Switzerland
Nationality · visas, permits and migration
- Moved to OECD countries, 2023
- 11,235
- Top destination, 2023
- Germany
- U.S. non-immigrant visas, FY2025
- 8,718
- UK visas issued, 2025
- 1,653
- Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
- 6.7%
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Visa requirements for a short visit
Whether citizens of Switzerland need a visa for a short tourist or business visit, according to the legal lists. Rules change; check the official source before travelling.
| Destination | Short visit | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen area | Free movement (EU/EFTA citizens) | Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30.12.2025) |
| United Kingdom | No visa; electronic travel authorisation (ETA) required | Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor / ETA National List |
| Canada | No visa; electronic travel authorization (eTA) needed to fly | IRPR s. 190, Schedule 1.1 |
| Hong Kong | No visa for visits of up to 90 days | Immigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements, 31.12.2025 |
Where people from Switzerland move
Inflows of foreign nationals by country of nationality, as recorded by each destination (OECD).
Inflows to all OECD countries by year
Data table
| 2000 | 9,638 |
| 2001 | 9,671 |
| 2002 | 9,075 |
| 2003 | 7,786 |
| 2004 | 8,705 |
| 2005 | 8,528 |
| 2006 | 10,468 |
| 2007 | 10,367 |
| 2008 | 9,457 |
| 2009 | 8,916 |
| 2010 | 9,011 |
| 2011 | 8,949 |
| 2012 | 10,304 |
| 2013 | 10,656 |
| 2014 | 10,868 |
| 2015 | 12,911 |
| 2016 | 10,704 |
| 2017 | 11,116 |
| 2018 | 11,494 |
| 2019 | 11,638 |
| 2020 | 9,954 |
| 2021 | 11,850 |
| 2022 | 11,556 |
| 2023 | 11,235 |
- Share going to the top destination
- 28.3%
- Destinations recording arrivals
- 15
Living abroad
People born in Switzerland who live in another country: mid-year estimates of the international migrant stock (UN DESA). Where a destination records citizenship rather than country of birth, its foreign citizens are counted.
Living abroad by year
Data table
| 1990 | 396,651 |
| 1995 | 420,665 |
| 2000 | 440,639 |
| 2005 | 467,978 |
| 2010 | 491,884 |
| 2015 | 499,929 |
| 2020 | 507,043 |
| 2024 | 512,547 |
- Living abroad, 2024
- 512,547
- Change since 2000
- +16.3%
- Share living in the largest destination, 2024
- 35.4%
United States
Visas issued to citizens of Switzerland by U.S. consulates (fiscal years, October–September) and certified PERM labor certifications.
- B1/B23,305
- F11,264
- J11,072
- C1/D762
- L1386
- A2319
- L2210
- E2209
- O1140
- G4132
Non-immigrant visas by fiscal year
Data table
| 2017 | 7,301 |
| 2018 | 10,825 |
| 2019 | 10,257 |
| 2020 | 4,695 |
| 2021 | 5,063 |
| 2022 | 8,805 |
| 2023 | 9,848 |
| 2024 | 10,044 |
| 2025 | 8,718 |
- IR134
- CR112
- IR211
- E111
- DV7
- F2A3
- F33
- FX2
- Immigrant visas, FY2025
- 97
- Certified PERM labor certifications, FY2024 (latest year with citizenship)
- 26
Green cards and U.S. citizenship
People born in Switzerland who became U.S. lawful permanent residents (green cards) or U.S. citizens, and admissions of citizens of Switzerland with an I-94 record (DHS, fiscal years).
Green cards by fiscal year
Data table
| 2015 | 640 |
| 2016 | 740 |
| 2017 | 570 |
| 2018 | 570 |
| 2019 | 600 |
| 2020 | 590 |
| 2021 | 610 |
| 2022 | 610 |
| 2023 | 620 |
| 2024 | 500 |
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens260
- Employment-based preferences200
- Family-sponsored preferences20
- Diversity visa lottery10
- Refugees and asylees10
- Intracompany transferees (L-1)2,580
- Spouses and children1,490
- Extraordinary ability (O-1, O-2)1,170
- Specialty occupations (H-1B)670
- Athletes, artists and entertainers (P)370
- Other temporary workers320
- Seasonal agricultural workers (H-2A)10
- Green cards, FY2024 (born in Switzerland)
- 500
- Naturalizations, FY2024 (born in Switzerland)
- 530
- I-94 admissions, FY2024 (citizenship)
- 380,450
United Kingdom
Entry clearance visas issued to nationals of Switzerland (Home Office) and students with a permanent address in Switzerland (HESA).
