I have received a job offer to relocate to Switzerland (but work remotely) and I have decided to move to the Zurich Kanton.

My partner (6 years living together) will also leave their job and move with me.

We are both EU citizens.

I had really difficulties understanding what would happen after 6 months of job search if they fail to secure a job.

Because they don't speak German but only English + another EU language, I fear that is a likely scenario in this climate so I want to find myself prepared.

After digging around I found the concept of 'Concubine Permit' that is issued on a case-basis.

I cannot find exactly the requirements and I am worried about this potential gray area that would either force them to leave, or getting married only for legal purposes..

I will be earning 100k CHF and planning to live in a commuting town with lower rent/expenses. Therefore I think it's enough income to cover for their expenses, and I also have a large sum of money saved in a UK account.

Do you know how the process would work and if it's less strict than it sounds, or is actually something that sees multiple rejections from applicants?

Question is, why not get married ? I have a feeling that a concubine permit will tie you in Switzerland just as much as marriage will...

I was in the same situation with my girlfriend in 2017.
The salary was also around 100K CHF.
There were no problems with getting the 5-year B-permit for her. You just need to sign some papers that you will be responsible for all the expenses for her and you should be good.
This was in 2017 in Wallisellen.

Hi Floroz

Yes it is possible to apply for a residence permit for your unmarried partner but be aware that this can take several months and that the authorities will require a lot of personal information from you in order to make a decision (proof of relationship, photos etc). So your partner wouldn't get kicked out of the country after 6 months if they didn't find a job. From others, I have heard that if your EU partner is not able to speak the local language of your canton, they will have to provide proof that they are willing to integrate (eg take language courses). Once you submit all the documents the canton will make a decision and given that you're not married, there is a greater chance that your spouse gets a B permit but that will NOT allow her to work. But again this is a case by case assessment. There probably is a possibility of converting it to a B permit that will allow her to work afterwards if she integrates further.

Watch this video if you haven't already, there's a lot of useful info and the person sounded like they were in a similar situation to your partner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txrVIf88W9Y


I would also advise that you get in touch with your Gemeinde in Zurich who will be able to help you better!

Good luck!

Thank you for your advice!!

How does that work? If they get this permit and then they receive a job offer, can't they then apply for their own B-Permit?

How hard is it to get such permit if the partner is non-EU?

I sent a message to the Migration Office of Zurich.

The message was in English and they replied in German, which I consider quite rude as it's supposed to deal with migration matters and therefore not default to German language if a query is sent from a different language?

Didn't make me feel incredibly welcome....


Their response is:

We ask you to register personally at the responsible residents' registration office or district office after you have taken up residence and before you start working in the canton of Zurich. You can then start work.

Doesn't really answer or reply to any of the questions I submitted..

I'd be careful with that attitude, trying to communicate in German will put them a lot more on your side than being pissed they don't speak a foreign language convenient to you.
A simple positive interaction from someone bored in an office can have great knock on results with things moving faster or someone stamping something a little quicker.
A negative interaction can result the red tape being wrapped so tight around an application that it could drag for ages.

Wow, stop right there. Wrong attitude.

1) there are 4 national languages. All Swiss immigration services will respond in one of them (usually German, French or Italian, not so much Romanch).
2) there is no requirement to answer in English. Many will help and answer in English but there is no obligation.

Be very careful regarding your approach.
You want to be a guest here, nobody will make any concessions.
They are not being rude, they don’t need you, there are so many highly qualified people who want to be here.
It’s their rules and that’s it.
Everything is regulated like very precise clockwork, nothing falls through the cracks.
Do not expect any confusion/disorganisation here.
The efficiency, in comparison to other countries will take your breath away.

Remember…. You are the requestor and they decide yes or no.

__________________
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"Il mondo è fatto a scale, chi le scende e chi le sale"

Wow,
If you tried that in Geneva, I doubt you would get an answer in any language.

Have a look at www.deepl.com, a free translation site.

Not perfect, but better than depending on English.

I think we need to step back a bit and lower the passive aggressivity.

OP is EU and has the right to live in Switzerland either as as a worker or with enough money to not rely on social help and have appropriate health insurance cover.

Switzerland is not perfect by any means and like in every other country, things do fall through the cracks and processes are not always as efficient as you draw them out to be.

No passive aggressivity whatsoever, rather a protective approach so that the OP doesn’t stumble.

Good luck to you and her if you tried to take the approach the OP suggests/feels in her above message with the Swiss immigration authorities.

I wouldn’t and I’m a binational Swiss - American.

And I would be amazed if this were actually possible.
Maybe it is? Can a foreign company that does not actually have a legal entity in Switzerland really employ people here?

It’s after reading this that I addrd: «nothing falls through the cracks» etc.


I really don’t understand false encouragement.
If we’re going to answer and help then we should explain to the best of our knowledge the facts and the culture and daily experiences.

Limegrass you mention:
- EU & right to work.
If the job seeker finds a job in 3 months
If the company is present in Switzerland
And it can be a permit L instead of B
- Or enough means to stay
If the EU citizen meets the financial requirements

It’s just not fair to make it sound easy.
It’s not, it’s a struggle


And living on the suggested salary, 2 people, is doable, but tough.
Nobody has mentioned the cost of living, the cost of obligatory health insurance etc. It’s quite a surprise for people arriving from the EU or UK.

__________________
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"Il mondo è fatto a scale, chi le scende e chi le sale"

This is not a condition to exercise FMOP rights as an EU/EFTA worker. Contract can be from an entity anywhere in the EU/EFTA. Furthermore, OP says he has this arranged via a local payroll provider (with legal entity in Switzerland, even though this is not a requirement).

Which are... to earn enough/have enough assets that would disqualify the EU/EFTA person from having a right to receive social help.

I am not purposely making it seem easy, if it seems easy to you it’s because it IS relatively simple to move to Switzerland as an EU/EFTA citizen and their dependents compared to nationals of other countries.

That is your opinion. People have different lifestyles and expectations. OP seems pretty determined with their future plans and I don’t believe any amount of online deterrence will stop them, so why not provide them with facts instead?

Fair enough
Good points

I do think I have remained close to the facts.
Switzerland on a budget is tough.

Did I understand you correctly?
Are you saying that an employer in another country does not require their own legal entity in Switzerland to employ people here or bring in people ?

That doesn’t sound right.

No what I am saying is the employing company does not have to be a Swiss entity to exercise FMOP rights as an EU/EFTA worker. Contract can be from an entity anywhere in the EU/EFTA.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand your educated response.

I was curious about the company itself. I thought that only legal entities paying taxes in Switzerland and represented in Switzerland could employ people.

Surprising that a payroll company can obtain a work permit for an employee or even hire a local on behalf of a company that is not in Switzerland, or is not represented in Switzerland (branch etc).

Still doesn’t sound right, (then again I’m not sure I’ve understood you).

Might be surprising to you as you don’t seem to have come across it but it is definitely possible.

As it is possible to obtain a permit in Switzerland with a contract from an entity in an EU/EFTA country assuming weekly returns to Switzerland to maintain the permit (not even nowadays if on remote).

But OP says it’s a US/UK company so, non-EU.

But will use a Swiss payroll provider

Swiss provider for payroll with a legal entity in Switzerland.

That should suffice to avoid multiple tax residency as I will be living in Switzerland for the entirety of the year.

Regarding the questions to the immigration office, do you recommend submitting them in Italian rather than English?