Renewing your residence permit

All Swiss residence permits except the C permit have an end date and must be renewed by your cantonal migration office. Apply two to three months before your permit expires. If you apply late, you risk a gap between the old and the new permit, which can later count as a break in your residence when you apply for a C permit or naturalisation, and is hard to repair afterwards.

In short

• When to apply: two to three months before expiry. Meeting the deadline is your responsibility, whether or not the canton sends a reminder.
• B permit, EU/EFTA: five years at first, renewed almost automatically while you still meet the AFMP conditions.
• B permit, third country: usually one year at first, then one or two years. Each renewal checks your purpose of stay, finances, integration and criminal record.
• C permit: never renewed; only the card and biometric data are updated every five years.
• Refusal: on the grounds of Art. 62 para. 1 FNIA, such as lasting dependence on social assistance, always subject to a proportionality check (Art. 96 FNIA). You can appeal within 30 days.

Renewal by permit type

B permit, EU/EFTA. Under Annex I of the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681), the first permit is issued for five years if you work, are self-employed, have enough money and health insurance, or join an entitled family member. It is renewed almost automatically while you still qualify. See the B residence permit.

B permit, third country. Under Art. 33 of the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, SR 142.20), it is usually issued for one year, then renewed for one or two years. Renewal is not automatic: the office checks that the original conditions still apply.

C permit. It is unlimited (Art. 34 FNIA). Every five years your fingerprints and photo are taken again and the card is replaced (Art. 60 para. 4 of the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment, OASA, SR 142.201). Your permit is not reassessed. See the C settlement permit.

L permit. The short-term permit (Art. 32 FNIA, Art. 55 to 58 OASA) is issued for a set purpose for up to twelve months and can be renewed up to twenty-four months in total (Art. 56 OASA). Beyond that, you must leave or switch to another permit, usually a B. See the L short-term permit.

UK nationals with rights from before Brexit. People who keep residence rights acquired before Brexit under the agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom on citizens' rights are usually issued a permit for several years, then renewed. Check the SEM's page on Brexit and the United Kingdom.

Ci permit (international organisations). For family members of staff of international organisations and diplomatic missions, it follows the validity of the principal person's carte de légitimation. It is issued by the FDFA with the cantonal migration office (in Geneva, the Section organisations internationales of the OCPM) and renewed together with the principal person's status. See the Ci permit for dependants of international-organisation staff.

G permit. Usually issued for five years for EU/EFTA nationals, or for the length of the job for third-country nationals (very rare), and renewed on the same basis. See the G cross-border permit.

Renewing a third-country B permit

This is the most common and most demanding renewal, because the office checks everything again.

Deadline. Apply two to three months before expiry. Cantons differ on whether they send a reminder, but you are responsible either way. The closer to expiry you apply, the greater the risk of a gap between permits. Your cantonal migration office's website gives the exact deadline and form.

Conditions. Renewal is usually granted if:

• your purpose of stay continues: the same job or an approved new one, the same university, or a marriage or relationship that still exists;
• you do not depend significantly and lastingly on social assistance. This is a ground for revocation under Art. 62 para. 1 let. e FNIA and usually blocks renewal, subject to the proportionality check of Art. 96 FNIA. Temporary assistance after involuntary job loss is treated case by case;
• you prove your language skills. Art. 58a para. 1 let. c FNIA sets the federal framework; your canton sets the actual level, which also depends on how long you have been here;
• you meet the integration criteria of Art. 58a FNIA: respect for public security and order and the values of the Federal Constitution, work or education, and language skills.

Renewing an EU/EFTA B permit

The check is much lighter:

• the permit is renewed if you still meet an AFMP condition (employee, self-employed, student with enough money, or family member of an entitled person);
• you report to the cantonal migration office two to three months before expiry;
• you can change job without permission under free movement (Annex I, Art. 6 AFMP onwards). Your new employer reports the change and your permit is updated;
• you can move canton without permission, but must register with the municipality in your new canton. See change of canton and residence permit.

