Legal library

All Swiss residence permits and status types, with official sources, review status and next scheduled review.

• Recognised refugee in Switzerland — grant of asylum and B residence permit “refugee”Editorially reviewed
• The B residence permit — Swiss immigration law in detailEditorially reviewed
• C settlement permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung) — Permanent residence in SwitzerlandEditorially reviewed
• Ci permit — Residence for accompanying persons of officials of international organisations and diplomatic missionsBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Provisional Admission (F permit) — the status between removal and right of residenceEditorially reviewed
• G permit — cross-border permitEditorially reviewed
• The L short-term permit — all subclasses at a glanceBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• N residence permit — stay during asylum proceedingsBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Naturalisation in Switzerland — Paths to Swiss CitizenshipEditorially reviewed
• S protection status — Temporary protection for persons from UkraineEditorially reviewed

Marriage, divorce, job loss, moving canton: what major life events trigger under Swiss immigration law, with official sources, review status and next review date.

• Debt enforcement (Betreibung) and immigration law — effects on permit renewal and naturalisationBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Birth of a child in Switzerland — permit derivation and Swiss citizenshipBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Change of canton and residence permit — Art. 37 FNIABeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Death of a permit holder — consequences for family membersBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Divorce and Residence Permit — Art. 50 FNIAEditorially reviewed
• Change of employment and residence permit — overview by permit typeBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Revocation of the residence or settlement permit — Art. 62 and 63 FNIABeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Family reunification by a Swiss national — Art. 42 FNIABeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Hardship provisions under Art. 30 LEI/LStrI/FNIA — Granting of a residence permit in cases of serious personal hardshipEditorially reviewed
• Integration Agreement — FNIA Art. 58a SR 142.20, FNIA Art. 58b SR 142.20, integration criteria and cantonal practiceBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Job loss and residence permit — overview by permit typeBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Language certification — A1 / A2 / B1 fide for permit and naturalisationBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Marriage between two foreign nationals residing in Switzerland — Permit synchronisationBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Marriage to a Swiss national — consequences under foreign nationals lawBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Schengen overstay — consequences, criminal law and no documented "safe" pathBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Sibling family reunification — the legal situationEditorially reviewed

Registration, extension, fees, deadlines and appeals: the key Swiss immigration procedures step by step, with official sources, review status and next review date.

• Deadlines Table: Swiss Immigration Law — OverviewEditorially reviewed
• Fees in Swiss Immigration Law — Overview 2024 / Current as of 2026Editorially reviewed
• Appeal against rulings of the cantonal migration authoritiesBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Recognition of foreign qualifications and professional diplomasEditorially reviewed
• Apostille and authentication of foreign documentsBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Renewal of residence permits — overview and procedureBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• From G cross-border permit holder to B residence permit holder — minimal v3 bridgeEditorially reviewed
• Cantonal registration of arrival within 14 days — Art. 12 FNIA and Art. 10 / Art. 15 OASABeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Change of Name and Gender Entry — Procedure and Updating of the Foreign Nationals’ Identity DocumentEditorially reviewed
• Transition from S protection status to B residence permit — Overview and procedureEditorially reviewed
• Travel documents for foreign nationals — overview and proceduresEditorially reviewed

Zurich, Geneva, Vaud, Bern, Basel-Stadt, Zug and the canton clusters: how cantonal practice differs under Swiss immigration law, with official sources, review status and next review date.

• Canton of Aargau — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Basel-Landschaft — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Fribourg — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Glarus — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Graubünden — immigration practice (cantonal deep dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Jura — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Lucerne — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Neuchâtel — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Nidwalden — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Schaffhausen — Immigration Practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Schwyz — immigration practice (cantonal deep dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Solothurn — immigration practice (cantonal deep dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of St. Gallen — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Thurgau — Immigration Practice (Cantonal Deep Dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Valais — Immigration Practice (cantonal focus)Editorially reviewed
• Cluster — German-speaking Standard-Practice CantonsEditorially reviewed
• Cluster — Multilingual Alpine Cantons (GR/VS)Editorially reviewed
• Cluster Romandie-Standard — cantonal practice VD/FR/NE/JUEditorially reviewed
• Ticino Cluster — cantonal practice of the only Italian-speaking cantonEditorially reviewed
• Cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft — Immigration Practice (cantonal focus)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Bern — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Geneva — Immigration practice (cantonal deep dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Vaud — Immigration practice (cantonal in-depth)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Zug — immigration practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed
• Canton of Zurich — Immigration Practice (cantonal deep-dive)Editorially reviewed

FNIA, ASEO, AFMP, the Citizenship and Asylum Acts and the SEM directives: the legal foundations of Swiss immigration law at a glance, with official sources, review status and next review date.

• FNIA and OASA — Glossary of Swiss foreign-nationals lawBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Glossary of the Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31) and the Asylum Ordinance 1/3Editorially reviewed
• Glossary of the Swiss Citizenship Act 2018 (SCA, SR 141.0)Editorially reviewed
• Cantonal Migration Implementing Acts — Reference IndexBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Data protection at SwissImmigrationPro — Federal Act on Data Protection (nDSG)Editorially reviewed
• Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (FZA) and the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU/EFTA — GlossaryEditorially reviewed
• SEM Instructions — Index and OverviewBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Swiss Social Security and its Impact on the PermitEditorially reviewed

Brexit, EFTA, settlement treaties: what bilateral agreements and international treaties mean for specific nationalities, with official sources, review status and next review date.

• Settlement Treaties Switzerland–Germany 1909 and Switzerland–Austria 1875 — historical bilateral agreements under the AFMP regimeBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• The EFTA Convention and the Liechtenstein special case — Norway, Iceland and the Principality in Swiss immigration lawBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Russia and Belarus since 2022 — effects of the sanctions regime on Swiss migration practiceBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Switzerland–Turkey Settlement Treaty of 1930 — bilateral basis with limited transparency of implementationBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• UK Citizens' Rights Agreement — Protection of acquired rights and permit regime for British nationals in Switzerland after BrexitEditorially reviewed
• Switzerland–USA Settlement Treaty of 1850 — the 5-year path to the C settlement permit for US nationalsBeing reviewed by a lawyer

Practical articles on Swiss foreign-nationals and citizenship law: permits, family reunification, naturalisation and free movement: explanatory, not advisory, with sources and verification notes.

• B Permit or C Permit: What Is the Difference?Being reviewed by a lawyer
• Changing cantons: what changes when you move to another cantonBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• EU/EFTA Free Movement of Persons: Which Rights Apply in SwitzerlandBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Family Reunification in Switzerland: Rules, Time Limits and RequirementsBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Checklist for moving to Switzerland: the key steps and deadlinesBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Self-Employment in Switzerland: the Permit for Self-Employed PersonsBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• The Path to Swiss Citizenship: Requirements and TimelineBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• The "Sustainability Initiative" (Stop 10 Million): What Permit Holders Should KnowBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• The cost of living in Switzerland: what newcomers actually need to budget forBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Your first weeks in Switzerland: a practical arrival checklistBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Finding an apartment in Switzerland as a newcomerBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Opening a Swiss bank account as a newcomerBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Getting around Switzerland: the public-transport guide for new arrivalsBeing reviewed by a lawyer
• Which language do you need? Switzerland's four languages and how the regions workBeing reviewed by a lawyer