Moving to Switzerland 2026: Permits, Costs and First Steps

Anyone who stays in Switzerland for more than three months needs a permit, and how you get one depends on your passport. EU and EFTA citizens move under the free movement agreement and apply at their commune. Citizens of other countries, including the United States, need a permit arranged before they arrive, and for work that means an employer's application inside an annual quota. This guide covers the permit, the first weeks, health insurance, housing, bringing a dog and the questions nurses and Americans ask, as published by the Swiss federal authorities and read on 14 October 2026.

Which rules apply to you

The EU/EFTA residence permit for people without gainful employment is valid for five years. The cantons issue permits, so the application details come from the cantonal migration and employment market authority where you will live.

Moving to Switzerland as an American

• Visiting: SEM's list by nationality shows that US citizens need no visa for a stay of up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the planned date of departure and must have been issued less than 10 years ago.
• Staying longer: the same list shows a visa requirement for stays of more than 90 days.
• Working: under the same list a visa is required for paid work in certain sectors, and for any other paid work that exceeds 8 days in a calendar year. Non-EU/EFTA nationals require a work permit even for short-term employment, and only qualified people such as managers, specialists or university graduates with several years of professional experience are admitted.
• The quota: 8,500 permits are available for third-state workers in 2026.
• Timing: SEM says to expect six to eight weeks for a work permit file to be processed fully.
• Without a job: you must apply for a residence permit from the cantonal authority before you arrive, and show sufficient financial resources and adequate accident and health insurance. Students add a personal study plan, proof of admission, a CV and confirmation that they will leave at the end of their studies.
• Buying a home does not help: ch.ch states that purchasing a house, an apartment or land in Switzerland will not grant you a residence permit.

The work route is set out step by step in our Switzerland work visa guide.

Your first weeks: step by step

1. Register with your commune within 14 days of arriving. Third-country workers cannot start work before they have registered.
2. Get your permit. EU and EFTA citizens taking up employment bring a valid identity card or passport and confirmation of employment, such as the contract.
3. Take out health insurance within three months. ch.ch says you are already insured for that three-month period, and insurers must offer everyone basic insurance.
4. Clear your household goods through customs. You have two years from your transfer of residence to bring them in duty-free.
5. Exchange your driving licence within 12 months.
6. Register your dog with the commune, if you have one.

Bringing your belongings

People moving to Switzerland can bring most personal belongings without paying customs duties. Two conditions apply: you transfer your residence to Switzerland and can prove it, and you have used the belongings personally for at least six months and will keep using them. At the customs office you present:

• A full list of the imported goods and the duty-free import form, completed in duplicate.
• Your passport or identity card.
• A document certifying that you announced your departure to the authorities of the country you are leaving.
• Your Swiss residence permit or another document proving the transfer of residence, such as an employment contract or a lease.
• For vehicles, the foreign driving licence or vehicle registration certificate.
• Proof of purchase or rental of accommodation.

Moving to Switzerland with a dog

The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) sets the entry rules, and they depend on where you are coming from.

• Vaccination timing: the first rabies vaccination is possible from the age of 12 weeks and only becomes valid 21 days later.
• Limits: a maximum of five pets can travel under the pet rules. Importing dogs with docked ears or tails is prohibited.
• From the EU, if you cannot travel together: an authorised person may transport the animal if you travel between five days before and five days after it, with your written declaration enclosed with the pet passport.
• After arrival: you register the dog with your commune, which enters you and the dog in the AMICUS database. ch.ch puts the annual dog tax at about CHF 100 to 200, varying by commune.

The FSVO's online entry check gives the exact requirements for your country of departure. The United States is not classified on the pages we read, so run the check before you book.

Moving to Switzerland as a nurse

• Recognition: Switzerland distinguishes regulated and non-regulated professions. For regulated professions you contact the competent recognition authority, and ch.ch points health-sector professionals to the recognition of foreign qualifications by the Red Cross.
• EU and EFTA nurses move under free movement. For work of up to 90 days a year there is an accelerated registration procedure for checking foreign training.
• Nurses from other countries also need the employer-applied work permit, with the precedence check and the quota described above.

Health insurance and what it costs you

• Compulsory and private: if you live in Switzerland you must be insured with a Swiss health insurer, and you choose any company operating in your region.
• Premium: paid every month. It depends on the insurer, your model, your deductible and where you live, and is lower for children and young adults under 25.
• Deductible: the lowest for adults is CHF 300 a year and the highest CHF 2,500.
• Retention fee: after the deductible you pay ten percent of costs, limited to CHF 700 per year, or CHF 350 for children.
• Hospital: a contribution of CHF 15 per day.
• Help with premiums: low earners may be eligible for a reduction from their canton.

Housing, tax and driving

• Renting: most rental agreements are open-ended. A deposit is only payable if the agreement requires it, and for residential rentals it is a maximum of three months' rent.
• Buying: EU/EFTA nationals living in Switzerland and C permit holders have the same rights as Swiss citizens. Non-EU/EFTA nationals with a valid residence permit can buy their main residence without authorisation if they live in it themselves.
• Tax at source: foreign workers resident in Switzerland who do not hold a C permit, and do not have a Swiss or C-permit spouse, have income tax deducted from their salary. The rate varies from canton to canton.
• Driving: after 12 months you must exchange a foreign licence for a Swiss one. Licences from EU and EEA countries are exchanged without a driving test. For most other countries you take a driving test. ch.ch says the exchange costs more than CHF 100.

Pros and cons, from the official figures

For a move budget, see our cost of moving to Switzerland.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• ch.ch — Moving to Switzerland
• ch.ch — Permits for living in Switzerland
• ch.ch — Living in Switzerland without gainful employment
• ch.ch — Working in Switzerland as a foreign national
• ch.ch — Taking out health insurance
• ch.ch — Health insurance costs
• ch.ch — Exchanging your driving licence
• ch.ch — Purchasing property as a foreign national
• Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office — Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets
• State Secretariat for Migration — ID and visa provisions according to nationality
• State Secretariat for Migration — FAQ: Working
• Federal Statistical Office — Consumer prices

All deadlines, amounts and rules verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.