Renewal can be refused if you no longer meet the AFMP conditions, for example if you cannot work and have no unemployment benefits, depend lastingly on social assistance, or have committed serious offences. The grounds are narrower than for third-country nationals.

Updating a C permit card

A few weeks before your card expires, the canton usually invites you for biometric capture. You attend the appointment at the migration office or a capture centre, give your fingerprints and photo, pay the cantonal fee (higher for adults than children) and receive the new card a few weeks later. You get an acknowledgement of receipt that proves your settlement status meanwhile, for example for travel.

There is no check of your integration, social assistance or work. A C permit can only be challenged in a separate revocation procedure under Art. 63 FNIA.

Renewing an L permit

An L permit lasts up to twelve months and can be renewed once for another twelve, to a maximum of twenty-four months (Art. 56 OASA), if:

• the purpose continues, such as an extended job, unfinished studies or internship, or ongoing medical treatment;
• you still have enough money;
• you do not depend on social assistance;
• the cantonal migration office agrees.

Going beyond 24 months is only possible in exceptional cases, in particular a hardship case under Art. 30 para. 1 let. b FNIA. Au pair stays cannot be extended beyond twelve months at all.

Step by step: third-country B renewal

1. Apply two to three months before expiry to the cantonal migration office, in writing or online depending on the canton. Usually enclose:
   • the cantonal renewal form;
   • a copy of your passport, valid at least three months beyond the new permit period;
   • a copy of your current permit;
   • your rental agreement or proof of address;
   • your employment contract or proof of your purpose of stay;
   • payslips for the last three to six months (varies by canton);
   • a certificate from the social assistance office that you receive no assistance, or details of what you received;
   • your tax certificate for the last tax year;
   • a criminal record extract (varies by canton);
   • language certificates (varies by canton);
   • proof of compulsory health insurance (Federal Health Insurance Act, HIA, SR 832.10).
2. The office checks your file, asks for anything missing, and assesses your work, social assistance, integration (Art. 58a FNIA) and criminal record. It looks closer after a job loss, separation or receipt of social assistance.
3. Integration agreement, if required. Some cantons, Vaud in particular and strictly, may make renewal conditional on an integration agreement with concrete goals and deadlines, such as language courses or job measures. See integration agreement under Art. 58b FNIA.
4. Positive decision: you are invited for biometric capture, pay the fee and get your new card, usually within a few weeks.
5. Negative decision: the office issues a ruling refusing renewal, usually with a removal order and a departure deadline. You can appeal to the cantonal appeal body within 30 days of receiving it. See appeals against rulings of cantonal migration authorities. If a refusal looks likely, get a lawyer specialising in migration law before the ruling, ideally when you apply.

Why renewal can be refused (Art. 62 FNIA)

Refusing to renew follows the grounds for revocation in Art. 62 para. 1 FNIA:

• let. a: you gave false information or hid important facts in the permit or renewal procedure;
• let. b: you received a long prison sentence or a criminal measure, such as indefinite detention under Art. 64 of the Swiss Criminal Code (SCC, SR 311.0) or a therapeutic measure under Art. 59 SCC. The Federal Supreme Court treats more than twelve months as "long";
• let. c: you seriously breached or endangered public security and order in Switzerland or abroad;
• let. d: you did not meet a condition attached to the decision. The end of a marriage is not a let. d ground, but it removes the basis of a family permit (Art. 42 to 44 FNIA) and Art. 50 FNIA applies (see divorce and residence permit (Art. 50 FNIA));
• let. e: you, or someone you must support, depend on social assistance;
• let. f: you tried to obtain Swiss citizenship by fraud, or your naturalisation was annulled;
• let. g: you do not comply with an integration agreement without a valid reason.

Proportionality (Art. 96 FNIA). Even if a ground exists, the office must weigh the public interest against your private interests: your right to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, SR 0.101), how long you have lived here, your integration, and your children's health and schooling. This is also a key argument in any appeal.

If you lose your job

EU/EFTA nationals (Art. 61a FNIA). If you worked as an employee for more than twelve months and lose your job involuntarily, you keep your right of residence while you are registered with unemployment insurance and receive daily allowances. After your benefits end, you have a further six months to look for work. If you worked for less than twelve months, the protection period is shorter. How these periods apply is the subject of ongoing Federal Supreme Court case law; check SEM directives and recent rulings.

