If you have a permit to live in Switzerland, is your access to the country when returning from abroad always guaranteed?
If you are a legal resident in Switzerland, you may assume that you can go in and out of the country hassle-free as and when you please.
In most cases this is indeed true, regardless of your nationality — as long as you live in Switzerland on a valid permit.
You can also enter Switzerland at any time if you are a citizen of the European Union or an EFTA country (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), or if you hold a C permit.
READ ALSO: What are EU/EFTA citizens entitled to in Switzerland compared to non-EU nationals?
This means that any entry ban in theory only applies to so-called third-country nationals, although there are some cases where citizens of EU/EFTA countries are affected.
When can a citizen of a third country not be allowed to return Switzerland?
According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), you may not be admitted back into the country if you have violated immigration laws — for instance, if you overstayed your visa, which renders your work permit invalid.
That is by far the most common scenario for the refusal of entry — at least for people trying to enter the country because they live and work in Switzerland.
You can also enter Switzerland as a tourist, but you are allowed to remain in the country for no longer than 90 days and are not permitted to work during this time.
READ ALSO: What happens if you overstay your 90-day limit in Switzerland?
This is the main reason why a citizen of a third country could be prevented from returning to Switzerland.
However, there are situations when the entry ban is applied equally to this group of foreigners and people from EU/EFTA states: breaking the law.
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Illegal activities
Regardless of your nationality, if you are suspected — and even more so, convicted — of a criminal activity, you will most likely not be allowed back into Switzerland.
These offences include a wide range of infractions, including security concerns such as foreigners who are deemed a threat to national security, public order, or public health.
The ban also covers foreigners who have been expelled from Switzerland, either for a certain number of years or indefinitely.
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There are, however, some exceptions to the ‘no-entry’ rule
You are permitted to come back to Switzerland at any time if you are a dual citizen — that is, you have a Swiss nationality in addition to your foreign one.
In such cases, it doesn’t matter whether your ‘other’ citizenship is from an EU/EFTA country or a third state — all entry and re-entry restrictions are lifted if you have a Swiss passport as well.
