Duty of a foreign employee and work permit

Duty of a foreign employee and work permit in Switzerland

Any foreigner who wants to work in Switzerland must have a permit.

The importance of the work permit in Switzerland

A work permit is mandatory for foreigners wishing to work in Switzerland. People who want to create a company are not excluded from this regulation. In fact, we can distinguish two cases:

on the one hand, a foreigner wishing to become an employee in a corporation and will have to apply for an employee permit
and on the other hand, a foreign national who wants to create his own company and who will have to apply for a self-employed permit.

The Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (ALCP) and the Bilateral Agreements were developed to facilitate the movement of EU nationals in Switzerland. This agreement has also made it easier for them to find a job in Switzerland. Nationals from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) also benefit from this privilege.

Countries that have access to the Swiss labour market

The countries mentioned below have complete freedom of movement without any restrictions in Switzerland. Intermediate measures or transitional arrangements no longer exist with respect to these countries.

List of European Union (EU-25) and EFTA countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

In addition, the new Member States (EU-2) are composed of Bulgaria and Romania. These two countries do not have free access to Switzerland. Transitional provisions are necessary in order to be able to enjoy work rights in the Swiss territory. These accesses in the Swiss labor market are limited. It is important to know that Swiss people have priority in the labor market. The conditions are the same for service providers in certain sectors of activity.

Third party states are other member states of the United Nations.

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