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, would-be employers simply file a short digital notification—similar to the EU/EFTA short-term posting regime—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 the country and acute labour shortages in healthcare, construction and IT, delays had become a flash-point for both business lobbies and refugee-advocacy NGOs. Early feedback from employment offices in Zürich and Vaud suggests brisk uptake, with several hundred notifications lodged in the first 24 hours.
![Switzerland scraps work-authorisation step for Ukrainian S-permit holders]()
Cantons retain enforcement powers: they may still intervene if wages fall below local reference levels, and beneficiaries who rely on social assistance can be required to participate in integration programmes. Nevertheless, the single-notification model aligns Switzerland with EU trends to fast-track labour-market access for displaced Ukrainians and signals Bern’s willingness to fine-tune administrative processes when they create unnecessary barriers.
For employers the immediate to-do list includes updating onboarding check-lists, training recruiters on the EasyGov workflow and reminding payroll teams that S-permit employees remain subject to source-tax withholding until they qualify for ordinary taxation. Global mobility managers should also watch for cantonal guidance on labour-market controls and acceptable wage levels to avoid last-minute objections.
Longer term, the reform may become a blueprint for streamlining other permit categories that still rely on paper-heavy approvals. If the simplified approach proves effective, business associations are likely to lobby for extending notification-only hiring to certain seasonal workers or intra-company transferees as Switzerland competes for scarce talent.
The change eliminates a two-step process that routinely generated waits of 8-12 weeks. With roughly 65 000 S-permit beneficiaries now in the country and acute labour shortages in healthcare, construction and IT, delays had become a flash-point for both business lobbies and refugee-advocacy NGOs. Early feedback from employment offices in Zürich and Vaud suggests brisk uptake, with several hundred notifications lodged in the first 24 hours.
Cantons retain enforcement powers: they may still intervene if wages fall below local reference levels, and beneficiaries who rely on social assistance can be required to participate in integration programmes. Nevertheless, the single-notification model aligns Switzerland with EU trends to fast-track labour-market access for displaced Ukrainians and signals Bern’s willingness to fine-tune administrative processes when they create unnecessary barriers.
For employers the immediate to-do list includes updating onboarding check-lists, training recruiters on the EasyGov workflow and reminding payroll teams that S-permit employees remain subject to source-tax withholding until they qualify for ordinary taxation. Global mobility managers should also watch for cantonal guidance on labour-market controls and acceptable wage levels to avoid last-minute objections.
Longer term, the reform may become a blueprint for streamlining other permit categories that still rely on paper-heavy approvals. If the simplified approach proves effective, business associations are likely to lobby for extending notification-only hiring to certain seasonal workers or intra-company transferees as Switzerland competes for scarce talent.
