Swiss work permits: B, L and the non-EU quota explained

The full transcript

0:00 Who needs a permit

Do you need a permit to work in Switzerland, and who handles it? It depends on your passport. ReloFinder lists 36 agencies that handle permits, and all of them the whole move around it.

0:15 Two routes

EU and EFTA nationals register and receive a permit almost as a formality. Third-country nationals need an employer-sponsored quota permit, a salary at local market level, and a case that the role could not be filled locally.

0:31 The quota is rarely the problem

The quota for 2026 is 8,500 non-EU permits: 4,500 B and 4,000 L. It is rarely the problem: 52% of the 2025 quota was used by the end of September. What stops a case is a weak labour-market or salary file, so file complete.

0:56 How a case runs

A case runs in five steps. Eligibility and permit type: nationality, role and salary decide the route. Employer and quota: for non-EU cases the employer files, and the agency prepares the labour-market and salary case the canton expects. Documents, complete and correctly translated the first time. Filing with the cantonal migration office and, for non-EU cases, approval by the State Secretariat for Migration, SEM. Then arrival, registration, and family reunification where it applies.

1:36 How long it takes

How long does it take? EU and EFTA registration takes days to a few weeks. Non-EU quota cases take several weeks to a few months, depending on canton and time of year. And non-EU nationals generally may not start work before the permit is approved.

1:58 The move around the permit

Often the employer covers only the work permit. The flat, family reunification and the first weeks are left to you. 35 of the 36 price your case in a free first consultation. ReloFinder does not file permits itself: we pass your request to a partner agency that does.

2:20 Get matched

Tell us about your move. Meet your consultant this week. Two minutes of questions, then a consultant from one of our partner agencies gets in touch. Free, with no obligation. The link is in the description.