Living as a foreign national in Switzerland without work

Citizens of EU/EFTA countries

You can take up residence in Switzerland without gainful employment if:

you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself and are not dependent on social welfare assistance,
you have adequate accident and health insurance,
you would like to study and can show proof that you have been admitted to an educational institution (matriculation certificate).

You can stay in Switzerland for up to 90 days within a six-month period without a permit. For longer stays you must register as a person without gainful employment with the appropriate cantonal immigration and employment market authorities.

The EU/EFTA residence permit is valid for five years and is extended automatically if you continue to meet the criteria. Students are issued either with a residence permit for the duration of their studies or with a permit for one year with annual renewal until the end of their education.

UK nationals

From 1 January 2021, UK nationals are no longer EU citizens and are subject to the following regulations.

If you already had rights of residence in Switzerland before 2021, you may still benefit from special provisions under the agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom on acquired rights.

You can find further information on what conditions apply to UK nationals on the SEM’s United Kingdom web page and in the following section (Citizens of non-EU/EFTA countries).

Citizens of non EU/EFTA countries

If you wish to settle in Switzerland without taking up gainful employment, you must apply for a residence permit from the cantonal immigration and employment market authorities before you arrive in Switzerland. Depending on your nationality, you must also obtain a visa from your local Swiss representation abroad.

If you don’t need a visa and you’re not working in Switzerland, you can stay for up to three months without a permit. You can use this calculator to check whether or not your stay exceeds the short-term limit.

Like citizens of EU/EFTA countries, you must:

have sufficient financial resources to support yourself and not be dependent on social welfare assistance,
have adequate accident and health insurance.

Students must also submit the following documents with their application for a residence permit:

a personal study plan indicating the goal of their studies,
proof of admission to a recognised educational institution (matriculation certificate),
curriculum vitae,
confirmation that they will leave Switzerland at the end of their studies.

Further information

Search

Living in Switzerland without gainful employment