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Country guide · Switzerland
Living and working in Switzerland
A guide for international candidates
EU and EFTA citizens can move to Switzerland for work under free movement. Everyone else usually needs a Swiss job offer, an employer who shows no suitable candidate was found in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA, pay at the usual local level and a place in the annual quota: 8,500 permits in 2026, plus 3,500 for UK nationals.
Free for candidates. Join nearly 3,000 candidates and growing daily.
Swiss franc
Currency
CHF
Bern
Seat of government
The "federal city"
CET
Time zone
UTC+1, summer UTC+2
112
Emergency number
Ambulance 144
Type J
Plug
Type C fits, 230 V
Last checked 12 October 2026. Estimates are labelled.
Where the jobs are
All regions lets you pick a place and see rent, jobs and the sectors in this guide. Choose a sector to see that industry in every place.
Cyan is the region you picked. Navy is everywhere else.
Region
Zurich
Pay CHF 7,502, for the major region (estimate).
CHF 1,768
- Rent a month
- CHF 1,768
- Vs regions in this guide
- +25%
- Jobs 2024
- 1.1m
- Strongest sector
- Tech
Sector strength vs average for Switzerland
- Tech1.77×
- Healthcaren/a
- Engineeringn/a
- Finance1.69×
- Hospitalityn/a
Job links open all Switzerland roles for now. Rent compared with the other regions in this guide.
View the map as a table
| Canton | Jobs 2024 | Sectors above average (LQ 1.05 or more) | Pay (major region, Estimate) | Rent (BFS 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich | 1,149,866 | Tech 1.77, Finance 1.69 | CHF 7,502 (Zurich, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,768 |
| Bern | 677,492 | Healthcare 1.08 | CHF 6,964 (Espace Mittelland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,319 |
| Lucerne | 274,115 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.08 | CHF 7,092 (Central Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,500 |
| Uri | 19,649 | Hospitality 1.82, Engineering and manufacturing 1.12 | CHF 7,092 (Central Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,219 |
| Schwyz | 92,873 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.11, Finance 1.05 | CHF 7,092 (Central Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,719 |
| Obwalden | 23,792 | Hospitality 1.76, Engineering and manufacturing 1.44 | CHF 7,092 (Central Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,449 |
| Nidwalden | 25,999 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.73, Hospitality 1.34 | CHF 7,092 (Central Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,590 |
| Glarus | 23,039 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.81 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,299 |
| Zug | 135,123 | Tech 1.72, Finance 1.58 | CHF 7,092 (Central Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 2,024 |
| Fribourg | 167,232 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.13 | CHF 6,964 (Espace Mittelland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,328 |
| Solothurn | 151,633 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.36 | CHF 6,964 (Espace Mittelland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,281 |
| Basel-Stadt | 201,823 | Finance 1.33, Hospitality 1.22, Healthcare 1.20 | CHF 7,156 (Northwestern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,451 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 161,523 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.34 | CHF 7,156 (Northwestern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,528 |
| Schaffhausen | 49,147 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.74 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,287 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 28,993 | Healthcare 1.75, Engineering and manufacturing 1.48 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,320 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 9,655 | Hospitality 1.96, Engineering and manufacturing 1.65 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,448 |
| St. Gallen | 317,461 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.63 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,343 |
| Graubünden | 142,755 | Hospitality 2.90 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,368 |
| Aargau | 364,295 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.33 | CHF 7,156 (Northwestern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,494 |
| Thurgau | 149,746 | Engineering and manufacturing 1.57 | CHF 6,623 (Eastern Switzerland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,373 |
| Ticino | 250,618 | Hospitality 1.11, Finance 1.08, Tech 1.05 | CHF 5,708 (Ticino, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,245 |
| Vaud | 498,830 | Healthcare 1.21 | CHF 6,998 (Lake Geneva Region, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,465 |
| Valais | 202,200 | Hospitality 2.00 | CHF 6,998 (Lake Geneva Region, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,227 |
| Neuchâtel | 113,631 | Engineering and manufacturing 2.30 | CHF 6,964 (Espace Mittelland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,091 |
| Geneva | 401,982 | Finance 1.67, Hospitality 1.07 | CHF 6,998 (Lake Geneva Region, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 1,573 |
| Jura | 47,549 | Engineering and manufacturing 2.59 | CHF 6,964 (Espace Mittelland, BFS LSE 2024, Estimate) | CHF 999 |
Cities
Pay, rent and the share of pay that rent takes. Estimates stay labelled.
