Canton of Bern

If you live in the Canton of Bern, your permits go through the Migration Service of the Canton of Bern (MIDI, Migrationsdienst), which belongs to the cantonal Security Directorate. Bern applies federal immigration law like every other canton, but it is officially bilingual: whether you deal with the authorities and prove your language skills in German or in French depends on where you live. This page explains who to contact, how long things take, the language rules, naturalisation, asylum and how to appeal.

In short

• Your office: the MIDI, via be.ch/migration. In the city of Bern you first deal with the municipal EMF office; elsewhere, with your municipality's residents' office.
• Language: German in most of the canton, French in the Bernese Jura, and German or French in the Biel/Bienne region. Early C needs B1 spoken; naturalisation needs B1 spoken and A2 written.
• Processing time: often around eight weeks; 6 to 12 weeks for a first B permit, 9 to 15 months for a hardship case.
• Moutier: since 1 January 2026 Moutier belongs to the Canton of Jura. Existing permits stay valid; the Jura migration office is now responsible.
• No voting rights for foreign nationals in Bern, even with a C permit. Only naturalisation gives you a vote.
• Appeals: usually 30 days from the decision, first to the Security Directorate or the Administrative Court, depending on the case.

Bern at a glance

After Zurich and Vaud, Bern is one of the most populous cantons, with roughly one million residents. About one sixth are foreign nationals, below the Swiss average and well below Geneva, Basel-Stadt and Zurich. For current figures, check the Statistical Office of the Canton of Bern and the Federal Statistical Office (bfs.admin.ch).

Bern is the federal city: the Federal Assembly, the Federal Council and the central federal administration sit here, along with around 100 embassies and missions. Most foreign residents, though, came for family reasons, for work or to study. Key sectors include pharmaceuticals in Bern and Burgdorf, mechanical engineering in the Bernese Oberland, tourism around Interlaken and the Jungfrau region, watchmaking in the Bernese Jura, and agriculture. Students come to the University of Bern and the Bern University of Teacher Education.

Who lives here

• EU/EFTA nationals: a large group, mainly from Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and France, and also Croatia. The large Kosovar community counts as third-country nationals under free movement law.
• Third-country nationals: notable communities from Turkey, Sri Lanka, Eritrea, Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan.
• Permits: B is the most common permit; C is common among long-term residents. L permits cover short-term and seasonal work (agriculture, tourism, construction) and some students. G permits are held by cross-border commuters, mainly in the Bernese Jura, from France.
• Asylum: as a large canton, Bern receives a large share of asylum seekers under the Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31), and the Federal Asylum Centre (FAC) for the Bern region is in Zollikofen.

Which law applies

Bern 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), the Asylum Act, and SEM practice and directives. The glossaries explain these: FNIA and OASA, AFMP and OFMP and the Asylum Act.

Cantonal law adds:

• the introductory act to the FNIA and the Asylum Act;
• the cantonal Citizenship Act (KBüG BE) for naturalisation;
• the Administrative Procedure and Jurisdiction Act (VRPG, BSG 155.21), which governs procedure and appeals;
• the Cantonal Lawyers Act (KAG, BSG 168.11), which governs the bar register and supervision of lawyers;
• the cantonal constitution, which sets out bilingualism and the status of the Bernese Jura.

Titles and numbers can change. Check current versions in the Bernese legislative collection (belex.sites.be.ch).

How the MIDI is organised

The MIDI has specialised sections. The internal structure can change, so check be.ch/migration.

• B and L permits: EU/EFTA B permits under the AFMP; third-country B permits under the FNIA (family reunification, work under Art. 18 FNIA, study under Art. 27 FNIA); L permits for EU/EFTA and third-country nationals; renewals, changes of status and revocations.
• C permits: ordinary grants after ten years (Art. 34 para. 2 FNIA) and early grants after five years with successful integration (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA).
• Family reunification: for family of Swiss citizens (Art. 42 FNIA), C holders (Art. 43 FNIA) and B holders (Art. 44 FNIA). Bern applies the federal housing and income conditions without adding stricter ones.
• Asylum: removal decisions and their enforcement, coordination with the FAC in Zollikofen and the SEM, and permit changes for N, F, S and refugee B permits.
• Naturalisation: cantonal citizenship applications, coordinated with municipalities and the SEM.
• Return counselling: advice on voluntary return, travel documents and SEM return-assistance programmes. In Bern this service is only for people in the asylum system: asylum seekers (N), provisionally admitted persons (F) and people whose asylum status has ended. It is not open to tourists who overstayed or to people removed under ordinary immigration law.

