The Swiss Federal Council has formally decided not to invoke its "safeguard clause" for Croatian nationals in 2026 after analysing permit statistics for the full 2025 calendar year. Government data show that only 1,701 B-residence permits and 792 short-stay L permits were issued to Croatians last year—well below the thresholds (2,004 B and 1,116 L) that would have triggered re-imposition of quotas. As a result, citizens of Croatia now enjoy the same unfettered access to the Swiss labour market as other EU and EFTA nationals.
The decision closes a 10-year transition period that began when Croatia joined the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) in 2017. During that time Bern retained the right to apply numerical ceilings if migration volumes spiked. In November 2025 the Federal Council had warned it would use that safeguard for 2026 if the limits were exceeded, prompting many HR teams to accelerate hiring plans. Wednesday’s update removes that uncertainty and locks in legal stability for employers planning 2026 staffing budgets. (zivi.admin.ch)
For multinational companies running shared-service centres in Zurich and Basel, the ruling means Croatian candidates can now be transferred or locally hired without the administrative burden of quota tracking or contingency planning. Industries that already rely heavily on Croatian talent—construction, healthcare and retail—expect smoother onboarding and fewer mid-year surprise rejections. Mobility managers should still budget several weeks for cantonal processing of individual work authorisations, but capacity limits will no longer be an obstacle.
![Switzerland Confirms Full Free-Movement Rights for Croatian Workers]()
If your HR or mobility team needs hands-on assistance with registration formalities or arranging Swiss entry documents, VisaHQ’s dedicated Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can help. Their specialists guide employers and assignees through online notifications, residence permit extensions and any visa requirements for accompanying family members, ensuring full compliance while saving valuable time.
The Croatian Embassy in Bern welcomed the move, noting that remittance flows from the Swiss diaspora topped CHF 380 million last year. Brussels also praised Switzerland for upholding the spirit of the AFMP despite domestic political pressures. Looking ahead, the unilateral safeguard clause expires entirely on 31 December 2026, meaning no further quota reviews are foreseen.
Practical tip: employers can now treat Croatian passports like any other EU document when initiating intra-company transfers or new hires, but must continue to register employees online through the standard notification procedure before assignment start.
The decision closes a 10-year transition period that began when Croatia joined the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) in 2017. During that time Bern retained the right to apply numerical ceilings if migration volumes spiked. In November 2025 the Federal Council had warned it would use that safeguard for 2026 if the limits were exceeded, prompting many HR teams to accelerate hiring plans. Wednesday’s update removes that uncertainty and locks in legal stability for employers planning 2026 staffing budgets. (zivi.admin.ch)
For multinational companies running shared-service centres in Zurich and Basel, the ruling means Croatian candidates can now be transferred or locally hired without the administrative burden of quota tracking or contingency planning. Industries that already rely heavily on Croatian talent—construction, healthcare and retail—expect smoother onboarding and fewer mid-year surprise rejections. Mobility managers should still budget several weeks for cantonal processing of individual work authorisations, but capacity limits will no longer be an obstacle.
If your HR or mobility team needs hands-on assistance with registration formalities or arranging Swiss entry documents, VisaHQ’s dedicated Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can help. Their specialists guide employers and assignees through online notifications, residence permit extensions and any visa requirements for accompanying family members, ensuring full compliance while saving valuable time.
The Croatian Embassy in Bern welcomed the move, noting that remittance flows from the Swiss diaspora topped CHF 380 million last year. Brussels also praised Switzerland for upholding the spirit of the AFMP despite domestic political pressures. Looking ahead, the unilateral safeguard clause expires entirely on 31 December 2026, meaning no further quota reviews are foreseen.
Practical tip: employers can now treat Croatian passports like any other EU document when initiating intra-company transfers or new hires, but must continue to register employees online through the standard notification procedure before assignment start.
