The revised Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment (ASEO) entered into force today, 1 January 2026, locking in the same work-permit ceilings that applied last year. The Federal Council had agreed the figures in November but their practical impact begins now.
For 2026 Switzerland can issue up to 8 500 permits to highly-skilled nationals of non-EU/EFTA “third countries”: 4 500 B-category residence permits and 4 000 L-category short-stay permits. Separate quotas also apply to EU/EFTA service providers on assignments exceeding 120 days (3 000 L and 500 B permits) and to UK nationals (1 400 L and 2 100 B permits).
By freezing the numbers the government hopes to give employers certainty amid continuing labour shortages in IT, engineering and healthcare. HR teams planning to import talent should nevertheless act quickly: over the past three years the L-permit pool has been exhausted by mid-October. Companies that miss the window must either postpone assignments or split projects between multiple short trips of ≤90 days under local-hire exemptions.
![Swiss Work-Permit Quotas for 2026 Take Effect Today, Offering Predictability for Employers]()
VisaHQ can ease the administrative burden of securing Swiss B- or L-category permits by pre-assessing eligibility, assembling compliant documentation and tracking quota consumption in real time. Employers and assignees can begin the process or request a status check through https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/, helping them move quickly before the yearly allocations run dry.
Immigration advisers note that cantonal labour-market tests remain strict; applications must show that comparable EU/EFTA talent was unavailable. Employers should start gathering advertisements, interview notes and salary-benchmark data at least eight weeks before submitting quota petitions.
The Federal Council will review utilisation in June and could shift unused permits between categories. Mobility managers should track the monthly SEM utilisation bulletins and keep contingency plans—such as near-shore assignments in neighbouring France or Germany—ready in case quotas tighten unexpectedly.
For 2026 Switzerland can issue up to 8 500 permits to highly-skilled nationals of non-EU/EFTA “third countries”: 4 500 B-category residence permits and 4 000 L-category short-stay permits. Separate quotas also apply to EU/EFTA service providers on assignments exceeding 120 days (3 000 L and 500 B permits) and to UK nationals (1 400 L and 2 100 B permits).
By freezing the numbers the government hopes to give employers certainty amid continuing labour shortages in IT, engineering and healthcare. HR teams planning to import talent should nevertheless act quickly: over the past three years the L-permit pool has been exhausted by mid-October. Companies that miss the window must either postpone assignments or split projects between multiple short trips of ≤90 days under local-hire exemptions.
VisaHQ can ease the administrative burden of securing Swiss B- or L-category permits by pre-assessing eligibility, assembling compliant documentation and tracking quota consumption in real time. Employers and assignees can begin the process or request a status check through https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/, helping them move quickly before the yearly allocations run dry.
Immigration advisers note that cantonal labour-market tests remain strict; applications must show that comparable EU/EFTA talent was unavailable. Employers should start gathering advertisements, interview notes and salary-benchmark data at least eight weeks before submitting quota petitions.
The Federal Council will review utilisation in June and could shift unused permits between categories. Mobility managers should track the monthly SEM utilisation bulletins and keep contingency plans—such as near-shore assignments in neighbouring France or Germany—ready in case quotas tighten unexpectedly.
