Under the terms of the agreement between Bern and Brussels, citizens of the European Union have the same access to jobs in Switzerland as Swiss nationals. But are there any restrictions on residence permits?
There are currently about 2.4 million citizens of EU countries living in Switzerland; most of them came here to work.
They — as well as nationals of EFTA states: Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein — have an unlimited access to Switzerland’s labour market, where they are treated on par with Swiss citizens.
Are they also entitled to the same privileged (in comparison to third-country nationals) treatment when applying for residence?
But first, what is the difference between work and residence permits?
It is logical that a foreign national who has a permit to work in Switzerland, will also have to live in the country.
So in this sense, the work and residence permits are closely linked together — inseparable, you might say.
Except that sometimes they are not.
When EU/EFTA nationals are working for a Swiss employer, it is natural that they also live in the country (unless they are cross-border workers, which means they commute to work in Switzerland but live in a neighbouring country.)
Otherwise, work and residence permits are intertwined.
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Entitled to one but not the other
Given chronic shortages in the labour market, the presence of foreign workers benefits Switzerland’s economy in many ways.
But this is not necessarily the case of those who have no gainful employment.
That’s because Switzerland has experienced a significant population growth in recent years — from just over 7.1 million in 2020 to a little more than 9 million today — almost exclusively due to immigration (the Agreement on Free Movement of Persons, which allows EU citizens unrestricted access to Swiss employment, went into effect in 2002, fuelling this population surge).
What’s more, demographers predict that the country will reach the 10-million mark within the next decade.
Given Switzerland’s size, many warn that this number is far too high, and will strain the country’s infrastructure such as housing, public transport, and healthcare system, among others.
READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s population will change in the coming years
All this to say that though Switzerland needs people from the EU for the employment purposes, the same is not true for those who come here just to live but not work.
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So can Switzerland deny residence permits to EU nationals?
Under certain circumstances, it can.
Though EU and EFTA citizens benefit from the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, they still need to meet certain requirement to obtain and maintain a residence permit.
These are some of the reasons for denial:
Insufficient financial means
Those who can’t prove that they have the funds to support themselves in Switzerland in a sustainable manner without resorting to social welfare, may not be allowed to live here.
Public order / security concerns
The same applies to those suspected, or convicted of, criminal activities or other serious offences — if authorities believe these people pose risks to public safety, they will not be granted a residence permit.
False information
If applicants provided false information in order to obtain a residence permit, they will not get one either.
This article provides more information on this subject:
READ ALSO: The foreigners who can live in Switzerland without having a job