Estimate
Zurich
- Rent
- CHF 2,467
- Pay
- CHF 6,723
- Rent share
- Not listed
Estimate
Geneva
- Rent
- CHF 2,321
- Pay
- CHF 5,972
- Rent share
- Not listed
Estimate
Basel
- Rent
- CHF 1,643
- Pay
- CHF 5,752
- Rent share
- Not listed
Tools
Step 1 of 2
Visa route finder
A route to read about, not a decision on your application. Figures are the ones in this guide.
Rent and pay
The pay and rent figures already in this guide. This is not a tax calculation.
Rent a month in Zurich
CHF 2,467
- Pay
- CHF 6,723
- Rent share of pay
- Not listed
Take-home pay
Without a C permit, tax is taken at source using your canton's tariff. The Federal Tax Administration publishes those tariffs. This guide does not calculate them.
Open the ESTV withholding tax pageVisa routes to read about
These describe the route. They do not say whether you qualify.
EU/EFTA free movement
L permit for a job of 3 to 12 months; B permit (5 years) for 12 months or more; up to 90 days a year by online notification.
Third-country L or B permit (quota)
Priority for Swiss and EU/EFTA workers, usual local pay and conditions, managers, specialists and other skilled workers, within the quota; employer applies to the cantonal authority, SEM approves. AIG Art. 18 to 23
2026 quotas
Third countries 8,500 (4,500 B, 4,000 L); UK 3,500 (2,100 B, 1,400 L); EU/EFTA service providers over 120 days 3,500 (3,000 L, 500 B). In force from 1 Jan 2026.
Salary threshold
No fixed national figure; pay must match the usual local, occupational and sector level. AIG Art. 22
Permit fee
Up to CHF 95 to issue an L, B or G permit (cantonal maximum); visa EUR 90 equivalent. GebV-AIG Art. 8 and 12
2027 quotas
Not announced yet.
Little-known facts
Daily life
- HealthcareHealth insurance is bought privately and paid monthly, Sunday shop closures, quiet hours in flats, recycling rules and paid rubbish bags, very low rental vacancy in Zurich and Geneva.
- HealthcareCompulsory basic health insurance with an annual deductible; premiums vary by canton and insurer.
- Good to knowEmergency 112, ambulance 144.
Family, school and pets
- FamilyFamilies can usually join; check SEM and the cantonal migration office for conditions.
- SchoolPublic schooling is free and run by the cantons; compulsory schooling is 11 years including two years of kindergarten in most cantons (EDK).
- Good to knowTeaching is in the local language (German, French or Italian).
From job offer to settled in
Questions
Does a Swiss employer need a sponsor licence?
No. The employer applies to the cantonal labour market authority for each hire, and SEM gives final approval for third-country workers.
Is there a minimum salary for a permit?
No fixed national figure. Pay must match the usual local, occupational and sector level (AIG Art. 22).
How many permits are there in 2027?
Not announced yet. The 2026 quota is 8,500 for third-country workers plus 3,500 for UK nationals.
How is my income taxed?
Without a C permit, tax is usually taken at source using your canton's tariff; from CHF 120,000 a year an ordinary tax return is mandatory.
Which canton has the most finance jobs?
Zurich, with 1.69 times the national share, closely followed by Geneva (1.67).
Does every employer on Global Sponsor Hub sponsor visas?
No. Each listing shows the support the employer or agency has stated, such as visa sponsorship or relocation support. Confirm it with the employer before you apply.
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