Which permit do you need to move to Switzerland?
Three questions to see which authorisation fits your plans. The result is a likely route: the canton and the SEM decide.
Result
Likely route: B permit (resident)
For a stay of more than a year, the SEM provides for the residence permit, the B permit, which is limited in time.
A Swiss employment contract is the central document of the file.
- Within 14 days of arrival: register with the commune, with an ID, a residence permit and proof of health insurance.
- The C permit (settlement, no time limit) comes later, under conditions set by the SEM.
- Ci (people linked to foreign representations) and G (cross-border commuters) are separate cases.
This result is a likely route, not a decision: the canton and the SEM decide. A specialist checks your situation before the file is submitted.
Assumptions and sources
Sources: SEM (permit types L, B, C, Ci and G; two regimes, EU/EFTA and non-EU/EFTA); Federal Council, press release of 19.11.2025 (2026 quotas); FNIA, art. 42 to 47 (family reunification). Permit validity periods are not given here: the SEM and the canton set them.
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If you are asking which Swiss permit you need, start with the tool above. It asks a few simple questions and shows the route that usually applies to people in a similar situation.
How to use the tool
Answer the questions in order. Think of a couple moving from Singapore with a job offer, or a family from the United States with two school-age children: the first question is always about your nationality, because it decides the whole path.
The result is an orientation. It does not decide anything, and it does not replace the authority. The cantonal migration office and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) make the actual decision.
The rule behind the result
Switzerland has two regimes. One applies to citizens of EU/EFTA countries, under the free movement agreement. The other applies to citizens of third countries, meaning everyone outside the EU/EFTA (State Secretariat for Migration, SEM).
Permits also differ by length of stay: short-term (under one year), annual (limited) and settlement (unlimited). For EU/EFTA citizens the titles are L, B, C, Ci and G (SEM).
What the tool cannot tell you
It does not know your full situation. Conditions, durations and deadlines depend on the permit and the canton, so the tool does not state them. A specialist can look at your details through the request at the bottom of the page.
For more detail, read Which Swiss permit is yours?, then the pages on the L permit and the C permit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the result a promise of a permit?
No. It shows the route that usually applies. The authorities decide on every application.
Does the tool store my answers?
The tool only shows a result on screen. Sending it to yourself is optional and happens through the request.
What if I am an EU or EFTA citizen?
Your route follows the free movement agreement, with titles such as L, B and C (SEM).
What if I am from outside the EU or EFTA?
The third-country regime applies, with its own conditions that the cantonal office explains. Our FAQ answers more questions.