Hi all,

I couldn't find an answer to this but maybe it's somewhere, and if so, feel free to direct me and apologies for taking time ...

I am trying to understand if there is a possibility for non-EU workers to have a B permit that is valid for more than 1 year - if work contract is, let's say 5 or 10 years.

I am a non-EU academic and I have been in Switzerland for 2 years now (so I renew my permit every year). The issue is that if I have a contract for 5 years, is there any way I can request a B permit that doesn't require renewal every year?

Thanks!

It is possible, I have seen non-EU B permits that have lasted 2 years for example. I don't think there is a different way to apply for it, sometimes you are just lucky.

Ask at your town hall. My experience was that my Permis was renewed every year, for ten years, without too much formalities. There was never a hint that it wouldn’t be renewed.

FWIW, there was one year of my PhD I had to renew the B permit 2 times because it was only for 6 months. The curious issue is they also divided the price of the permit in half, so at the end of the year paid the same cost. Only more paperwork.

But there's no problem. You submit the documents, wait a few weeks and the permit is there. If I had to travel outside the Schengen zone I just had to stop by the cantonal population office, fill a form telling my permit renewal was being evaluated, and they printed a re-entry visa on my passport. Then I could fly anywhere.

What I was told at immigration in Basel Stadt is it's not technically impossible, and sometimes they'll do two years, but the policy is really that they should issue it with a duration of one year, renewable as long as you have the proper reason to stay. Also your work contract has to be more than one year/permanent anyway, otherwise they might give you an L permit rather than a B. I know people who were given a one-year, renewable L permit because their contract had a relatively short fixed duration (18 months).

Thanks a lot! Fingers crossed =)

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for your responses. I will try and see if there is a way I can lobby for it ... not that it's a big deal, it's just annoying to keep going every year but it's fine either way.

I have never heard of anyone on a non-EU B permit who had it for more than a year at a time (your status is valid, but your physical permit is not, and having to prove that you still have a job every year has no drawbacks for the authorities). I am in BS, had a non-EU B for 5 years.

As I recall I had to fill out a form, sometimes provide a new photo and wait. Many times over the 10 years they didn’t get it done in time, but it wasn’t a problem. Unless you are travelling every week it isn’t going to be an issue.

I read somewhere (official CH website) that B permits are usually issued for 5 years for EU/AELE and 1 year for others.

For the life of me, I can't find the link now, but will post it when I find it!

Edit: found it!

B: Initial residence permit
This residence permit does not, as a rule, exceed one year the first time it is given. Normally, a B permit is renewed from one year to the next, provided there are no conflicting grounds, such as dependency on social welfare. There are a limited number of these permits, which are subject to quotas. It includes limitations on where the holder can live (in the canton that issued the permit) and is tied to the employer. Taxes are levied at source.

Taken from the Non EU permit from: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/work-permits/29191706

Ah, that's really nice, a few years ago (2017 I think) I had to renew 4 times in 1 year because I kept getting 3 month extensions for my post-doc while the lab was closing due to a prof retiring, I pay full price each time.