Third-country nationals. Losing your job is not in itself a ground for revocation. If you look actively for work, receive unemployment benefits and do not slide into lasting social assistance, your permit can be renewed. Some cantons regularly renew for one to two years on condition that you find a new job; others are stricter.

Lasting social assistance. If job loss leads to lasting dependence on social assistance, the ground in Art. 62 para. 1 let. e FNIA applies and renewal is usually refused, subject to Art. 96 FNIA. See job loss and residence permit.

Family reunification permits

• Joining a C permit holder (Art. 43 FNIA): you have a right to renewal while the conditions still apply: living together, enough money, suitable housing, health insurance and no serious threat.
• Joining a B permit holder (Art. 44 FNIA): the office decides at its discretion, checking the same conditions and your integration.
• In both cases you must show integration and language skills (Art. 58a FNIA; for language, Art. 43 or 44 para. 1 FNIA).
• If the marriage ends before renewal, Art. 50 FNIA applies. What counts as "important personal reasons" under Art. 50 para. 2 FNIA depends heavily on the case and on Federal Supreme Court case law. See divorce and residence permit (Art. 50 FNIA).

Asylum-related permits

• F permit: first issued for twelve months and usually renewed while removal remains legally or practically impossible (Art. 83 FNIA). See provisional admission (F permit).
• S permit: first activated in 2022 for people from Ukraine. It is extended by Federal Council decision, not individual applications. The SEM's S status page gives the current end date. See protection status S for persons from Ukraine.
• B refugee permit: renewal checks both the FNIA conditions and whether your refugee status continues under the Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31), including withdrawal under Art. 63 AsylA. See recognised refugee in Switzerland.

Common mistakes

• Applying too late, after expiry or in the last two weeks, creating a gap between permits.
• Missing language certificates. If you miss the extra deadline the office sets, renewal is refused.
• No current rental agreement, which raises doubts about your address.
• Missing payslips or tax certificates. Self-employed people also need accounts or a tax certificate for the last two years.
• Missing proof of living together for family reunification permits, such as a shared address or health insurer.
• No proof of health insurance under the HIA.
• An incomplete or contradictory form.
• Not disclosing criminal matters. If discovered later, this can count as false information under Art. 62 para. 1 let. a FNIA.

What a gap between permits means

If you apply too late or not at all:

• during the gap you live in Switzerland without a valid permit, which is formally an unlawful stay;
• the canton can refuse a new permit if you cannot show that the delay was not your fault;
• the gap can count as an interruption when you apply for a C permit, which requires 5 or 10 years of uninterrupted residence (Art. 34 FNIA);
• the same applies to facilitated naturalisation (Art. 21 of the Swiss Citizenship Act, SCA, SR 141.0) and ordinary naturalisation (Art. 9 SCA, at least ten years in Switzerland).

How a short gap of a few days is treated is not set federally and depends on the authority. A gap usually cannot be repaired afterwards. Restoring a missed deadline under administrative procedure law (federally the Administrative Procedure Act, APA, SR 172.021, or cantonal law) is only possible in narrow cases where you were prevented without fault.

How long it takes

These are rough guides with no legal force:

What it costs

Fees are set by each canton and change periodically. For B, C and L renewals, the migration office usually charges a procedural fee plus a fee for the biometric card; children pay less than adults. F renewals are handled by the canton and are usually free for people without sufficient means. Check your canton's fee schedule.

Getting help

If your renewal already looks uncertain, for example because of social assistance, a conviction, job loss, separation or missing language certificates, contact a lawyer registered in a cantonal bar register (Lawyers Act, LLCA, SR 935.61) and specialising in migration law before you apply. Fixing a flawed application afterwards is often impossible. For unemployment questions, contact your cantonal unemployment fund or arbeit.swiss; for tax questions, a fiduciary or tax adviser.

See also the FNIA and OASA glossary of terms, the AFMP glossary and the hardship-case permit under Art. 30 FNIA.