Multinational employers received much-awaited clarity on Swiss head-count planning after the Federal Council confirmed on 5 December that next year’s quotas for third-country nationals—and for UK and EU/EFTA service providers exceeding 120 days—will stay exactly where they are. For 2026 the ceiling remains 8,500 permits for highly-skilled workers from outside the EU/EFTA: 4,500 B (residence) permits and 4,000 L (short-stay) permits.
A further 3,500 permits are allocated to long-term postings of EU/EFTA service providers, and 3,500 slots are reserved for UK nationals under the Brexit bilateral. The decision follows consultations with cantonal authorities and industry groups that argued stability was needed while labour-market cooling and automation trends play out.
![Work-Permit Quotas for Non-EU Talent Remain Frozen for 2026]()
Although the headline numbers are unchanged, mobility managers should note that cantons may still tighten internal allocation criteria—especially for roles that can be filled locally. Early Q1 filings are advisable: in 2025 Zurich and Vaud exhausted their L-permit tranches by late summer, forcing businesses to postpone start dates.
The Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment (ASEO) will be updated accordingly and comes into force on 1 January 2026. Employers must also continue to demonstrate labour-market testing and salary parity for each dossier, requirements that Swiss authorities have signalled will be audited more rigorously next year.
For talent-acquisition teams, the status quo provides predictability but no extra breathing room; strategic use of 90/120-day short-term exemptions and intra-company transferee carve-outs will remain essential tools for keeping projects on schedule.
A further 3,500 permits are allocated to long-term postings of EU/EFTA service providers, and 3,500 slots are reserved for UK nationals under the Brexit bilateral. The decision follows consultations with cantonal authorities and industry groups that argued stability was needed while labour-market cooling and automation trends play out.
Although the headline numbers are unchanged, mobility managers should note that cantons may still tighten internal allocation criteria—especially for roles that can be filled locally. Early Q1 filings are advisable: in 2025 Zurich and Vaud exhausted their L-permit tranches by late summer, forcing businesses to postpone start dates.
The Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment (ASEO) will be updated accordingly and comes into force on 1 January 2026. Employers must also continue to demonstrate labour-market testing and salary parity for each dossier, requirements that Swiss authorities have signalled will be audited more rigorously next year.
For talent-acquisition teams, the status quo provides predictability but no extra breathing room; strategic use of 90/120-day short-term exemptions and intra-company transferee carve-outs will remain essential tools for keeping projects on schedule.
