All foreign citizens who live and work in Switzerland must have a valid work permit and/or residence permit. The application is normally made by the employer. There are several different types of residence permits:
- Permit B (residence permit): This is a residence permit with authorisation to work. The permit will be issued on production of a contract of employment with a duration of at least 12 months. It is valid for 5 years. No limitations on the type of work or place of residence.
- Permit C (settlement permit): Residence permit of unlimited duration, not linked to any particular conditions. Prerequisite for obtaining this settlement permit is regular, uninterrupted residence in Switzerland for 5 years.
- Permit G (cross-border commuter permit): Persons with Permit G live abroad, close to the Swiss border, and have a valid employment contract in Swiss territory. They must return to their place of residence abroad at least once a week.
- Permit L (short-term residence permit): This is issued for a limited duration (usually for less than one year) to persons with a certain reason for short-term residence in Switzerland. This is often the case for "au pairs" or young workers between 18 and 30 years of age who want to complete an internship in Switzerland. Permit L can be converted to Permit B - or if the person lives close to the border into Permit G - if the contract of employment is extended.
You can find all information on the various residence permits on the website of the Federal Office for Migration (FOM): http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/themen/aufenthalt.html