- Study965
- Work544
- Visitor76
- Family45
- Other23
Visas issued by year
Data table
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 1,367 |
| 2022 | 1,704 |
| 2023 | 1,565 |
| 2024 | 1,628 |
| 2025 | 1,653 |
- Students at UK universities, 2024/25
- 3,560
Canada
Permits and invitations for citizens of Switzerland, by year the permit took effect (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP work | IMP work | Study | Permanent residents | Express Entry invitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | 555 | 415 | 165 | 20 |
| 2024 | 60 | 675 | 380 | 165 | 30 |
| 2023 | 50 | 655 | 415 | 210 | 20 |
| 2022 | 5 | 530 | 530 | 240 | 20 |
| 2021 | 20 | 565 | 690 | 300 | 40 |
| 2020 | 10 | 395 | 210 | 160 | 40 |
| 2019 | 35 | 650 | 440 | 220 | 45 |
| 2018 | 25 | 660 | 505 | 245 | 55 |
| 2017 | 25 | 675 | 550 | 190 | 45 |
| 2016 | 40 | 625 | 455 | 210 | 25 |
| 2015 | 40 | 515 | 460 | 255 | 20 |
Australia
Temporary skilled visas (subclass 457 to 2018, then 482) granted to primary applicants who are citizens of Switzerland, by financial year ending 30 June (Home Affairs).
Primary visas granted by financial year
Data table
| 2005–06 | 163 |
| 2006–07 | 215 |
| 2007–08 | 270 |
| 2008–09 | 155 |
| 2009–10 | 137 |
| 2010–11 | 151 |
| 2011–12 | 176 |
| 2012–13 | 155 |
| 2013–14 | 138 |
| 2014–15 | 128 |
| 2015–16 | 141 |
| 2016–17 | 130 |
| 2017–18 | 97 |
| 2018–19 | 81 |
| 2019–20 | 70 |
| 2020–21 | 30 |
| 2021–22 | 51 |
| 2022–23 | 56 |
| 2023–24 | 49 |
| 2024–25 | 58 |
| 2025–26 | 59 |
- Specialist Skills30
- Core Skills26
- Labour Agreement2
- Short-term1
- Granted, 2025–26
- 59
- Share of all Australian grants, 2025–26
- 0.1%
Japan
Citizens of Switzerland living in Japan at the end of each December, by status of residence (Immigration Services Agency of Japan). 2020 and 2021 were published only as database tables.
Foreign residents in Japan
Data table
| 2012 | 937 |
| 2013 | 966 |
| 2014 | 986 |
| 2015 | 1,023 |
| 2016 | 1,076 |
| 2017 | 1,139 |
| 2018 | 1,162 |
| 2019 | 1,189 |
| 2022 | 1,280 |
| 2023 | 1,343 |
| 2024 | 1,393 |
| 2025 | 1,412 |
- Permanent Resident406
- Spouse or Child of Japanese National252
- Student250
- Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services158
- Dependent108
- Business Manager39
- Highly Skilled Professional35
- Designated Activities28
- Cultural Activities26
- Intra-company Transferee20
- Residents, December 2025
- 1,412
- In work-related statuses
- 301
- Share in work-related statuses
- 21.3%
- Students
- 250
Schengen visas in Switzerland
Short-stay (C) visa applications at Schengen consulates located in Switzerland, 2024. Applicants are mostly, but not only, its citizens.
| Schengen state | Applications | Issued | Not issued | Refusal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 34 | 28 | 1 | 2.9% |
| Germany | 26 | 23 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Italy | 20 | 17 | 3 | 15.0% |
| Bulgaria | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Luxembourg | 10 | 6 | 4 | 40.0% |
| Portugal | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Spain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Applications by year
Data table
| 2009 | 1,000 |
| 2010 | 285 |
| 2011 | 363 |
| 2012 | 529 |
| 2013 | 331 |
| 2014 | 162 |
| 2015 | 164 |
| 2016 | 109 |
| 2017 | 99 |
| 2018 | 112 |
| 2019 | 139 |
| 2020 | 40 |
| 2021 | 53 |
| 2022 | 71 |
| 2023 | 95 |
| 2024 | 120 |
- Refusal rate, 2024
- 6.7%
- Refusal rate, 2019
- 2.2%
Residence permits in Europe
First residence permits issued to citizens of Switzerland in EU and EFTA countries, 2025 (Eurostat).
- Other reasons1,689
- Family654
- Work495
- Education247
- Spain1,233
- Liechtenstein484
- Portugal467
- Germany319
- Belgium223
- Hungary121
- Bulgaria47
- Malta42
- Serbia35
- Czechia32
- Slovenia25
- Netherlands14
- Highly skilled workers (national schemes)27
- Other paid activities468
- EU Blue Cards granted, 2024
- 1
- Citizenships acquired in the EU, 2024
- 700
- Students in EU/EFTA tertiary education, 2024
- 13,859
- Refused entry at EU external borders, 2025
- 0
- Valid residence permits, 31 Dec 2025
- 62,063
- Long-term residence permits issued, 2025
- 2,039
- Changed status into work, 2025
- 24
- Seasonal work authorisations, 2024
- 1
National statistics in Europe
Citizens of Switzerland in the figures of national statistics offices: residence permits granted in Denmark, immigrations by grounds for settlement in Sweden and immigrants with a non-EU/EFTA nationality by migration motive in the Netherlands; Finland and Austria publish immigration and emigration by citizenship only.
Germany
Citizens of Switzerland living in Germany on 31 December 2025, by residence status in the Central Register of Foreigners (Destatis).
- EU free movement40,300
Residents in Germany (31 Dec)
Data table
| 2014 | 39,385 |
| 2015 | 39,780 |
| 2016 | 40,465 |
| 2017 | 40,765 |
| 2018 | 40,150 |
| 2019 | 40,755 |
| 2020 | 41,195 |
| 2021 | 41,690 |
| 2022 | 41,325 |
| 2023 | 41,225 |
| 2024 | 40,640 |
| 2025 | 40,300 |
- Residents in Germany, 31 Dec 2025
- 40,300
- With a residence title for employment
- 0
- Permanent residence title
- 0
Foreign embassies and consulates in Switzerland
Countries with an embassy or consulate in Switzerland, as recorded in Wikidata.
| Country | Embassies | Consulates-general | Consulates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | — | — |
| Albania | 1 | — | — |
| Algeria | 1 | — | — |
| Angola | 1 | — | — |
| Argentina | 1 | — | — |
| Armenia | 1 | — | — |
| Australia | 1 | — | — |
| Austria | 1 | — | — |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | — | — |
| Bahamas | 1 | — | — |
| Belarus | 1 | — | — |
| Belgium | 1 | — | — |
| Bhutan | 1 | — | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | — | — |
| Botswana | 1 | — | — |
| Brazil | 1 | — | — |
| Bulgaria | 1 | — | — |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | — | — |
| Burundi | 1 | — | — |
| Cambodia | 1 | — | — |
| Cameroon | 1 | — | — |
| Canada | 1 | — | — |
| Cape Verde | 1 | — | — |
| Central African Republic | 1 | — | — |
| Chad | 1 | — | — |
| Chile | 1 | — | — |
| China | 1 | 1 | — |
| Colombia | 1 | — | — |
| Costa Rica | 1 | — | — |
| Croatia | 1 | — | — |
| Cuba | 1 | — | — |
| Czechia | 1 | — | — |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 1 | — | — |
| DR Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Djibouti | 1 | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | — | — |
| Ecuador | 1 | — | — |
| Egypt | 1 | — | — |
| El Salvador | 1 | — | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1 | — | — |
| Eritrea | 1 | — | — |
| Eswatini | 1 | — | — |
| Ethiopia | 1 | — | — |
| Finland | 1 | — | — |
| France | 1 | 2 | — |
| Gambia | 1 | — | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — | — |
| Germany | 1 | — | — |
| Ghana | 1 | — | — |
| Greece | 1 | — | — |
| Guinea | 1 | — | — |
| Honduras | 1 | — | — |
| Hungary | 1 | — | 1 |
