General Updates
Switzerland
The Federal Council has announced that work permit quotas will remain unchanged for applications submitted in 2023.
Quotas are issued annually for long-term B permits and short-term L permits for workers from non-EU/EFTA countries and from the UK, and quarterly for service providers and transferees from the EU/EFTA. Quotas do not apply to L permits valid for up to four months, renewals or changes of status.
As we previously reported, the Federal Council has decided to restrict access to the Swiss labour market for Croatian nationals in 2023.
The 2023 quotas are as follows:
- 4000 short-term L permits for non-EU/EFTA nationals;
- 4500 long-term B permits for non-EU/EFTA nationals;
- 3000 short-term L permits for service providers and transferees based in the EU/EFTA;
- 500 long-term B permits for service providers and transferees based in the EU/EFTA;
- 1400 short-term L permits for UK nationals;
- 2100 long-term B permits for UK nationals;
- 1007 short-term L permits for Croatian nationals;
- 1150 long-term B permits for Croatian nationals.
Switzerland and the United Kingdom
The UK and Switzerland have agreed a three-year extension to the Services Mobility Agreement (SMA).
The agreement, in force since the beginning of 2021, allows service suppliers, such as management consultants, IT experts or engineers, to continue travelling freely between Switzerland and the UK and work for up to 90 days per year, without the need for visas, economic interest tests, work permits, evidence of language skills or lengthy processing times.
