If you live in Nidwalden, your residence permits, renewals, family reunification and settlement applications go through the Cantonal Migration Office of Nidwalden in Stans, part of the Security Directorate. Nidwalden applies federal immigration law like every canton, and German is the language for all official dealings. This page covers the office, rough processing times, language levels, naturalisation, asylum and tax at source.

In short

  • Your office: the Cantonal Migration Office of Nidwalden. Find the current address and hours on www.nw.ch (Security Directorate, then Foreign Nationals Office).
  • Processing time: around four weeks as a rough guide. First B permits and family reunification from third countries usually take longer.
  • Language: German. Family reunification from a third country usually needs A1 spoken; an early C permit needs B1 spoken and A1 written, and naturalisation needs B1 spoken and A2 written.
  • Naturalisation: the Confederation, the canton and your municipality must all agree. Many municipalities hold an interview.
  • Tax: without a C permit, tax is usually deducted from your salary at source; above CHF 120,000 gross a year, an ordinary assessment follows automatically.

Nidwalden at a glance

Nidwalden (NW) is one of the smallest Swiss cantons by area and population. It lies in Central Switzerland on Lake Lucerne, and its capital is Stans. It has a good 40,000 residents, and roughly one seventh of them do not hold Swiss citizenship. These figures are rounded; the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has the current ones.

Because the canton is small, so is its immigration caseload and its administration. Economically it is linked to the Lucerne and Zurich areas.

Which law applies

Nidwalden applies federal law first. The main acts and articles are:

  • Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, SR 142.20): admission for work (Art. 18 ff. FNIA), hardship cases (Art. 30 para. 1 let. b FNIA), the B permit (Art. 33 FNIA), the C permit (Art. 34 para. 2 FNIA, and early grant under Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA), changing canton (Art. 37 FNIA), family reunification (Art. 42 to 47 FNIA), the end of a marriage or family life (Art. 50 FNIA), integration criteria (Art. 58a and 58b FNIA), revocation (Art. 62 and 63 FNIA) and SEM approval (Art. 99 FNIA).
  • Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment (OASA, SR 142.201): hardship criteria (Art. 31 OASA), early C permit and accepted language certificates (Art. 62 para. 1bis and Art. 77d OASA), reunification deadlines (Art. 73 OASA) and the approval procedure (Art. 85 and 86 OASA).
  • Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681) and its implementing ordinance (OFMP) for EU/EFTA nationals.
  • Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31): the cantonal allocation key (Art. 27 AsylA) and legal representation in the extended procedure (Art. 102f AsylA).
  • Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA, SR 141.0): residence period and C permit requirement (Art. 9 SCA), integration and security (Art. 11 and 12 SCA). The separate Citizenship Ordinance (SCO, SR 141.01) sets the language level (Art. 6 SCO).
  • Tax law: federal and cantonal rules on tax at source, which the canton levies.

The canton adds its own introductory law on foreign nationals and integration, a cantonal citizenship act and administrative-procedure law. Titles and numbers can change, so check the current version in the Nidwalden collection of laws. How a cantonal rule applies to your case is a question for a lawyer.

The glossaries explain the federal terms: FNIA and OASA, AFMP and the Asylum Act.

The migration office

The Cantonal Migration Office of Nidwalden, part of the Security Directorate in Stans, grants, renews and revokes residence permits and handles changes of status.

  • Website: www.nw.ch (Security Directorate, then Foreign Nationals Office)
  • Address, phone, email, opening hours and directions: these change, so take them from the official page.

Processing times and any online counter are also listed on the cantonal portal.

How long it takes

These are rough guides, not guaranteed deadlines. Times depend on how complete your file is, how busy the office is and how complex your case is. As an orientation, allow around four weeks. Only the office can tell you how long your case will take; it does not publish binding service times.

ProcedureRough duration
First B permit (work or family reunification)about 4 weeks or longer
B renewalup to about 4 weeks, often less
L short-term permitabout 4 weeks
C permit, ordinary (after 10 years)several weeks
C permit, early (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA)several weeks, depending on the case
Family reunification (third country)several weeks to months

Where the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) must approve a cantonal decision (Art. 99 FNIA with Art. 85 and 86 OASA), add several weeks to months.