How Bern applies the rules

Language depends on where you live

• German-speaking part (around 85 % of the population, including Bern, Burgdorf, Thun, Interlaken, the Bernese Oberland and the Emmental): prove your skills in German.
• Bernese Jura (Moutier, La Neuveville and Courtelary districts): prove them in French.
• Biel/Bienne region: German or French, depending on your municipality and your own official language.

For a B permit through family reunification from a third country, the MIDI requires A1 spoken in the local official language. For an early C permit (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA with Art. 62 para. 1bis OASA), Bern requires B1 spoken and A1 written.

The MIDI accepts the fide certificate in German or French and the diplomas listed in Art. 77d OASA: telc, Goethe or ÖSD, and DELF, DALF, TCF or TEF at the right level. Tests are in standard German or standard French; Bernese German is not tested.

If you live on one side of the language border and work on the other, the procedure may use both languages. Say which language you prefer when you apply. Confirm the requirements for your case with the MIDI.

Integration agreements

Art. 58a FNIA sets out the integration criteria. Under Art. 58b FNIA, the canton can sign an integration agreement with a third-country national who has integration gaps, or issue an integration recommendation. Bern uses agreements sparingly, typically when a renewal reveals problems with language, work or public order. It does not require them at every renewal. The office decides case by case.

Hardship cases

Bern follows the federal criteria in Art. 31 OASA for hardship cases (Art. 30 para. 1 let. b FNIA): integration, family situation, finances, length of stay, health and the chance of reintegrating in your home country. The SEM must approve (Art. 99 FNIA), which can add a lot of time. Unlike Geneva with Operation Papyrus in 2017 to 2018, Bern has never run a regularisation programme; undocumented people are assessed one case at a time. For help building a hardship application, see a lawyer.

Early C permit

An early C permit after five years instead of ten (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA) needs successful integration. It is at the office's discretion, not a right. Bern grants it cautiously; like elsewhere, it is the exception. Published grant rates are not available. What counts: the higher language level (in Bern typically B1 spoken, A1 written), supporting yourself without social assistance, orderly finances and a clean record.

Family reunification

For family from third countries (Art. 43 to 47 FNIA), the MIDI checks all of these together: enough income, suitable housing, no reliance on social assistance, language and integration. For housing size it uses the SKOS standards. Housing in Bern is less tight than in Geneva, Zurich or Zug, which can make the conditions easier to meet.

Children must be brought within the deadlines of Art. 47 para. 1 FNIA, with a shorter deadline for older children. For late applications, the MIDI checks whether there are important family reasons (Art. 47 para. 4 FNIA). Federal Supreme Court case law and the right to family life under Art. 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, SR 0.101) shape the outcome.

Separation and divorce

If you separate from or divorce a Swiss citizen or a C holder, Art. 50 FNIA applies. You may keep your permit after a marriage of at least three years with successful integration (Art. 50 para. 1 let. a FNIA), or for important personal reasons such as domestic violence (Art. 50 para. 1 let. b FNIA). In cases of violence, victim support and the women's shelters in Bern, Biel and Thun/Bernese Oberland can help. See divorce and your permit (Art. 50 FNIA).

Diplomats and the Ci permit

Bern hosts embassies rather than international organisations, so diplomatic cases exist but are far fewer than in Geneva. The MIDI coordinates them with the FDFA Protocol where needed. Ci permits exist in Bern but are uncommon.

The Bernese Jura and Moutier

The Bernese Jura is the French-speaking part of the canton, with a few tens of thousands of residents. Its main towns are Moutier, Saint-Imier, Tavannes, Tramelan and La Neuveville, and its economy rests on watchmaking and micromechanics. The official language here is French: you prove your language skills in French and the MIDI usually writes to you in French, though you can state a preferred language under the cantonal bilingualism rules.

Moutier moved to the Canton of Jura

On 28 March 2021, Moutier voted to leave Bern for the Canton of Jura. The transfer took effect on 1 January 2026. The official announcements of the cantons of Bern and Jura and the federal authorities take precedence over this summary.

• Before the transfer: the MIDI and Bern law were responsible.
• From the transfer: the Jura migration office (Service de la population, SPOP-JU) and Jura law are responsible.
• Your permit (B, C, L, Ci, F, N or S) stays valid. A change of canton by territorial transfer does not end your status.

