Moving to Switzerland from Germany: Permits, Registration, Cover

Moving to Switzerland from Germany: which rules apply to you?

If you hold German citizenship, the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (FZA) between Switzerland and the EU applies to you. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) writes in its January 2025 factsheet that EU/EFTA nationals may enter Switzerland, stay and take up a job if they meet the conditions of the agreement. Since 1 June 2002, the agreement has been in force (AHV/IV leaflet, as of 1 January 2025).

Many Germans have made this move. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis, 11 May 2026), about 329,900 Germans lived in Switzerland at the start of 2025. Austria followed with about 239,500. In 2025, around 22,700 Germans moved to Switzerland, ahead of Austria with 13,500 and Spain with 9,700 (Destatis, Zahl der Woche no. 24, 9 June 2026).

This guide covers EU/EFTA citizens. It takes you through entry, residence status, registration, health cover, tax, pensions, property and professional recognition. For other destinations, see the Countries overview. The opposite direction is covered in Moving to Germany.

How do you enter Switzerland from Germany?

You enter with a passport, an identity card or a child passport. A visa is not required, says the German Federal Foreign Office (as of 25 October 2026). Provisional passports and ID cards are valid within their period of validity. Driving licences and birth certificates for children are not enough.

For stays of up to 90 days within 180 days, Germans need no visa. Temporary border controls apply on the German-Swiss border, so delays are possible. You may carry cash without a limit, but you must declare amounts from 10,000 CHF.

Requirements at a glance: what does Switzerland ask for?

What you must do depends on whether you work, run your own business or move without a job. The table summarises the SEM information.

Situation	What the source says	Source and date
Work up to 3 months per calendar year	No permit needed. Your employer reports you online, at the latest the day before work starts	SEM, January 2025
Work over 3 months	Permit against an employment contract: L for 3 months to under 1 year, B from 1 year or open-ended (5 years)	SEM, January 2025
Self-employed	Permit B (5 years) if you prove the activity when you apply	SEM, January 2025
No gainful activity	Sufficient means and health cover for all risks, including accidents	SEM, August 2023
Registration	With the municipality, 14 days according to the SEM FAQ	SEM, 6 July 2026
Health insurance	Basic insurance within 3 months of taking up residence	FOPH, September 2025
Settlement (permit C)	After 5 years for EU-15/EFTA nationals	SEM, 6 July 2026

Which residence permit do you need?

For work of more than 3 months in a calendar year, you need approval against a work contract. A fixed term of 3 months to under one year gives you permit L for the length of the term. From one year, or if the job is open-ended, you receive permit B for 5 years (SEM, January 2025). Either card is valid across Switzerland and allows you to change jobs and professions.

Permit B for employees requires a contract of at least twelve months or an open-ended one, and it can be renewed by 5 years. After more than 12 months of involuntary unemployment, the canton may limit the first renewal to one year (SEM, last changed 1 January 2022).

Self-employed people receive permit B for 5 years when they prove the activity at the time of application. They may start only after they have submitted the documents the canton requires (SEM FAQ, 6 July 2026).

If you move without working, you need enough money and health cover for all risks. The SEM treats means as sufficient when they exceed the social assistance rate under the SKOS guidelines; for pensioners the limit for supplementary benefits applies. Pensions and other social insurance benefits count towards it. The factsheet gives no amounts in francs. Stays of more than 3 months are registered with the migration office of the canton of residence, and permit B then runs for 5 years. If your means are uncertain, the canton may limit it to 2 years in individual cases (SEM, August 2023). The German-language article explains the permits in detail: Aufenthaltsbewilligung Schweiz.

How long can you look for a job?

You can search for up to 3 months without a permit. After that, a short-stay permit applies, first for 3 months and extendable up to one year, if you have means and a reasoned prospect of a job (SEM, August 2023). If you lose your job, you can usually stay at least half a year to look for a new one, but you must apply to the cantonal authority (SEM FAQ, 6 July 2026).

When do you get permit C?

Citizens of the EU-15 and EFTA states receive permit C after 5 years of uninterrupted, lawful residence. The SEM FAQ says that the free movement agreement does not cover permanent residence. For other nationalities it is mostly 10 years.

How do you register with the municipality?

You register with your municipality, and the SEM FAQ gives a period of 14 days. The page (last changed 6 July 2026) distinguishes three groups. Employees with a job of more than 3 months register within 14 days of arrival and before they start work. Self-employed people and people without gainful activity register at the latest 14 days after arrival.

Only the employee rule mentions the 3 months. Registration duties are regulated by the cantons. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs also names 14 days from arrival for returning Swiss citizens (as of 1 February 2026). Municipalities and cantons may have their own rules, and no source on this is available. For a tax number and a bank account, no official information is available either.

Is health insurance mandatory in Switzerland?

Yes. Basic insurance is compulsory for everyone resident in Switzerland, whatever the nationality. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) sets a deadline of three months after taking up residence. If you register on time, cover starts retroactively from the day you arrive (FOPH FAQ, September 2025). Each person is insured individually, and there is no family cover.

