Immigration to Switzerland

Switzerland has one of the highest proportions of foreign residents in the world. Most of these people come from Europe. Recently workers have been attracted to Switzerland above all by the healthy economy and the introduction of the free movement of people. However, the high proportion of foreign residents is also the result of strict naturalisation guidelines, which makes becoming Swiss quite a challenge.

How to get Swiss citizenship
Cost of living in Switzerland
Visa requirements
Working in Switzerland
Asylum in Switzerland

How to get Swiss citizenship

How to get Swiss citizenship?

Swiss citizenship laws have undergone dramatic changes in the past 20 years.

How to become Swiss

This content was published on Mar 4, 2020 If you have a connection to Switzerland through your family and want to make it official by becoming Swiss yourself – this is how you can go about it.

Meet the foreigners who make up a quarter of the Swiss population

This content was published on Sep 6, 2024 Who are the foreign nationals who make up 27% of Switzerland’s population?

L immagine illustra l ombra di una donna con un passaporto svizzero tra le mani.

Ten things you need to know about Swiss citizenship

This content was published on Jul 31, 2017 How do you become Swiss? Who is entitled to naturalization? swissinfo.ch has collected questions from readers, and ten of them are answered here.

Immigration in Switzerland: a threat or a chance for prosperity?

This content was published on Apr 10, 2024 Switzerland’s population is about to reach the 9 million mark, which brings the discussion of immigration back to the political spotlight.

The 10 Million initiative: putting a cap on immigration.

Putting the brakes on immigration in Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 2, 2024 The right-wing Swiss People’s Party has launched an initiative to stop the Swiss population exceeding 10 million people.

Cost of living in Switzerland

The cost of living in Switzerland is among the highest in the world.

Why is Switzerland so expensive?

This content was published on Aug 21, 2020 Switzerland is eye-wateringly pricey. But do the people earning a Swiss wage see these sky-high costs the same way?

Cost of living: are we heading towards a social crisis?

This content was published on Oct 5, 2023 Health insurance premiums, electricity, food, rent, transport: living in Switzerland is becoming more and more expensive.

Swiss salary illusion: precarious cost of living sets off alarm bells

This content was published on Sep 28, 2023 “You’re from Switzerland, you must be rich!” This is how Switzerland is seen from the outside. The reality is very different.

Visa requirements

Full integration out of reach for non-European migrants

This content was published on Dec 15, 2020 Switzerland, for decades a land of immigration, is not a particularly good student when it comes to integration.

Entering Switzerland: who needs a visa?

This content was published on May 27, 2016 swissinfo.ch takes a close look at how Switzerland divides up the world when it comes to visas.

Entry/Exit

This content was published on Apr 28, 2017 Who needs a visa to come to Switzerland and how long can a tourist stay?

Working in Switzerland

Work permit in Switzerland

Obtaining a permit to work in Switzerland depends on many factors, including where you are from, the skills you have and quotas.

What is it like to work in Switzerland?

This content was published on Oct 28, 2020 Find out how and why the job market has evolved and where Swiss employers are placing their bets for the future.

Swiss work culture

This content was published on Aug 16, 2018 People in full-time posts work an average of 41 hours and 10 minutes a week in Switzerland; but an increasing number choose to work less.

How hardworking are the Swiss?

This content was published on Jul 6, 2020 Switzerland has a reputation as a hardworking, punctual, and precise country. But does the picture stand up to a reality check?

What is a good average salary in Switzerland?

If you are a male banker, a Swiss diplomat or a foreign CEO in Switzerland, chances are you are living quite comfortably.

Asylum in Switzerland

Anyone can apply for asylum in Switzerland, but applicants must prove or at least credibly demonstrate their refugee status.

How well does the new Swiss asylum system work?

This content was published on Nov 11, 2019 The Swiss asylum policy was streamlined in last March to accelerate the procedure, but critics have raised serious objections.

People in Geneva demonstrating in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan

Why asylum in Switzerland remains elusive for Afghan refugees

This content was published on Mar 20, 2023 Despite the deteriorating human rights situation under the Taliban, the Swiss continue to resist calls to facilitate entry and protection for Afghans.

What is your opinion of Switzerland’s asylum system?

This content was published on Sep 28, 2023 Which political responses are needed in face of recent refugee arrivals? Join the discussion.

How the Swiss asylum system works

This content was published on May 6, 2020 Switzerland has a long humanitarian tradition but who can apply for asylum in the country and how?

On April 5, thousands demonstrated in Zurich against the housing crisis. It was the city's largest housing demonstration since the turn of the millennium

Life & Aging

Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem 

Alpine Environment

The Swiss Alps ski village that is luring nervous Americans

Swiss Abroad

The Böögg, Switzerland’s exploding psychic snowman

Heavy rainfall in southern Switzerland: canton Valais issues weather warning and Ticino will have a wet Easter.

Swiss Abroad

Switzerland Today

Swiss franc surge sparks bets on negative interest rates

Did you immigrate to Switzerland? What are your experiences?

What were the circumstances of your immigration to Switzerland? And what motivated your decision to stay or leave?

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Apr 1, 2025

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What are your experiences with housing shortages and rising property prices?

Switzerland is steering towards a housing crisis. Are there solutions?

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Apr 25, 2025

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How are mental illnesses treated in your country?

In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?

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Apr 23, 2025

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Immigration to Switzerland

How to get Swiss citizenship

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How to get Swiss citizenship?

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How to become Swiss

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Meet the foreigners who make up a quarter of the Swiss population

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Ten things you need to know about Swiss citizenship

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Immigration in Switzerland: a threat or a chance for prosperity?

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Putting the brakes on immigration in Switzerland

Cost of living in Switzerland

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Cost of living in Switzerland

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Why is Switzerland so expensive?

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Cost of living: are we heading towards a social crisis?

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Swiss salary illusion: precarious cost of living sets off alarm bells

Visa requirements

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Full integration out of reach for non-European migrants

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Entering Switzerland: who needs a visa?

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Entry/Exit

Working in Switzerland

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Work permit in Switzerland

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What is it like to work in Switzerland?

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Swiss work culture

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How hardworking are the Swiss?

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What is a good average salary in Switzerland?

Asylum in Switzerland

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Asylum in Switzerland

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How well does the new Swiss asylum system work?

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Why asylum in Switzerland remains elusive for Afghan refugees

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What is your opinion of Switzerland’s asylum system?

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How the Swiss asylum system works

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Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem

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The Swiss Alps ski village that is luring nervous Americans

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The Böögg, Switzerland’s exploding psychic snowman

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Switzerland Today

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Swiss franc surge sparks bets on negative interest rates

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Did you immigrate to Switzerland? What are your experiences?

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What are your experiences with housing shortages and rising property prices?

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How are mental illnesses treated in your country?

Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem 