Heidi › Residence permits
B, L or C permit: which one applies to me and how do I get it?
It is the length of your contract that decides, not you. Under a year gives you an L permit. A year or more, or an open-ended contract, gives you a B permit. The C permit comes after 5 or 10 years of residence, depending on your nationality.
And there is no separate application to make: registering with the residents' registration office is what starts it.
The G permit is a case apart: it is not for people moving to Switzerland, but for cross-border workers, who work in Switzerland and go home every week.
The cut-off between L and B
The length of your employment contract settles it.
To get the C permit
Depending on your nationality and your integration.
The permits, in one table
| Permit | Who it is for | Valid for | Changing employer |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | Contract of under a year | Up to 364 days, renewable | Yes (EU/EFTA) |
| B | Contract of a year or more, or open-ended | 5 years, renewable — 1 year for students | Yes (EU/EFTA) |
| C | After 5 or 10 years of lawful residence | Unlimited, reviewed every 5 years | Yes, with no restrictions |
| G | Cross-border worker: works in Switzerland, lives in the EU/EFTA | The length of the contract, or 5 years if the contract runs a year or more | Yes, but every change has to be reported |
| Ci | Spouses and children of international civil servants | Tied to the main holder's status | Yes |
If you are a national of an EU or EFTA country, freedom of movement applies: a contract is enough, and the permit follows almost automatically.
For other nationalities, admission is capped and comes with conditions. Your employer has to show that nobody was found in Switzerland or in the EU, and the job has to match a sought-after qualification. It is not a formality.
How to get it, step by step
-
Register with your commune
Within 14 days of arriving, and before you start work. This is what starts the permit application — there is no separate step to take.
-
Hand in the documents
A valid identity document, your employment contract, your tenancy agreement or proof of accommodation, a passport photo, and, depending on your situation, a birth or marriage certificate. Expect a fee of between 50 and 150 francs.
-
Wait for the canton's decision
Your file goes to the cantonal migration office. It takes anything from a few weeks to a few months depending on the canton. In the meantime, a confirmation letter lets you work and open an account.
Renewal: two dates not to miss
| When to apply | Why |
|---|---|
| No earlier than 3 months before it expires | Apply sooner and it will be turned down |
| No later than 2 weeks before | After that, you risk a break in your residence |
Send in your current permit, a valid identity document, and the expiry notice if the canton sent you one. For non-EU/EFTA nationals, your passport has to stay valid for at least three months beyond the permit's expiry date.
The C permit counts years of unbroken residence. Let a permit lapse, leave for a few months, spend a spell with no status, and the clock can go back to zero. It is the costliest mistake of all, because you only find out years later.
The C permit: 5 years or 10 years
This is the permit that changes your life: unlimited duration, free choice of job and canton, and no renewal date to keep an eye on. There are two timelines:
- After 5 years for nationals of countries with a settlement agreement with Switzerland, which includes most EU and EFTA countries.
- After 10 years for other nationalities. Getting it early, at 5 years, is still possible if you are well integrated.
In every case, the canton looks at your integration: how well you speak the language of your region, whether you have drawn on social assistance, whether you have respected the law, and whether you are working or in training.
Start language classes and keep the certificates from your first year on. The level required for the C permit has to be proved with a recognised certificate, and it is usually that piece of paper that is missing on the day you apply — not the years of residence.
The three most common mistakes
- Waiting for your permit before doing anything else. Health insurance, a bank account and school do not wait for the permit. The confirmation from your commune is enough.
- Forgetting to report a change. Moving house, changing employer, getting married, having a baby: all of it goes to your commune, within days.
- Letting your permit expire. Renewal is not automatic, and nobody will chase you twice.
Which permit for your nationality, your contract and your canton?
Heidi tells you, and lists exactly what your commune asks for.
Read next
- Retirement as a cross-border worker: AVS, the second pillar and the second right to choose
- Family allowances for cross-border workers: Switzerland or France?
- What happens to my second pillar when I leave my Swiss job?
- Unemployment as a cross-border worker: where to register, who pays and how much?
- G permit: conditions, going home and changing employer
- Quasi-resident status: who can apply, and by when?
- Who gets my taxes as a cross-border worker: France or Switzerland?
- How much do you take home in Switzerland as a cross-border worker?
- How many days of remote work can I do without losing my cross-border worker status?
- Do I have to file a tax return in my first year in Switzerland?
- Am I entitled to a premium subsidy for my health insurance?
- How does the Swiss three-pillar pension system work?
- Can I keep my French health insurance when I move to Switzerland?
- What does a month of living in Switzerland really cost?
- What documents does a letting agency ask for to rent a flat in Switzerland?
- What do I need to do in my first 14 days in Switzerland?
- How long do I have to join LAMal after arriving in Switzerland?
- What does LAMal cover, and what does it not cover?
Sources
- ch.ch — Swiss residence permits: applying, renewing, losing one
- État de Fribourg — Types of residence permit and how long they last
Written by the Heidi team and updated on 7 November 2026. Processing times, fees and the documents required vary from canton to canton: the decision rests with the cantonal migration office.