Insurers must accept every applicant without reservation and without a waiting period. Basic insurance has no health questionnaire. Late registration means cover only from the date of joining, and an unexcused delay brings a premium surcharge. The canton then assigns an insurer. German-language details: Krankenversicherung Schweiz. For comparison, see how health cover works on the other side in Health insurance when moving to Germany.

How is your income taxed?

If you live in Switzerland for tax purposes and have no settlement permit (C), you pay withholding tax, deducted from your salary (Federal Tax Administration, latest notice 23 October 2026). You can apply for a subsequent ordinary assessment until 31 March of the following year. The period cannot be extended, and pillar 3a contributions can only be deducted through that assessment.

The protocol amending the double taxation agreement between Switzerland and Germany entered into force on 27 November 2025. Most changes apply from 1 January 2026 (State Secretariat for International Finance, 28 November 2025). Tax rates are not covered by the sources used here.

What happens to your German pension?

The German pension insurance (DRV) pays your pension to Switzerland if you live there. You report the move to its pension service at least two months before you leave. The DRV also asks for an annual proof of life, which can be done digitally. For a transfer abroad it names form A1310. Switzerland is listed as a treaty partner next to Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. German article: Deutsche Rente in der Schweiz. This guide makes no statement on pension taxation.

Can you buy property in Switzerland?

It depends on where you live. The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) says that persons abroad generally need approval from the cantonal authority to buy real estate (Lex Koller). EU/EFTA citizens with lawful and actual residence in Switzerland are usually not treated as persons abroad. The FAQ is not legally binding (as of 21 October 2026), and doubts are settled by the cantonal approval authority.

A tightening of the law is only a proposal. The consultation ran until 15 July 2026, and no message to parliament exists. Current law still applies. See Lex Koller und Immobilien (German).

Are your qualifications recognised in Switzerland?

Recognition is only required for regulated professions. The portal anerkennung.swiss shows whether your profession is regulated and who is responsible. At the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI) you create a user account, submit the application, upload a passport or ID and attach the original diploma. A translation is needed if the diploma is not in German, English, French or Italian. The SBFI starts its review only when the file is complete and the fee is paid. It reports a large number of applications and considerable delays.

What you need to bring

No single official list covers every case. The SEM names these items depending on your situation:

• A passport or identity card for the migration office
• An employment contract if you work more than 3 months
• Proof of your self-employed activity if you work for yourself
• Proof of sufficient means and health cover if you do not work
• For recognition of a diploma: the original, plus an official translation where needed

Ask the migration office of your canton of residence for the current list. The SEM overview is at sem.admin.ch. If you are comparing registration steps in Germany, see Register your address in Germany.

Frequently asked questions

Do Germans need a visa for Switzerland?

No. Germans enter with a passport, ID card or child passport (German Federal Foreign Office, as of 25 October 2026). A permit is needed for work of more than 3 months in a calendar year.

How long do you have to register after arriving?

The SEM FAQ gives 14 days. Employees with a job of more than 3 months also register before they start work (SEM, 6 July 2026).

When must your health insurance start?

You must insure yourself within three months of taking up residence. If you register on time, cover applies from the day you arrive (FOPH, September 2025).

When can Germans get permit C?

EU-15 and EFTA citizens can receive it after 5 years of uninterrupted, lawful residence (SEM, 6 July 2026).

Will your German pension be paid in Switzerland?

Yes. The German pension insurance pays the pension to Switzerland if you live there, and you report the move two months before you leave.

Sources

1. Auswärtiges Amt: Schweiz, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise, 2026 (As of: 25.10.2026)
2. SEM: Factsheet Aufenthalt und Arbeit, 2025 (As of: Januar 2025)
3. SEM: Factsheet Nichterwerbstätige, 2023 (As of: August 2023)
4. SEM: FAQ for EU/EFTA citizens in Switzerland, 2026 (As of: 6 July 2026)
5. BAG: FAQ Versicherungspflicht, 2025 (As of: September 2025)
6. EDA: Rückwandern in die Schweiz, 2026 (As of: 1 February 2026)
7. ESTV: Quellensteuer, 2026 (As of: 23 October 2026)
8. SIF: Änderungsprotokoll zum DBA mit Deutschland, 2025 (As of: 28 November 2025)
9. AHV/IV: Merkblatt 2.12, 2025 (As of: 1 January 2025)
10. DRV: Verbindungsstelle Schweiz, 2026
11. BJ: Fragen und Antworten zur Lex Koller, 2026 (As of: 21 October 2026)
12. SBFI: Ausländische Berufsqualifikationen in der Schweiz, 2026
13. Destatis: Leben im europäischen Ausland, 2026 (As of: 11 May 2026)
14. Destatis: Zahl der Woche Nr. 24, 2026 (As of: 9 June 2026)

General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the linked official pages before you act.

Author: Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on October 25, 2026