In Aargau, all residence permit matters go through one office: the Amt für Migration und Integration Kanton Aargau (MIKA), the cantonal migration office in Aarau. The canton applies the federal rules on permits, language and naturalisation without its own special regime, and proceedings are in German. Straightforward cases take around six weeks as a rough guide.

In short

  • Your office: the MIKA, online at https://www.ag.ch/mika. Check the portal for the current address, phone numbers and opening hours.
  • Language: German. For exams, standard German counts, not Swiss German.
  • Processing time: around six weeks for simple cases, longer for first applications and family reunification. Cases needing federal approval take longer still.
  • Permits: Aargau follows the federal standard for B, L and C permits.
  • Naturalisation: three levels (federal, canton, municipality), each with its own residence requirement.

About the canton

Aargau is one of the most populous cantons in German-speaking Switzerland. Its capital is Aarau, and about a quarter of its residents are foreign nationals. For current population figures, see the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and the cantonal statistical office.

The canton lies between the Zurich, Basel and Bern economic regions and has a broad industrial, technology and services base. The larger municipalities include Aarau, Baden, Wettingen, Brugg and Wohlen. Rents vary a lot by municipality; for current levels, see the cantonal statistical office, the FSO or rent surveys.

Most foreign residents hold B (residence), C (settlement) or L (short-term) permits. G permits for cross-border commuters are less common than in border cantons, because Aargau lies inland. F, N and S permits relate to asylum and follow the SEM's distribution key (Art. 27 AsylA).

The law that applies

Like every canton, Aargau applies federal law first:

  • the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, SR 142.20);
  • the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment (OASA, SR 142.201);
  • the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681) and its implementing ordinance;
  • the Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31);
  • SEM practice and directives.

The key FNIA provisions cover work (Art. 18), education (Art. 27), hardship cases (Art. 30 para. 1 let. b), the ordinary and early C permit (Art. 34 para. 2 and 4), changing canton (Art. 37), family reunification (Art. 42 to 47), the end of a marriage or family unit (Art. 50), integration (Art. 58a and 58b), revocation (Art. 62 and 63) and federal approval (Art. 99). See the FNIA and OASA glossary of terms, the AFMP glossary and the glossary of the Asylum Act.

The canton adds its own implementing law to the FNIA, a cantonal citizenship act and cantonal administrative procedure law. You can find all of these in the Systematic Collection of the Law of the Canton of Aargau.

Contacting the MIKA

The online portal https://www.ag.ch/mika is the reliable source for the office's postal address, phone number, email, counter hours, regional branches and department contacts. On the portal you can download forms and start some procedures online. Check there which steps you can do digitally, for example extensions, address changes, appointments or first applications.

Processing times

The MIKA gives around six weeks as a rough guide for simple, standard cases. These are not guaranteed times: they depend on how complete your file is, the workload and the complexity of the case.

ProcedureTypical time
First B permit (family reunification, work)longer than six weeks
B permit renewalshorter than six weeks
Ordinary C permit (Art. 34 para. 2 FNIA, after 10 years)around six weeks
Early C permit (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA, after 5 years)around six weeks
Family reunification from a third country (Art. 42 to 47 FNIA)longer than six weeks

If your case needs SEM approval (Art. 99 FNIA with Art. 85 and 86 OASA), add several weeks to months. Current official times are on ag.ch/mika.

Language requirements

  • Family reunification from a third country: for a B permit, you generally need German at level A1 (spoken) under the Common European Framework of Reference (Art. 43 FNIA with Art. 73 OASA).
  • Early C permit after five years: German at B1 (spoken) and A1 (written) (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA with Art. 62 para. 1bis and Art. 77d OASA). This is a federal minimum; the authority still assesses your case.

The fide certificate in German is accepted, as are the certificates listed in Art. 77d OASA, such as telc, Goethe and ÖSD at the right level. Cantons can read the federal minimums slightly differently, so confirm the exact requirement with the MIKA. See proof of language proficiency (A1 / A2 / B1 fide).

B, L and C permits

  • B permit: for work (Art. 18 FNIA for third-country nationals, the AFMP for EU/EFTA nationals), education (Art. 27 FNIA) and family reunification (Art. 42 to 44 FNIA). The MIKA checks income, suitable housing, no reliance on social assistance, language and integration against the federal standard.
  • L permit: a short-term permit for time-limited work, with subcategories set by the OASA. See the L short-term permit and its subclasses.
  • C permit: normally after ten years (Art. 34 para. 2 FNIA). You can get it early, after five years, if you are well integrated (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA with Art. 62 para. 1bis and Art. 77d OASA). The early permit is at the canton's discretion and requires the higher language level, financial independence without social assistance and a clean record.

The MIKA handles a large number of cases, but that says nothing about your chances. Each application is assessed on its own facts.

Naturalisation

You need approval at three levels: the federal naturalisation authorisation, citizenship of the canton of Aargau, and citizenship of your municipality.

Federal requirements

Under the Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA, SR 141.0, in force since 1.1.2018) you need:

  • ten years of residence in Switzerland and a settlement permit (Art. 9 SCA);
  • successful integration, including respect for public security and order (Art. 11 and 12 SCA);
  • a national language at B1 (spoken) and A2 (written). This is set in the Swiss Citizenship Ordinance (SCO, SR 141.01, Art. 6 SCO). In Aargau, the language is German.

See the glossary of the Swiss Citizenship Act 2018.

Cantonal and municipal requirements

You must also have lived in the canton and in your municipality for several years. The exact minimum periods are in the cantonal citizenship act and in each municipality's rules, and they differ between municipalities. Check the cantonal collection of laws and ask your municipality.

Asylum

Aargau is part of the national asylum system. The first phase of the accelerated procedure (Art. 26b AsylA) takes place in a federal asylum centre in the canton's asylum region; sem.admin.ch shows which region Aargau belongs to. If your case moves to the extended procedure (Art. 26d AsylA), you are assigned to a canton by the SEM's distribution key (Art. 27 AsylA). Aargau takes a share in line with its population.

Free legal advice for asylum seekers is provided by an organisation mandated or recognised by the SEM (Art. 102f AsylA). To find the one for Aargau's region, check sem.admin.ch or the Swiss Refugee Council at osar.ch.

Tax at source

If you hold a B permit without a settlement permit, whether you are from the EU/EFTA or a third country, tax is generally deducted from your salary at source. Your employer pays it to the cantonal tax administration. If your gross annual income is above CHF 120'000, you are automatically assessed in the ordinary way afterwards. Below that, the deduction is generally final, but you can ask for an ordinary assessment. Tax at source stops when you get a C permit or marry a Swiss citizen.

Your actual tax burden depends on your municipality, income and situation. For tax questions, ask the cantonal tax administration or a qualified tax adviser.

Debts and other help

Debts or debt enforcement do not by themselves lead to your permit being revoked. The grounds in Art. 62 and 63 FNIA concern security and order; debts can only affect your status indirectly, through the integration assessment (Art. 58a FNIA). Debt enforcement is governed by the Federal Act on Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy (DEBA, SR 281.1).

If you experience domestic violence, the Victim Support Act (VSA, SR 312.5) applies and the cantonal victim support office is your first contact. For advice on your own case, see a lawyer registered with a cantonal bar, an asylum legal advice service, or the competent cantonal or municipal authority.

Related pages