Employment
You are coming to ETH Zurich as a highly-qualified and specialised expert and are taking a post in the scientific, technical or IT fields.
Nationals of an EU-27 or EFTA country must register once they have arrived in Switzerland, either at the Residents' Registration Office at their place of residence (if not living in the city of Zurich) or with the Person Registration Office in the city of Zurich. They must bring with them all required documents according to their residence status*. Registration must take place within 14 days of entering the country.
More information on registration in Switzerland (Staffnet)
*Note for Croatian nationals
Since 1 January 2023, permit quotas (maximum numbers per quarter) have applied to newly arriving Croatian workers. This concerns persons who wish to take up employment in Switzerland for more than three months. The application for the work and residence permit is submitted by the responsible HR administration. If the application is approved, you will receive a written confirmation of the residence permit. This entitles you to enter Switzerland and to register personally with your municipality of residence or with the Person Registration Office in the city of Zurich.
Members of non-EU/EFTA countries require a permit to enter the country, reside and work here, approved by the Swiss Labour Market Authority (visa authorisation for people requiring visas or confirmation of a residence permit for those not requiring visas, see also Visas for non-EU/EFTA nationals).
Conditions
- You are a highly qualified scientific specialist or a qualified expert in technology or IT
- You already have an offer of a position as a highly qualified specialist or expert of at least 70 percent workload.
Work and residence permit
The permits are for specific purposes and the numbers are limited (quotas). The period of validity of the permit is based on that of the employment contract. A short-term residence permit (Permit L) is issued for one year, subject to a decision by the authorities, and it can be extended to a maximum total length of 24 months. When the short-term permit expires, an annual residence permit for long-term employment may be applied for. Depending on the decision by the authorities, its period of validity is limited to one year and it is normally renewed annually.
Processing period
Please note: the Office for Economy and Labour requires 8 - 10 weeks to process a request.
Documents
The institute or professor’s office will contact you with a request to submit the following documents:
Family members
Immediate members of your family can enter Switzerland with you. However, they have to meet certain conditions which will be checked by the immigration authority. See also Accompanying family members.
Employment for a spouse
In principle a spouse is permitted to take up employment. This requires a valid residence permit with authorisation to work.
Please note: The information on this page is meant for information purposes only. No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. The rules and regulations may have changed in the meantime. For legally binding information please contact the Vice-Presidency for Personnel Development and Leadership, which will clarify your particular situation in consultation with the Migration Office.