I recently got my C permit (lived here 5 years, C permit papers automatically sent to me when my 5-year B permit expired) and was surprised that it came with a note saying that the permit is only valid in Canton Bern. If I wish to move cantons I have to apply for a permit from the new canton.

I have no plans to move, but noted this as my old (paper) B-permit was marked "gultig fur die ganze Schweiz". This seems like the C permit is less useful than the B in this case. Curious to know if this is always the case or perhaps a quirk of going from a paper permit to a photo card? Or something else?

As I said, no plans to move so this is really just curiosity!

Despite the differing language used it is the same thing.

If you move Canton with either permit you must register in the new Canton. They will issue you a new permit of the same type.

Ah, I see. Good to know, thanks!

I assume you're an EU citizen since only they can get L and B permits valid for the entire CH. That's because that is so stipulated by the EU-CH FMOP agreement.

C permits aren't covered by that agreement however, so they're only valid for the issuing canton (like all CH permits for us non-EU folks). But a C permit comes with a legal right to change cantons, the new canton cannot refuse you (unless you satisfy the conditions for a C permit to be revoked, so the new canton will probably ask you to provide a Betreibungsauszug and a confirmation of not being/having been on Sozialhilfe).

I had to check, my C permit says "gültig für die ganze Schweiz" (valid for all of Switzerland). Issued in 2019.

Mine - EU in the old paper format, issued 2020 - is also valid for the whole of Switzerland. Did they recently change the wording on the EU permits?

Not exactly, what isn’t covered by FMOP agreement are the conditions of issuance of the C permit.

Once EU/EFTA people are issued with a C permit according to AIG or respective agreements with countries, it becomes an EU/EFTA C permit which is technically different to the non-EU/EFTA C permit as EU/EFTA C permits continue to enjoy the same full geographic mobility they had with B or L EU/EFTA permits.

Reason being is the FMOP agreement stipulates EU/EFTA citizens enjoy full geographic mobility (without specifying type of permit), so this distinction in C permits needed to be made to not make EU/EFTA C permit holders disadvantaged with respect to EU/EFTA B and L permit holders, which would be against FMOP.

If I were OP I would inquire about this and ask to re-issue with the ‘valid in all of Switzerland’ wording.

The card itself doesn't have any wording about geographic validity on it, unlike my old paper B permit, which clearly stated "valid in the whole of Switzerland" on it. It was the letter that came with the card that mentioned "only valid in the canton where issued".

I may take your advice and ask at the Gemeinde, just to be sure.

Oh, I stand corrected, thanks LimegrassZwei!

Mine, (EU-EFTA, issued in Oct 2021) also states "gültig für die ganze Schweiz" below the description