Advice in French

• CSP Berne-Jura (Centre social protestant): social and asylum advice in French for the Bernese Jura and Biel/Bienne (csp.ch).
• Caritas has an asylum-advice mandate for the Bernese Jura, with an office there (caritas.ch).
• Women's advice services and cantonal offices also work in French.

Asylum in Bern

The federal asylum centre

The SEM runs the Federal Asylum Centre for the Bern region, mainly in Zollikofen near Bern; ask the SEM whether other sites are in use. The accelerated procedure (Art. 26b AsylA) takes place there: the first interview, free legal representation from the Confederation, and either a decision (with an appeal deadline and possible removal) or a transfer to the extended procedure.

The extended procedure

If your application is not decided in the first phase, it moves to the extended procedure (Art. 26d AsylA) and you are allocated to a canton under the SEM key (Art. 27 AsylA). Bern takes a large share. You then live and register in Bern under the cantonal asylum coordination, and legal help usually passes from the federal service to a cantonal legal advice office.

Legal advice for asylum seekers

Offices mandated by the SEM under Art. 102f AsylA or recognised as advice services include:

• Berner Rechtsberatungsstelle für Menschen in Not (RBS): legal advice for asylum seekers and people with insecure status, part of the Swiss Refugee Council network;
• Solidaritätsnetz Bern (Solinetz): a support network focused on undocumented people and insecure status;
• CSP Berne-Jura and Caritas (Bernese Jura) for French-language advice;
• Caritas Bern for German-language advice in the rest of the canton;
• Swiss Refugee Council (OSAR/SFH), the national umbrella body based in Bern.

The full, current list is on osar.ch / fluechtlingshilfe.ch.

Unaccompanied minors

For unaccompanied minors, a central office in the Security Directorate coordinates guardianship (legal representation through the child and adult protection authority, KESB), school and training, and social-educational support. See the Asylum Act glossary.

How long it takes

These are rough guides, not guaranteed times. For many procedures the canton indicates about eight weeks. Check be.ch/migration for current information.

SEM approval (Art. 99 FNIA) is not included and can add weeks to months.

What slows things down

• Missing documents: the office asks for more, which costs several weeks.
• SEM approval (Art. 85 para. 2 and Art. 86 OASA).
• Language certificates obtained after you apply: the file waits until you send them.
• Criminal-record checks from several countries can add months.
• Moving across the language border can require internal coordination.
• City of Bern: the EMF checks your file before it goes to the MIDI. This is normal and already included in the times above.

If your file is stuck

There is no formal fast track. What helps:

• a written enquiry about progress once the usual time has passed;
• explaining a real urgency, for example a job start date, a child's school enrolment or medical treatment;
• as a last resort, an appeal for delay or denial of justice to the Administrative Court under the VRPG, ideally with a lawyer.

No voting rights for foreign nationals

Naturalisation

Three levels

The Confederation (under the Swiss Citizenship Act, SCA, and Ordinance, SCO), the canton (under the KBüG BE) and your municipality all have to agree.

Federal conditions

• Residence: ten years in Switzerland (Art. 9 SCA).
• Integration: successful integration (Art. 12 SCA), and you must not endanger Switzerland's internal or external security.
• Language: usually B1 spoken and A2 written in a national language. This is set by the ordinance, Art. 6 SCO (SR 141.01), not the act. In Bern it is German or French, depending on where you live.

See the 2018 Citizenship Act glossary.

Cantonal and municipal conditions

The KBüG BE requires several years of residence in the canton and in your municipality, typically two to five years depending on the municipal rules. The cantonal act and ordinance set a common framework, so municipalities differ less than in some other cantons. The canton may also require a knowledge test on Swiss and Bernese history, geography and civics, the language certificate and a criminal-record extract.

Many municipalities still hold an interview or use a naturalisation commission, usually with a standard questionnaire on history, geography and civics and a personal conversation about your integration and life. Some do this every time, others less often. Ask your municipality.

Tax at source

The tax burden differs between municipalities in Bern because each sets its own multiplier. The Tax Administration of the Canton of Bern has current rates.

If you hold a B permit and no C permit, your employer usually deducts tax from your salary. The canton collects it under federal law (Tax Harmonisation Act, StHG, SR 642.14, and Federal Act on Direct Federal Taxation, DBG, SR 642.11).

• Above CHF 120,000 gross a year: a subsequent ordinary assessment (NOV) is compulsory.
• Below that: the withholding tax is usually final, but you can apply for an ordinary assessment.
• When it ends: with a C permit or marriage to a Swiss citizen, you move to ordinary assessment.

