Switzerland · Work
Switzerland Work permit B
Third-country work permit B (residence permit with gainful activity)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Work permit B is a work route for Switzerland. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The residence permit is time-limited and can be extended.
Permanent residenceAfter 10 years of residence
Settlement permit (C) after 10 years in Switzerland, the last 5 on a residence permit, with good integration; 5 years in a row on a residence permit is enough if you speak the local national language well.
CitizenshipAfter 10 years of residence
Ordinary naturalisation needs 10 years of residence including 3 of the last 5, and a C permit when you apply; years on B and C permits count.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Switzerland
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply5
- The applicant is a manager, specialist or other qualified worker, typically with a university degree plus several years of experience.
- The work is in the overall economic interest.
- Swiss and EU/EFTA workers have precedence in the vacancy search.
- A quota place is available (Art. 20 FNIA).
- Suitable accommodation.
What you must show1
- Salary and working conditions customary for the region and sector; no fixed salary threshold.
Documents1
- An employment contract conditional on the permit.
Steps2
- Registration with regional employment centres in professions with high unemployment.
- 2026 quotas: 4,500 B permits and 4,000 L permits (8,500 in total).
When you become tax resident
How Switzerland decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 30 days in a stay in Switzerland, temporary interruptions disregardedTax residence by stay applies from 30 days when the person works in Switzerland (DBG Art. 3(3)(a)).
- At least 90 days in a stay in Switzerland, temporary interruptions disregardedTax residence by stay applies from 90 days when the person does not work in Switzerland (DBG Art. 3(3)(b)).
- Foreign-source income
Residents are taxed on worldwide income at the federal direct tax scale of 0% up to CHF 15,200 (≈ $18,200) (single) rising to 11.5% above CHF 794,000, (≈ $952,000) and cantons and municipalities add their own income and wealth taxes, so the total burden depends on the place of residence.
All tax rules for Switzerland Tax records checked
Full official text
Admission of non-EU/EFTA workers is limited to managers, specialists and other qualified workers (typically a university degree plus several years of experience) and requires overall economic interest, precedence of the domestic labour market, customary salary and conditions, suitable accommodation and a place within annual quotas. For 2026 the Federal Council left the quotas at 4,500 B permits and 4,000 L permits for third-country nationals (8,500 in total). 1 2
Requirements
- The applicant is a manager, specialist or other qualified worker, typically with a university degree plus several years of experience. 1
- The work is in the overall economic interest. 1 3
- Swiss and EU/EFTA workers have precedence in the vacancy search. 1
- A quota place is available (Art. 20 FNIA). 1 2
- Suitable accommodation. 1 3
- Salary and working conditions customary for the region and sector; no fixed salary threshold. 1 3
- An employment contract conditional on the permit. 1
- Registration with regional employment centres in professions with high unemployment. 1
- 2026 quotas: 4,500 B permits and 4,000 L permits (8,500 in total). 1 2
Stay
- Residence permit B for stays of more than a year; it is time-limited and can be extended.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Non-EU/EFTA nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Employment with the employer named in the permit.
Family
Family reunification under Art. 43-44 FNIA.
Official sources
- Basis for admission to the Swiss employment market (non-EU/EFTA) · State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) · checked 2026-10-10
- Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment (VZAE/ASEO, SR 142.201), Annexes 1 and 2, version of 1 January 2026 · Swiss Confederation (Fedlex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Federal Council leaves third-country quotas for 2026 unchanged (decision of 19 November 2025) · Swiss Federal Council (admin.ch) · checked 2026-10-10
- Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (FNIA), Articles 42-51 on family reunification · Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation (Fedlex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Ordinary naturalisation · State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland · checked 2026-10-11
Work permit B and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit B | – | – | – |
| Work permit L (short-term) | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Blue Card Portugal | Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930 | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Employee visa Spain | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
| D1 work / business visa Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Work permit B?
Residence permit B for stays of more than a year; it is time-limited and can be extended.
Can I work on the Work permit B?
Employment with the employer named in the permit.
Can I bring my family on the Work permit B?
Family reunification under Art.
Who can apply for the Work permit B?
Non-EU/EFTA nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Work permit B lead to permanent residence in Switzerland?
Time on the Work permit B counts toward permanent residence in Switzerland, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence. Time on the Work permit B counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Work permit B holders taxed in Switzerland?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Work permit B. The standard rules apply: Residents are taxed on worldwide income at the federal direct tax scale of 0% up to CHF 15,200 (≈ $18,200) (single) rising to 11.5% above CHF 794,000, (≈ $952,000) and cantons and municipalities add their own income and wealth taxes, so the total burden depends on the place of residence.
More in Switzerland
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Basis for admission to the Swiss employment market (non-EU/EFTA) · State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) · checked 2026-10-10
- Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment (VZAE/ASEO, SR 142.201), Annexes 1 and 2, version of 1 January 2026 · Swiss Confederation (Fedlex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Federal Council leaves third-country quotas for 2026 unchanged (decision of 19 November 2025) · Swiss Federal Council (admin.ch) · checked 2026-10-10
- Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (FNIA), Articles 42-51 on family reunification · Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation (Fedlex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Ordinary naturalisation · State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.