Moving to Switzerland as an American?

The real rule

Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.

For Americans, Switzerland is easy to visit and not something to move to on a whim. Work permits for people from outside the EU and EFTA are limited to managers, specialists and other qualified workers, and only if no one with precedence from Switzerland or the EU/EFTA can be recruited. As a newcomer from the US, the order is: job, permit, then the flight.

Swiss permits explained

The rule, explained

The Embassy of Switzerland in the USA says Americans can make visa-free short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Living and working here is a different matter. The embassy states that admitting a foreign worker to a Swiss employer needs the authorisation of the competent cantonal authority, and that the entry visa is granted only once those authorisations have been delivered. The State Secretariat for Migration, SEM, adds who applies: the employer. For people from outside the EU and EFTA, admission is limited to managers, specialists and other qualified workers, and only if no one with precedence from Switzerland or the EU/EFTA can be recruited. So the order is fixed: job, permit, then the flight.

Sources: Embassy of Switzerland in the USA, Visa, entry to and residence in Switzerland; SEM, Basis for admission to the Swiss employment market

Questions people ask

How long can Americans stay in Switzerland without a visa?

Up to 90 days within a 180-day period (Embassy of Switzerland in the USA).

Who applies for a Swiss work permit for an American?

The employer. For non-EU/EFTA nationals, admission is limited to managers, specialists and other qualified workers (SEM).

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