I am trying to find out if there is a Federal or Cantonal law that defines the issuing of a D visa for those who are economically inactive and what activities are admissible other than family reunion and permanent retirement etc.

I've been reading this website - https://www.ch.ch/en/retirement-or-study-switzerland/, and of course now the section "Third-country nationals".

As UK is no longer in the EU, the Schengen 90/180 days is a real nuisance. I'm completely retired fully self supporting and until now I have been spending Jan - Apr, and early May, in the Jungfrau enjoying the mountains as a long stay tourist for the last 10 years and staying in the same apartment each time.

I have then been spending the summers on a France based boat travelling around FR with shorter periods in BE, NL, L and D.
The French issue Long Stay National D visas, up to 12 months, for the "economically inactive" and I am applying for that to start later this year. I can be applied for annually if necessary.
I would like to do the same in Switzerland.
The reason for doing this is simply not to use up the valuable Schengen 90/180 days - which I could then use for shorter periods in the other countries mentioned above.
From our perspective Schengen is a bit of a pain giving 90/180 days across 26 countries instead of 90/180 in each country. Some non EU countries still enjoy that regime under their pre Schengen visa arrangements.

The visa free 90 days is all well and good but I can't think of any logical reason why long stay visas cannot be issued for the economically inactive who are not taking a job or claiming benefits but are contributing to the country.

I fully expect all this to be more costly, but I can't take it with me!! It is all the result of BREXIT - the gift that keeps on giving.

That.


Never heard of that type of Visa but good luck!

Hmm, I’m not sure such a thing exists. Even if you could retire to an EU country, as Non-EU it wouldn’t give you freedom of movement in the rest of Schengen.

The Swiss law of foreigners (AIG) which governs non-EU immigration doesn't allow for such kinds of long-term stay.
The exception that is usually applied is Art 30.1(b) which allows a foreigner to stay in case there's a great personal hardship or important (Swiss) public interest in allowing such a stay.

There's no public interest in allowing your stay if all you can do for Switzerland is support yourself.

Canton Zurich goes into some detail describing what it considers to fall under this paragraph, see chapter 8 here.

Basically, you need to be ultra high net worth and strike a deal with the cantontal tax office to pay a special annual tax (likely in the range of millions of CHF) so that there's a significant public financial interest in your stay, or you need to be politically exposed and in such a situation that Switzerland will be internationally condemned if they don't allow you to stay, or be a super talented and internationally famous culture icon with close ties to Switzerland.

Brexit sucks, I'm sorry.

Long shot, but have a word (in person if you can) with the people in the commune where you would be staying.

Thanks, and yes BREXIT sucks.

The ref you posted is useful and I noted, DeepL Translator:

3.1 Special personal relations with Switzerland
According to Art. 25 para. 2 VZAE, the applicant must prove special personal relations to Switzerland. According to lit. a, these are, for example, longer previous stays in Switzerland (with a permit under aliens law), intensive business or private relationships (regular proven vacation and tourist stays) or according to lit. b close relationships to close relatives (parents, children, grandchildren, siblings) in the Canton of Zurich.

If we hadn't been in the apartment we rent this winter, it would have been empty for most of the period. So someone was very happy we were there!!

Thanks. Yes, I'd certainly ask the people we know in the commune, including landlord and landlady, to write a few words to support any visa application. When I was there in this winter, the Gemeinde staff could only suggest talking to the Canton office and post BREXIT it was all new, so nothing had filtered down.

I don’t know it’s still around, but there used to a long term permit for what you are calling the economic in active...

However the income bit was a show stopper for most as your income had to come from royalties, dividends, interest and certain capital gains. So good for a James Galway, but not much use to a landlord with foreign rental income etc...