confirm what applies to a given posting.
Third-country nationals
For people from the UK, the US, India, Canada, Australia, the Gulf, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan or Korea, admission follows the third-country rules. Places are limited by quotas for some permit types, which is why timing matters. See quotas for non-EU workers for how that works in practice.
What changes compared with staying at home
Contract and pay
Because the contract usually stays with your home employer, payslips may still come from abroad. Even so, the host country can apply some of its own working conditions to workers posted there. Which ones, and how they are checked, depends on the sector and on the rules that apply to the posting. Ask your employer to explain in writing what is covered.
Social security
Social security is one of the least obvious parts of a posting. Some people stay in their home system for a period; others are brought into the Swiss system. This depends on agreements between countries and on the facts of the assignment, and the competent institutions decide. A specialist can review a specific posting.
Taxes
Tax treatment depends on where you are considered resident, how long you stay and what your home country's rules say. Many assignees end up with obligations in two countries. General rules exist, but how they apply varies with each situation, so this is a point for a tax specialist rather than a rule of thumb.
Health insurance
Here the rule is clear. Anyone who takes up residence in Switzerland is required to take out basic health insurance within three months of taking up residence. If that deadline is respected, cover applies back to the date of arrival and premiums are due from then. If the deadline is missed, cover starts on the date of affiliation, a premium surcharge can apply for an unexcused delay, and the cantonal authority can assign an insurer.
Posted workers sometimes keep an international policy from home. Whether that replaces Swiss basic cover or only adds to it depends on the rules for the posting, so it is worth asking the authorities before relying on it. The official explanation is on the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) site.
The order of things, from home to arrival
Before you leave
Use the weeks at home well. A calm checklist beats a rushed first week:
- Ask your employer for the posting terms in writing (period, pay, tax and social security approach)
- Gather passports, civil records and any diplomas the authorities may ask for
- Check which permit regime applies to your nationality
- Prepare a rental file, or ask whether temporary housing is part of the package
- Look into school options if children are coming
- Ask your current health insurer what happens to your cover when you leave
The relocation calendar and the personal checklist builder help turn this into dates and tasks.
On arrival
Arrival in Switzerland comes with a registration step. People who move in report their arrival to the municipality within 14 days, though this can vary by municipality and canton. Expect to show identification, your residence or work permit, and proof of health insurance. Your municipality will tell you its exact practice (ch.ch).
Housing and daily life during a posting
Employers often handle housing differently for postings than for permanent hires. Some provide company-arranged flats, others offer an allowance or a managed service. Read the page on company-provided housing and compare it with a lump sum or managed move before you agree to anything.
Family comes into it too. A couple from Singapore with a child starting school will care about the canton, the commute and the school system, not just the office. The canton guide and the school finder are good places to start. If a spouse also plans to work, that is a separate permit question to raise early with the authorities.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming the permit is "the employer's problem" and never checking the dates it covers.
- Treating a short stay as permanent, or the reverse, and arranging housing for the wrong period.
- Leaving health insurance until after arrival and missing the legal deadline.
- Forgetting that a posting that runs longer than planned can change the paperwork.
- Not asking, in writing, who pays for what: flights, housing, school fees, tax support.
How a specialist can help
Relocation Swiss is a matching service. It works with relocation companies in Switzerland and, depending on your request, connects you with one that fits your needs. The service does not decide permits; the authorities do. Fill in the request at the bottom of the page, and the relocation company can review your assignment details with you. You can also read what a relocation package covers or how the service works.
Frequently asked questions
Is a posted worker the same as a local hire?
No. A posted worker stays employed by a company abroad, while a local hire signs a Swiss contract. This changes permits, payroll and social security.
Do posted workers need a Swiss permit?
It depends on the nationality and the type of assignment. The authorities decide, and short stays can follow a lighter procedure in some cases.
What are the two admission regimes?
One applies to EU and EFTA nationals under the free movement agreement. The other applies to third-country nationals. Details are published by the SEM.
Does my nationality or my employer's country decide the regime?
Nationality is the starting point. The country of the sending company does not replace it.
Can an American employee be posted to Switzerland?
Yes, under the third-country rules. Admission is not automatic, and quotas can apply to some permit types.
Can a British employee be posted?
Yes. After Brexit, British nationals are treated as third-country nationals, so the third-country route is the usual starting point.
Is there a faster route for short assignments?
For some service providers from EU and EFTA states, a notification procedure exists. Scope and limits depend on the sector, so check the page on short assignments.
Who files the permit application?
Usually the employer or its advisers, with documents you provide. The exact split is agreed within the assignment.
Can my family come with me?
Family members can often join, but each person's status is checked separately. Raise this early with the authorities.
Can my spouse work in Switzerland?
That is a separate question from your own permit. The authorities decide, and rules differ by nationality.
When do I register with the municipality?
Arrival is reported to the municipality within 14 days, though practice can vary by municipality and canton.
What do I bring to registration?
Identification, your residence or work permit and proof of health insurance. The municipality confirms its list.
Is Swiss health insurance compulsory for posted workers?
Anyone domiciled in Switzerland is required to take out basic health insurance within three months. Whether a posting changes that is a point to confirm with the authorities.
What if I miss the insurance deadline?
Cover starts at affiliation, a surcharge can apply for an unexcused delay, and the canton can assign an insurer.
Can I keep my home health insurance?
Sometimes it adds to Swiss cover, but it does not automatically replace it. Ask the competent authority.
Will I pay tax in Switzerland?
That depends on residence, length of stay and the rules of both countries. A tax specialist can review the situation.
Does my pay change during a posting?
Often through allowances or tax adjustments. Your employer's assignment letter should spell this out.
Which social security system applies?
Either your home system or the Swiss one, depending on agreements and the facts of the posting. The institutions decide.
Is housing included in a posting?
Sometimes. Terms vary from company-arranged flats to allowances. Read the policy before signing.
Where do I begin?
Ask your employer for the posting terms, then try the permit finder and the calendar. Add a request at the bottom of the page for personal support.