| India | 1 | — | — |
| Indonesia | 1 | — | — |
| Iran | 1 | — | — |
| Iraq | 1 | — | — |
| Ireland | 1 | — | — |
| Israel | 1 | — | — |
| Italy | 1 | — | — |
| Jamaica | 1 | — | — |
| Japan | 1 | — | — |
| Jordan | 1 | — | — |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | — | — |
| Kosovo | 1 | — | — |
| Kuwait | 1 | — | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | — | — |
| Laos | 1 | — | — |
| Lebanon | 1 | — | — |
| Lesotho | 1 | — | — |
| Libya | 1 | — | — |
| Liechtenstein | 1 | — | — |
| Lithuania | 1 | — | — |
| Luxembourg | 1 | — | — |
| Madagascar | 1 | — | — |
| Malawi | 1 | — | — |
| Malaysia | 1 | — | — |
| Maldives | 1 | — | — |
| Mali | 1 | — | — |
| Mauritania | 1 | — | — |
| Mauritius | 1 | — | — |
| Mexico | 1 | — | — |
| Moldova | 1 | — | — |
| Monaco | 1 | — | — |
| Mongolia | 1 | — | — |
| Montenegro | 1 | — | — |
| Morocco | 1 | — | — |
| Mozambique | 1 | — | — |
| Myanmar | 1 | — | — |
| Namibia | 1 | — | — |
| Nepal | 1 | — | — |
| Netherlands | 1 | — | — |
| New Zealand | — | 1 | — |
| Nicaragua | 1 | — | — |
| Niger | 1 | — | — |
| Nigeria | 1 | — | — |
| North Korea | 1 | — | — |
| North Macedonia | 1 | — | — |
| Norway | 1 | — | — |
| Pakistan | 1 | — | — |
| Palestine | 1 | — | — |
| Panama | 1 | — | — |
| Paraguay | 1 | — | — |
| Peru | 1 | — | — |
| Philippines | 1 | — | — |
| Poland | 1 | — | — |
| Portugal | 1 | — | — |
| Qatar | 1 | — | — |
| Republic of the Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Romania | 1 | — | — |
| Russia | 1 | — | — |
| Rwanda | 1 | — | — |
| San Marino | 1 | — | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | — | — |
| Senegal | 1 | — | — |
| Serbia | 1 | — | — |
| Sierra Leone | 1 | — | — |
| Slovakia | 2 | — | — |
| Slovenia | 1 | — | — |
| Somalia | 1 | — | — |
| South Africa | 1 | — | — |
| South Korea | 1 | — | — |
| Spain | 1 | — | — |
| Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Sweden | 1 | — | — |
| Tajikistan | 1 | — | — |
| Thailand | 1 | — | — |
| Timor-Leste | 1 | — | — |
| Togo | 1 | — | — |
| Tunisia | 1 | — | — |
| Turkmenistan | 1 | — | — |
| Türkiye | 1 | 2 | — |
| Uganda | 1 | — | — |
| Ukraine | 1 | — | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | — | — |
| United Kingdom | 1 | — | — |
| Uruguay | 1 | — | — |
| Venezuela | 1 | — | — |
| Vietnam | 1 | — | — |
| Yemen | 1 | — | — |
| Zambia | 1 | — | — |
- Countries
- 141
- Missions
- 148
Remittances
Money that migrants send home: personal remittances received by Switzerland, in current US dollars (World Bank).
Remittances received by year, US$ million
Data table
| 2000 | 995 |
| 2001 | 1,176 |
| 2002 | 1,225 |
| 2003 | 1,533 |
| 2004 | 1,695 |
| 2005 | 1,983 |
| 2006 | 2,086 |
| 2007 | 2,062 |
| 2008 | 2,497 |
| 2009 | 2,630 |
| 2010 | 2,796 |
| 2011 | 3,052 |
| 2012 | 2,636 |
| 2013 | 2,694 |
| 2014 | 2,693 |
| 2015 | 2,750 |
| 2016 | 2,790 |
| 2017 | 2,925 |
| 2018 | 2,879 |
| 2019 | 2,885 |
| 2020 | 3,108 |
| 2021 | 3,214 |
| 2022 | 3,320 |
| 2023 | 3,490 |
| 2024 | 3,636 |
| 2025 | 3,872 |
- Remittances received, 2025
- US$3,872 million
- Share of GDP, 2025
- 0.4%
All corridors from Switzerland
Destinations with a dedicated page for citizens of this country.
- Switzerland → Germany
- Switzerland → Spain
- Switzerland → United States
Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more