Swiss permits for Brits: L, B and C permits, the UK quota and the fast track to a C

The letter on your Swiss residence card decides almost everything: how long you can stay, whether you can change jobs, and how soon you can put down roots.

The short version

• Since 1 January 2021, Brits who move to Switzerland are third-country nationals and need a permit to work, whatever the length of the job [1][3].
• For 2026 there's a separate UK quota of up to 3,500 workers: 2,100 B permits and 1,400 L permits [3].
• Brits who lived in Switzerland before 2021 keep their rights under the UK–Swiss Citizens' Rights Agreement and don't need a work permit [1][2].
• The canton of Zurich lists the UK among the countries with a settlement treaty, so Brits can apply for a C permit after five uninterrupted years rather than ten [4].
• Carry your permit card when you travel: it exempts you from registering on the EU's Entry/Exit System [2].

The alphabet: what each permit means

Switzerland uses letters, and you'll hear people describe themselves by them ("I'm on a B") as casually as Brits mention their council tax band.

Only B and C years count towards Swiss citizenship; L years don't, which is worth knowing if your employer offers a run of short contracts [6].

Before 2021: the Citizens' Rights Agreement

Because Switzerland isn't in the EU, Brits here aren't covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. A separate deal, the UK–Swiss Citizens' Rights Agreement, protects the rights of people who were already exercising free movement on 31 December 2020 [1][2].

According to the SEM, that means employees who started work before 1 January 2021, self-employed people who had started (and can prove it), students who had begun their course, and non-working residents who had health insurance and enough money on that date [2]. Those rights last indefinitely, as long as you keep meeting the conditions [2].

A few practical points from the SEM and the FCDO:

• Your permit should carry the note "In accordance with the CH-UK agreement of 25.02.2020" in German, French or Italian [1][2].
• You renew L, B and C permits on the usual cycle, but you don't need a work permit [1].
• An L or B permit lapses after more than six months abroad without notice. A C permit can be kept for up to four years abroad if you ask first [2].
• Serious criminal offences are judged under the stricter rules for third-country nationals [2].
• Future spouses are a sore point: from 31 December 2025, bringing over a partner you marry later falls under the ordinary foreign nationals law, which the SEM calls "somewhat stricter" [2].

After 2021: the quota and how a permit is granted

For newcomers, the bar is high. The SEM says only essential managers and specialists are admitted, along with people whose specialist skills are shown to be needed, and Swiss residents and EU/EFTA nationals get priority [2]. Pay and conditions must match what's usual for the place, the job and the sector [2].

The Federal Council sets the quotas each year. On 19 November 2025 it kept the 2026 figures unchanged: 1,400 L permits and 2,100 B permits for UK nationals, alongside 4,000 L and 4,500 B permits for other third-country workers [3]. The canton of Zurich confirms the same UK numbers [5].

How it works in Zurich

1. Your employer applies to the cantonal Amt für Wirtschaft (AWI), which can be done through EasyGov [5].
2. The AWI decides whether the job meets the labour-market tests [5].
3. The SEM approves the decision at federal level [5].
4. The Migrationsamt checks the residence side and grants the permit. Brits don't need an entry visa, so your employer receives an assurance [5].
5. You register with your Gemeinde after arrival, then go in person to the Migrationsamt for your fingerprints and photo. The card comes by post [5].

There are some shortcuts. Work of up to eight days a year for a foreign employer needs no permit, except in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and a few other trades [5]. UK companies and UK-based self-employed people can also use the Services Mobility Agreement for up to 90 days a year, by notification only, until it expires on 31 December 2029 [2].

Changing jobs

On an L permit, you can usually change job only for a good reason and within the same sector and profession. B permit holders generally can, unless the permit was tied to one particular job [2]. Ask before you resign, not after.

The C permit: five years for Brits in Zurich

Here's the bit many Brits don't know. The canton of Zurich lists the United Kingdom among the countries with a Swiss settlement treaty (Niederlassungsvertrag), alongside the USA, Canada and Ireland [4]. Nationals of those countries can apply for a C permit after five uninterrupted years in Switzerland, provided they're integrated and there are no grounds for revoking their permit [4]. Everyone else usually waits about ten years [4]. The FCDO's own guide still mentions only the ten-year route [1], so check your case with the Migrationsamt.

What Zurich asks for:

• German at A2 level spoken and A1 written, shown by an approved certificate such as fide, telc or Goethe, or by Swiss schooling [4].
• An up-to-date extract from the debt enforcement register (Betreibungsregister) for the last three years [4].
• Confirmation of any social assistance received in the last three years [4].
• An application made in person at your Gemeinde's residents' office. Post and online applications aren't accepted [4].

The C permit itself is unlimited, but the card is reissued every five years so the authorities can check the conditions still apply [4]. It can be revoked or downgraded if you stop meeting the integration criteria [4]. It also opens the door to the next step: Swiss citizenship, which needs a C permit and ten years in total.

The G permit and living over the border

A G permit lets you live in a neighbouring country and commute. For third-country nationals, the SEM says you must have lived for at least six months in the border area of the neighbouring country, and your Swiss job must be in the Swiss border area too [2]. Losing your job ends the right to commute, though changing employer without a break keeps it [2]. It's more common in Geneva and Basel than Zurich; see Geneva as the alternative to Zurich.

Travelling on your permit

Time spent in Switzerland on a residence or settlement permit doesn't count towards the Schengen 90-day limit, and Brits with a Swiss L, B, C or G biometric permit don't need to register on the Entry/Exit System [1]. Carry your passport and permit every time you cross a border; without the card you may be wrongly flagged as an overstayer [1]. There's more in Brits in the EU after Brexit, much of which applies in Schengen Switzerland too.

Comparing notes on permit waits? Our community group for Brits in Switzerland is a good place to ask.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Switzerland (last updated 24 December 2025)
2. SEM: FAQ for UK nationals – work and residence after Brexit (last modified 8 May 2026)
3. Federal Council: Federal Council leaves third-country quotas for 2026 unchanged (19 November 2025, updated 5 December 2025)
4. Canton of Zurich: Niederlassungsbewilligung (C permit) (8 December 2025)
5. Canton of Zurich: Aufenthalt mit Erwerbstätigkeit für Drittstaatsangehörige (22 September 2026)
6. SEM: Ordinary naturalisation (last modified 31 July 2026)

Keep reading

• Moving to Zurich as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Swiss citizenship for Brits: the long road
• Swiss tax for Brits: withholding tax, cantons and lump-sum taxation
• Working abroad for a UK employer: PAYE, National Insurance and posting certificates