From 1 January 2026, Switzerland’s updated Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment (ASEO) formally extends the existing quota framework for another year. The Federal Council had approved the figures in November, but HR teams can now submit applications under the 2026 ceilings: 4,500 B-residence permits and 4,000 L-short-term permits for highly-skilled professionals from outside the EU/EFTA; 3,500 permits (3,000 L and 500 B) for long-term assignments of EU/EFTA service providers; and a separate 3,500-permit pool for UK nationals (2,100 B and 1,400 L).
The rollover provides welcome predictability for multinationals with Swiss operations at a time of persistent labour shortages in life sciences, ICT and advanced manufacturing. Although utilisation of third-country quotas reached only 74 % in 2024, demand is expected to rise as several flagship R&D centres in Zurich, Basel and Lausanne expand headcount. Companies should plan filings early: cantonal authorities allocate on a first-come, first-served basis and often front-load half the yearly quota in Q1.
At this planning stage, organisations may find it useful to work with specialised visa facilitators. VisaHQ’s Swiss desk (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can liaise with cantonal migration offices, pre-check documentation and schedule appointments, reducing the risk of rejected filings and helping HR teams monitor quota usage in real time.
![Swiss 2026 work-permit quotas take effect, giving employers stable hiring headroom]()
For mobility practitioners, an unchanged quota landscape simplifies forecasting of assignment costs and lead-times, but internal stakeholders should not be complacent. Cantons have tightened labour-market tests, and documentation must show exhaustive local recruiting efforts. The separate UK pool—created post-Brexit—remains essential for banks and commodity traders in Geneva that rely on British expertise.
The Federal Council will review utilisation mid-year; unused permits could be redistributed to high-demand cantons. Employers should track monthly utilisation bulletins to anticipate bottlenecks.
Practically, assignees entering Switzerland this year will also encounter the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric kiosks at Zurich, Basel and Geneva airports. Arriving early to enrol fingerprints and facial images is advised, especially during the peak ski and conference season.
The rollover provides welcome predictability for multinationals with Swiss operations at a time of persistent labour shortages in life sciences, ICT and advanced manufacturing. Although utilisation of third-country quotas reached only 74 % in 2024, demand is expected to rise as several flagship R&D centres in Zurich, Basel and Lausanne expand headcount. Companies should plan filings early: cantonal authorities allocate on a first-come, first-served basis and often front-load half the yearly quota in Q1.
At this planning stage, organisations may find it useful to work with specialised visa facilitators. VisaHQ’s Swiss desk (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can liaise with cantonal migration offices, pre-check documentation and schedule appointments, reducing the risk of rejected filings and helping HR teams monitor quota usage in real time.
For mobility practitioners, an unchanged quota landscape simplifies forecasting of assignment costs and lead-times, but internal stakeholders should not be complacent. Cantons have tightened labour-market tests, and documentation must show exhaustive local recruiting efforts. The separate UK pool—created post-Brexit—remains essential for banks and commodity traders in Geneva that rely on British expertise.
The Federal Council will review utilisation mid-year; unused permits could be redistributed to high-demand cantons. Employers should track monthly utilisation bulletins to anticipate bottlenecks.
Practically, assignees entering Switzerland this year will also encounter the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric kiosks at Zurich, Basel and Geneva airports. Arriving early to enrol fingerprints and facial images is advised, especially during the peak ski and conference season.
