I'm EU resident, working as an independent consultant in my home country.

I would like to establish secondary residence in Switzerland, renting a flat with my girlfriend who is Swiss, in order to be closer to her.

It is way too early for us to get married, or for me to consider applying for permanent residence based on moving my business to Switzerland (which I understand needs a net profit of 100.000 CHF/year before they accept anyway?). So I'll keep paying my taxes in the EU, being in Switzerland as often as I can obviously.

Plenty of topics in the forum on how to permanently move to Switzerland, but couldn't find info about establishing a secondary residence.

My questions are:

1. Do I need an L or B or other permit to establish a secondary residence renting contract in Switzerland while my primary residence remains the EU?

2. Can I move some of my stuff (some furniture, clothing, electrical appliances) to a secondary home (rented apartment) in Switzerland without loosing the right to do so again IF one day I move here permanently or get married? I just want to move at this stage what I need to be closer to her, but not move everything (you never know ...)

Thanks for any insights or leads!

You can't really do this and remain 100% legal.

Where did you get that idea? It's not true.


As long as you adhere to the tax residency limits.

L or B residency permits are for those who come to live in Switzerland. You appear to be thinking of regular tourist visits which should be fine as long as you note the point above.

No, duty free importing of effects is a one off opportunity - although you can tell them that the stuff is coming in two or more loads as long as you list it all in the inventory. However, as you would not be relocating then this wouldn't apply anyway. If you are setting up a place as a holiday home then there are no duty free allowances at all.

Thanks swissbob. Are you sure about your last item? I kept searching in the meantime, and on the 18.44 form I found on the admin.ch website the following info (point 7, copy/paste):

" Items fo furnish a secondary residence will be treated the same as houshold effects. However, exceptions to this are vehicles and animals. "

This is just a blurb, but, on what appears to be the official form you have to provide to the customs. No other information found about secondary residence on the swiss customs web site ...

Info from the admin.ch web site, somewhere between brackets on the EU immigration pages or one of the forms (if I only bookmarked the pages ... too many of them). If you can't prove you earn as an independent minimum 100.000 CHF net (after tax) a year, it is up to the authorities to decide whether you're worth it or not.

I stand corrected - the rules changed in 2007 apparently .

To be self employed an EU citizen is no longer required to porve viability. This used to be required prior to 2008 after being self employed for 6 months. It is no longer th case.

Hmm, it is just a blurb (with spelling mistakes as you can see ...), didn't find more info about it ... Would love to have the full info so I don't get myself kicked out with a wardrobe in one hand and a closet in the other

Celebrations then! In case I do ... so, I can just hop over my business to Switzerland without income limitation? Which permit (since I that will change my tax residency from home to Switzerland) should I get?

Prior to 2007 you had to provide a residence permit in order to import effects i.e. moving to a primary residence. Now all you need is a rental contract hence it can be a primary or secondary.

You will get a 5 year B permit.

Thanks a million for these infos swissbob. Very helpful indeed.

Be aware that, depending on how, where and for how long you work, you can be tax resident in more than one country. Establishing tax residency here does not mean you are not tax resident in, eg. the Netherlands.

Absolutely, but the double taxation treaties work for most EU countries.