One of Switzerland’s most significant immigration reforms of the year entered into force on 1 December 2025—and it has immediate operational consequences for thousands of employers. Holders of the special ‘S’ protection status, introduced in March 2022 for people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, no longer need to apply for a separate cantonal work authorisation. Instead, the hiring company files a short digital notification—similar to the system used for EU/EFTA short-term postings—via the federal EasyGov portal or directly with cantonal labour-market authorities at least one working day before the start date.
The change eliminates a two-step process that routinely generated waits of 8-12 weeks. With roughly 65 000 S-permit beneficiaries now in Switzerland and acute labour shortages in healthcare, construction and IT, delays had become a flashpoint for both business lobbies and refugee-advocacy NGOs. The Federal Council’s 22 October ordinance revision, now live, is designed to accelerate labour-market access while retaining safeguards: cantons may still intervene if wages fall below local reference levels, and recipients who rely on social assistance can be required to take part in integration programmes.
![Ukrainian S-permit holders can now work in Switzerland after a simple online notification]()
Early feedback from employment offices in Zürich and Vaud suggests brisk uptake; several hundred notifications were lodged within the first 24 hours. Global mobility managers should adapt onboarding checklists, train recruiters on the EasyGov workflow and remind payroll teams that S-permit employees remain subject to source-tax withholding until they qualify for ordinary taxation.
Practically, the reform aligns Switzerland with EU trends to streamline work access for displaced Ukrainians and signals Bern’s willingness to fine-tune administrative processes when they create unnecessary barriers. For employers, the single-notification model slashes red tape; for refugees, it shortens the path from protection to pay-cheque—boosting self-sufficiency and integration.
The change eliminates a two-step process that routinely generated waits of 8-12 weeks. With roughly 65 000 S-permit beneficiaries now in Switzerland and acute labour shortages in healthcare, construction and IT, delays had become a flashpoint for both business lobbies and refugee-advocacy NGOs. The Federal Council’s 22 October ordinance revision, now live, is designed to accelerate labour-market access while retaining safeguards: cantons may still intervene if wages fall below local reference levels, and recipients who rely on social assistance can be required to take part in integration programmes.
Early feedback from employment offices in Zürich and Vaud suggests brisk uptake; several hundred notifications were lodged within the first 24 hours. Global mobility managers should adapt onboarding checklists, train recruiters on the EasyGov workflow and remind payroll teams that S-permit employees remain subject to source-tax withholding until they qualify for ordinary taxation.
Practically, the reform aligns Switzerland with EU trends to streamline work access for displaced Ukrainians and signals Bern’s willingness to fine-tune administrative processes when they create unnecessary barriers. For employers, the single-notification model slashes red tape; for refugees, it shortens the path from protection to pay-cheque—boosting self-sufficiency and integration.
