Tool · Permits
Which permit fits your situation?
Three details (your passport, the purpose of your stay and how long it lasts) point to the permit category Swiss law provides for that combination. The assessment runs in your browser; your answers are never sent.
Your situation
Answer the three questions: your likely permit shows as soon as you do.
This assessment runs in your browser. Your answers are never sent or stored; we only count, anonymously, that the tool was used.
The categories at a glance
Swiss residence permits
Whatever your situation, the overview helps: which permit exists, how long it is valid and what it is based on.
- No title / notification
up to 3 months
Short stays without gainful activity (and, for EU/EFTA, gainful activity up to 90 days) require no permit, only at most a notification.
VZAE Art. 9- Permit L: short stay
under 12 months
For fixed-term stays of under a year, tied to purpose and contract duration.
AIG Art. 32- Permit B: residence
from 12 months
The ordinary residence title for a longer stay; valid five years for EU/EFTA, one year and renewable for third countries.
AIG Art. 33- Settlement C: open-ended
after 5 to 10 years
Open-ended right of residence, granted after several years of ordinary residence, not an entry-level title.
AIG Art. 34- Permit G: cross-border
with return
For people resident abroad who work in Switzerland and return weekly.
AIG Art. 25 / FZA Anhang I Art. 7
Sources & status
Reviewed on 12.06.2026
This overview explains the general legal situation and does not replace a case-specific assessment. The permit decision rests with the competent cantonal migration authority; in complex cases, consult a registered lawyer.
Primary sources
In an emergency or under pressure?
If your right to stay is acutely at risk, for example through removal, domestic violence or an expiring deadline, you will find direct help here.
Unsure which category applies to you?
A named reviewer in Geneva reads your dossier against the statute and answers in writing within 72 hours, with the article of law behind each point.
Ask for a dossier checkGeneral information, not legal advice.