A Swiss work permit comes in four forms, depending on where you live and how long your contract runs. The G permit is for EU/EFTA cross-border commuters who return home every week. The B permit covers moving to Switzerland with a contract of more than a year. The L permit covers short assignments of less than 12 months. The C permit is the settlement authorisation, granted after 5 years of residence for French citizens and most EU nationals, 10 years otherwise. In short: you do not choose the right Swiss work permit, it follows from your situation.
"I live in France and I land a job in Geneva: which permit do I need?" "My contract is only six months, does that change anything?" As soon as a job in Switzerland comes into view, the permit question shows up fast. And it causes stress, because the letters B, C, G and L mean nothing to anyone at first glance.
The good news: the Swiss work permit follows a logic that is simpler than it looks. Your permit is not something you pick, it follows from your situation: where you live, and how long you are hired for. This article untangles the four permits, with a focus on the most common case on the French side, the cross-border commuter.
Why are there four different permits?
Switzerland does not issue a single "generic" permit. It classifies foreign workers according to their way of life and the duration of their activity. A commuter who goes home to Annemasse every evening does not have the same needs as an engineer relocating to Lausanne for five years, nor as a consultant on a four-month assignment.
Two criteria determine almost everything:
- Your residence. Do you live in Switzerland, or do you keep your home in a neighbouring country and cross the border to work?
- The length of your contract. Short term (less than a year) or long-term settlement (more than a year, or even indefinite)?
On top of this comes a background factor: your nationality. As an EU or EFTA national, you benefit from free movement and access to work is largely straightforward. From a third country (outside the EU/EFTA), the rules are far stricter, with quotas and qualification requirements. More on that below.
G permit: which permit for a cross-border commuter?
This is the most common one for French, German and Italian citizens who work in Switzerland while keeping their home on the other side of the border. The G permit is for EU/EFTA nationals who reside in a neighbouring country and hold salaried employment in Switzerland.
The central condition is the weekly return. You must go back to your main residence at least once a week. The "weekly commuter" pattern, where you rent a room in Switzerland during the week and only go home at the weekend, is legal as long as that return genuinely happens. If you stop going home, the authorities can reclassify your status as a resident.
Two important points that are often misunderstood:
- The border zone no longer exists for EU/EFTA nationals. Since 2007, you are no longer required to live within a specific geographic strip near the border: residing in a member state is enough, provided you return each week.
- Remote work is regulated. Since 2023, a French-Swiss tax agreement allows up to 40% remote work from France over the course of a year without changing your taxation in Switzerland. On the social security side, a European agreement raises this threshold to 49.9%. Beyond that, the situation changes.
The G permit is issued for 5 years if your contract is open-ended or lasts at least a year. It is tied to your employer and your canton of work: a change to either one requires an update.
B permit or L permit: which one when you move to Switzerland?
These two permits concern people who live in Switzerland, not cross-border commuters. The difference between the two comes down to the length of the contract.
| Situation | Permit | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Contract of more than a year, or open-ended | B permit | Residence authorisation, valid 5 years, renewable |
| Assignment or contract of 3 to 12 months | L permit | Short-term authorisation, aligned with the contract |
The B permit is the standard residence permit for anyone moving to Switzerland with a real contract. For EU/EFTA nationals, it is granted on presentation of a contract of at least 365 days or an open-ended one, valid for 5 years, and its renewal is almost automatic as long as you keep working or have sufficient resources. One caveat: a period of involuntary unemployment of more than 12 months can limit the first extension to one year.
The L permit is the permit for short stays. It matches contracts of 3 to 12 months. It is the one for a fixed-term assignment, a replacement, a time-limited project. Its duration follows that of the contract, and it does not offer the same stability as a B permit.
C permit: what is permanent settlement?
The C permit, or settlement authorisation, is the long-term goal for many residents. It grants a permanent right of residence, with no obligation to renew a work contract in order to stay, and a great deal of professional freedom.
It cannot be requested on arrival. It is obtained after a legal and uninterrupted stay in Switzerland:
- After 5 years for nationals of countries that have signed a settlement agreement with Switzerland. France is one of them, along with Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal and several others.
- After 10 years for other nationalities.
In practice, a French citizen settled in Switzerland with a B permit for five years and well integrated can apply for the C permit. It is a valued milestone, because it stabilises the situation for the long term.
What if you are not an EU/EFTA national?
If you come from a third country (outside the EU/EFTA), access to the Swiss market is much more controlled. In principle, only managers, specialists and skilled workers can be admitted, and the number of permits is capped by annual quotas. For 2026, the Confederation has set a maximum of 8,500 authorisations for third-country nationals, split between 4,500 B permits and 4,000 L permits.
Another major difference: it is generally the employer who files the work authorisation request with the cantonal office, and who must justify the hire. The process is heavier than for an EU national.
How do you get your work permit, and what about tax?
The permit application is almost always tied to a concrete contract: no signed job, no permit. So it is often the employer, or you with their support, who starts the process with the cantonal authorities once the offer is accepted.
On the tax side, keep one key point in mind for cross-border commuters and newcomers: holders of a B, G or L permit are generally subject to tax at source, deducted every month directly from the salary by the employer. The exact terms depend on the canton and, for cross-border commuters, on the agreements between Switzerland and your country of residence. This is something to check case by case, ideally before signing.
Once you have the permit and the contract in hand, the next step is concrete: applying effectively. A CV and cover letter that follow Swiss conventions make a real difference, and many companies screen applications with software first. On this point, read our article on how the ATS works, the one on the right length for a CV in Switzerland, and the classic mistakes French applicants make in Switzerland.
This is also where candidat.app comes in: from your background, the tool generates a CV and cover letter tailored to each posting and calibrated to Swiss conventions, without inventing anything about your profile. Once the permit question is settled, you focus on what actually lands you the interview.
In short
Four permits, two simple questions. Where do you live, and how long are you hired for? If you keep your home in France or a neighbouring country and return every week, it is the G permit. If you move to Switzerland with a contract of more than a year, it is the B permit; for an assignment of less than a year, the L permit. After five years of residence for French citizens and most EU nationals, ten years otherwise, comes the C permit, permanent settlement. Non-EU/EFTA nationals face stricter rules, with quotas and an application filed by the employer. In every case, the permit follows a concrete job, and it then opens the real step: applying the Swiss way.
FAQ
Which permit for a French cross-border commuter working in Geneva?
The G permit. It is for EU/EFTA nationals who reside in a neighbouring country and return to their home at least once a week. It is issued for 5 years if the contract is open-ended or lasts at least a year, and it is tied to the employer and the canton.
What is the difference between the B permit and the L permit?
The length of the contract. The B permit corresponds to a contract of more than a year or an open-ended one, valid for 5 years and renewable. The L permit covers assignments of 3 to 12 months and follows the length of the contract. Both assume that you reside in Switzerland, not that you are a cross-border commuter.
After how long can you get a C permit?
After 5 years of legal and uninterrupted residence for nationals of countries that have signed a settlement agreement with Switzerland, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain. For other nationalities, the period is 10 years, subject to successful integration.
Does a cross-border commuter really have to go home every week?
Yes. The weekly return to the main residence is a condition of the G permit. Renting a room in Switzerland during the week and only going home at the weekend is allowed, as long as the return actually happens each week. Without that return, the status can be reclassified as a resident.
Can you work in Switzerland without being an EU national?
Yes, but it is more tightly regulated. Third-country nationals generally have to be managers, specialists or skilled workers, the number of permits is capped by annual quotas, and it is most often the employer who files the authorisation request.