Tax debts or debt enforcement do not on their own lead to revocation or refusal of a permit. They can count in the integration assessment (Art. 58a FNIA), where the office weighs how serious the debt is, what caused it and whether you keep to a repayment plan. For tax questions, ask the Tax Administration of the Canton of Bern or a tax adviser.

Finding and complaining about a lawyer

The Chamber of Lawyers of Bern supervises lawyers under the KAG (BSG 168.11) and the Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers (LLCA, SR 935.61). It keeps the cantonal bar register, handles disciplinary cases and decides on release from professional secrecy. It works in German and French. It does not advise clients. If you report a lawyer to it, you are not a party to the disciplinary proceedings, so you have no party rights such as access to the file. Contact details are on be.ch under justice and supervision of lawyers.

The Bern Lawyers' Association (BAV) is a private professional body. Membership is voluntary, and it publishes a directory of its members.

Appealing against a MIDI decision

A MIDI decision (refusal, revocation, removal, a negative hardship decision) can be challenged. The notice of rights at the end of your decision tells you the correct body and deadline.

1. Security Directorate: in some cases you first appeal within the administration to the Security Directorate. The deadline under the VRPG (BSG 155.21) is usually 30 days from notification.
2. Administrative Court of the Canton of Bern: against the Directorate's decision, or directly against the MIDI decision where the law allows. The deadline is usually 30 days. The court is the highest cantonal administrative court and reviews facts and law.
3. Federal Administrative Court in St. Gallen: in some cases, in particular where the SEM decided at the lower level. The deadline is usually 30 days under the Federal Act on Administrative Procedure (VwVG, SR 172.021), unless a special law says otherwise (Art. 50 VwVG).
4. Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne: an appeal in public-law matters against final cantonal judgments and Federal Administrative Court judgments (Art. 82 ff. of the Federal Supreme Court Act, BGG, SR 173.110). Many immigration matters are excluded, in particular discretionary decisions (Art. 83 BGG), so check carefully whether an appeal is possible.

For complex cases, work with a lawyer on the Bern bar register. See the appeal path against cantonal migration decisions.

In a crisis

• 117: police emergency, 24/7, free.
• 143: Die Dargebotene Hand / La Main Tendue, confidential phone support in German and French, 24/7, free.
• 147: Pro Juventute, for children and young people, 24/7.
• Domestic violence: women's shelters in Bern, Biel and Thun/Bernese Oberland and victim-support offices, reachable through the victim-support office of the Canton of Bern (be.ch, victim support and domestic violence).
• Victim support: under the Victim Support Act (OHG, SR 312.5), through the cantonal victim-support offices, in German and French.
• RBS Bern: legal advice for asylum seekers and people with insecure status.

For how domestic violence affects your permit (Art. 50 para. 1 let. b and para. 2 FNIA), see divorce and your permit and domestic violence.

Contact details

Addresses, phone numbers, email, opening hours and online services change, so use the official pages:

• MIDI: be.ch/migration and be.ch/migrationsdienst, where the online portal lets you start some procedures digitally, such as renewals, address changes and forms.
• City of Bern EMF (Einwohnerdienste, Migration und Fremdenpolizei, the city's residents' services and migration police): registration and first check of your file before it goes to the MIDI; see bern.ch.
• Other municipalities: your municipality's residents' office does the first check and coordinates with the MIDI. Find it on your municipality's website or on be.ch/migrationsdienst.

Bern compared with Geneva and Zurich

• Language: Bern is bilingual German and French; Zurich uses German, Geneva French.
• Profile: Bern mixes the federal administration, pharma, industry, tourism and watchmaking. It is closer to Zurich than to Geneva, which is shaped by international organisations.
• Hardship cases and early C: Bern sits in the middle. Early C is the exception in all three cantons.
• Voting rights: none for foreign nationals in Bern or Zurich; Geneva grants them after eight years in Switzerland and three months in the municipality.
• Naturalisation interview: varies by municipality in Bern within a common cantonal framework.
• Processing: similar across the three. Family reunification and C procedures in Bern tend towards the upper end because of the EMF check and bilingual coordination.

This comparison is not a reason to choose a canton. Where you live should follow your work, family and life. See Geneva and Zurich.

Getting help

This page explains the law and practice. It is not individual legal advice. For your specific case, contact a lawyer on the Bern bar register, a legal advice office for asylum seekers, or the cantonal or municipal authority.

Related pages

• B residence permit, C settlement permit, L short-term permit, G cross-border permit
• N permit, F permit, S protection status, Ci permit
• Removal and detention