As of April 2, 2025, all Swiss and EU citizens, including children and babies, must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter the UK for short stays. This applies to tourists, business travelers, and those visiting family or friends. Who is exempt from the ETA? An ETA is not required for travelers who: Hold […]
What is a CDL? The “carte de légitimation”, or Cdl, is an authorization to work delivered by the Department of Foreign Affairs to non-Swiss citizens employed by UN organizations and diplomatic staff based in Switzerland. This authorization allows the beneficiary to exercise their duties without a visa or work permit. Thus, Cdl holders are exempt […]
Obtaining Swiss citizenship is often perceived as the holy grail by foreigners, as the ordinary procedure is said to be one of the strictest in the world. In 2018, a change in the law made the requirements for naturalization more restrictive. Thus, an applicant must now have a settlement permit (C permit) and must have […]
Since the end of the post-Brexit transition measures in January 2021, UK citizens no longer hold the same residency rights as EU citizens. However, UK citizens who were living or working in Switzerland before the end of December 2020 benefit from the protection of acquired rights, allowing them to retain their residency rights under the […]
Switzerland is a prime destination for seasonal workers, especially during the winter months. Given the short duration of their stay, typically four to six months, seasonal workers are subject to temporary work permits. Here’s how it works for both European and non-European citizens. For European citizens Switzerland’s Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) […]
Obtaining the Swiss citizenship
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What changes under the new law? In June 2014, the Swiss Parliament modified the law regarding the conditions to obtain the Swiss citizenship. This change reflects the Parliament’s wish to facilitate the obtention of the Swiss citizenship to foreign residents who are well integrated in Switzerland. Currently, there are between 30’000 and 40’000 individuals obtaining […]
The quotas for work permits attributed to non-European citizens in 2017 have been now established by the Federal Council. Bern decided that Switzerland must be able to recruit high skilled workers from countries not necessarily part of the EU/EFTA to sustain the economic market and remain in accordance with the agreement on the free movement […]
Applying for Swiss citizenship while holding a légitimation card is still possible before the end of 2017. From January 2018, the naturalization law (LN) will change and applicants holding a C permit only will be considered for citizenship. Therefore, expatriates planning to obtain the Swiss citizenship and having lived in Switzerland for more than 12 […]
Applying for a work permit to hire skilled non-European staff is an important step for any international company based in Switzerland. The type of permit delivered is dependent on the length of the contract. A contract going over 365 days will result in a B permit while a contract under one year will result in […]
From 15th February 2018 onwards, children of immigrants born in Switzerland will have easier access to Swiss citizenship. Last week, the Federal Council modified the law regarding facilitated naturalization for 3rd generation applicants to establish a simplified procedure. Hence, the Swiss population has voted in favour of fast-tracked naturalizations for third generation non-nationals by 60.4%. […]
A recent court judgment pronounced in Zurich has highlighted the fact that maintaining a B permit after a divorce can be sometimes challenging when the permit was obtained through family reunification. Thus, the law grants the right to a Swiss citizen or C permit holder to live in Switzerland with his foreign spouse and children […]
In August 2018, the Federal Counsel approved the modifications brought to the Swiss Federal Law on Foreigners (LEtr), which consequently will become from the 1st January 2019 the Federal Law on Foreigners and Integration (“la loi fédérale sur les étrangers et l’intégration” LEI). The introduction of the LEI in 2019 aims to ameliorate foreigners’ integration […]