Education and vocational training (national visa D)
Non-EU nationals who want to stay in Switzerland for studies or vocational training and need a national visa D.
1 official requirements recordedDirectory · 10 visa types
Switzerland: visa types
Each visa type with who it's for and the official page. These routes are not yet checked against your profile, so always read the official page.
Information, not immigration advice. Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
Links checked 3 Nov 2026
About this list. Partial list: work, young professionals, visitor visas, protection and a few permit types from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). SEM's English pages describe study and family reunification only briefly (national visa D, cantonal offices). Retirement or stays without gainful activity for non-EU nationals are not described; eda.admin.ch still refuses automated fetches (403) and ch.ch loads with JavaScript, so neither is used.
Study
Work after study
Job search after higher education in Switzerland
Non-EU graduates of a Swiss higher education institution who look for a job that matches their qualifications.
Not yet checked against your profileWork with a sponsor
Permit G (cross-border commuter permit)
People who live in a border zone of a neighbouring country and work in the Swiss border zone.
Not yet checked against your profileWork permit for non-EU/EFTA nationals
Highly qualified non-EU/EFTA people, such as managers and specialists, when the employer shows no suitable worker is available in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA.
3 official requirements recordedWorking holiday
Young professionals
Young people from countries with an exchange agreement who have finished their education and want work experience in their field in Switzerland.
1 official requirements recordedJoin family
Family reunification
Family members of people living in Switzerland; the cantonal migration office of the place of residence gives the information.
1 official requirements recordedVisit
Schengen visa (C) and national visa (D)
Nationals of countries that need a visa to enter Switzerland; Swiss representations abroad issue the visas.
1 official requirements recordedProtection and humanitarian
Listed with official links only. For help with a protection claim, contact the official service or a regulated adviser.
Asylum
People who seek protection from persecution in Switzerland; SEM checks whether they meet the requirements for refugee status.
Not yet checked against your profilePermit F (provisionally admitted foreigners)
People ordered to leave Switzerland whose return is unlawful, unreasonable or impossible, so they are admitted temporarily.
Not yet checked against your profilePermit S (people in need of protection)
People granted temporary protection in Switzerland, who may stay provisionally while the permit is valid.
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