Working in Switzerland

The short answer

EU and Schengen	Not in the EU; in the Schengen area
Main routes	Residence permit (B) or short-stay permit (L) for qualified specialists, intra-company transfer
2026 quotas for non-EU nationals	8,500 permits: 4,500 B permits and 4,000 L permits
Key condition	The employer must show it could not find a suitable candidate in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA area
Languages	German, French or Italian depending on the canton; English common in multinationals, research and finance
Who decides	The cantonal authorities, with federal approval from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

How hiring from India works

Switzerland gives priority to Swiss residents and to workers from the EU and EFTA. A Swiss employer can hire an Indian national when the role needs specialist skills that it could not find locally or in Europe, and when the salary and working conditions match local standards.

The employer applies to the canton where you will work. If the canton agrees, the case goes to the State Secretariat for Migration for approval, and the permit counts against the annual quota. You then apply for a national visa at the Swiss representation in India.

Who gets permits

In practice, permits go mostly to:

• engineers, scientists and researchers
• IT and data specialists
• finance, pharma and life-science professionals
• senior managers and specialists transferred within international groups

Roles that can be filled from the EU labour market rarely qualify.

India and Switzerland

Switzerland is a member of EFTA, whose trade and economic partnership agreement with India has applied since 1 October 2025. It includes an investment commitment by the EFTA countries. See the India–EFTA agreement.

Good to know

• Salaries are high, but so are rents, health insurance and daily costs.
• Health insurance is compulsory and paid by the individual.
• Being in Schengen, a Swiss residence permit lets you travel to other Schengen countries for short stays.

Quick answers