Language requirements

The language for official dealings in Nidwalden is German. Tests are in standard German, not Swiss German. Levels follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

  • Family reunification from a third country: you usually need German at A1 spoken (Art. 58a FNIA with Art. 77d OASA).
  • Early C permit after five years instead of ten (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA with Art. 62 para. 1bis and Art. 77d OASA): you must be successfully integrated, and the usual level is B1 spoken and A1 written in German. What counts is your integration, not your nationality. The canton decides at its discretion; there is no automatic right.

The fide certificate in German is accepted, as are the diplomas listed in Art. 77d OASA at the right level. Cantonal practice can differ from the federal standard on details, so ask the office which proof it wants. See language certificates for permits and naturalisation.

B, L and C permits

Nidwalden follows the federal rules and current SEM directives.

  • B residence permit: third-country workers are admitted under Art. 18 ff. FNIA. That means priority for Swiss and EU/EFTA workers, personal requirements, local salary and working conditions, and quotas. EU/EFTA nationals are covered by the AFMP and OFMP. Validity and renewal follow Art. 33 FNIA.
  • L short-term permit: for limited stays, admitted under Art. 18 ff. FNIA and in practice often tied to a fixed-term job.
  • C settlement permit: normally after ten years (Art. 34 para. 2 FNIA). The early C permit after five years (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA) needs successful integration and is at the canton's discretion. The office looks at your language skills, working without lasting social assistance, sound finances, and respect for public security and order.

For questions about how to draft a specific application or job description, ask your employer, an HR service or a specialised lawyer.

Naturalisation

Naturalisation has three levels: the Confederation (SCA and SCO), the Canton of Nidwalden (its cantonal citizenship act) and your municipality. All three must agree.

Federal rules: under the Citizenship Act in force since 1.1.2018, you need ten years of residence in Switzerland and a C permit (Art. 9 SCA), successful integration, and respect for public security and order (Art. 11 and 12 SCA). The language level comes from the ordinance, not the act: B1 spoken and A2 written in a national language, which in Nidwalden means German (Art. 6 SCO). See the 2018 Citizenship Act glossary.

Cantonal and municipal rules: Nidwalden also requires several years of residence in the canton and in your municipality. The exact periods are in the cantonal citizenship act and the municipal regulations, and they differ from one municipality to another. Municipalities play a strong role, and many hold an interview. Ask the cantonal and municipal offices what applies to you.

See also paths to Swiss citizenship.

Asylum

Nidwalden belongs to the Central Switzerland asylum region. The first phase of the accelerated asylum procedure takes place in the region's Federal Asylum Centre (FAC); sem.admin.ch lists the current sites. If an application moves to the extended procedure, cantons receive cases under the SEM allocation key (Art. 27 AsylA). Nidwalden's share matches its population, so it is small.

A regional organisation runs the legal advice service for asylum seekers (RBS) for the canton. It provides the legal representation in the extended procedure foreseen by the Asylum Act (Art. 102f AsylA). Find the current organisation and its contact details on sem.admin.ch or through the canton. See the Asylum Act glossary.

Tax at source and your permit

If you hold a B permit, as a third-country or EU/EFTA national, and no C permit, tax on your salary is usually deducted at source. This tax is levied and assessed by the canton. Do not confuse it with the federal withholding tax on investment income.

  • Above CHF 120,000 gross a year: a subsequent ordinary assessment follows automatically.
  • Below that: the tax at source is usually final, but you can ask for an ordinary assessment.
  • When it ends: once you get a C permit or marry a Swiss citizen, you are taxed by ordinary assessment.

The cantonal tax administration has the binding rules and rates and answers individual tax questions. Registering a home in a canton for tax reasons without really moving your life there can cause problems under both tax and immigration law.

Your finances matter for your permit only indirectly. Serious debt or lasting social assistance can count in the integration assessment (Art. 58a FNIA), for example for an early C permit or a renewal. Tax arrears alone do not lead to revocation; revocation under Art. 62 and 63 FNIA needs its own grounds, mainly public security and order.

Municipalities

Besides the capital Stans, Nidwalden has several lakeside municipalities. The FSO publishes current population figures. For rents, tax rates and other changing figures, use the official sources: the FSO, the cantonal tax administration and municipal statistics.

Getting legal help

This page explains the law and normal cantonal practice. It is not individual legal advice. The canton that handles your case is the one where you live. For a hardship case (Art. 30 para. 1 let. b FNIA with Art. 31 OASA), family reunification (Art. 42 to 47 FNIA) or an appeal, contact a lawyer entered in the cantonal bar register.

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