When the topic of foreign residents is brought up, it usually relates to people from the European Union. But what about those who come to Switzerland from third countries?
That is because the vast majority of Switzerland’s foreign population – over 1.5 million people (60 percent) – come from the European Union and EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) states.
But what about the ‘minority’ – that is, those who immigrate to Switzerland from third countries?
Different rules, fewer arrivals
Unlike people from the EU/EFTA, who have an unlimited access to Swiss work permits and labour market, the situation is more restrictive for other foreigners.
They are subject to a quota system and are only authorised to move to Switzerland if they meet all the criteria – including their education level (university) and in-demand skills that can’t be found among the Swiss and EU/EFTA workforce.
READ MORE: How can non-EU nationals apply for a Swiss work visa?
In 2026, as in several previous years, Switzerland set aside 8,500 permits for skilled and specialist workers from third countries, plus 3,500 permits for workers from the United Kingdom – 12,000 in all.
Advertisement
What we know about third-country workforce
A new report from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) sheds light on the non-EU/EFTA nationals who worked in Switzerland in 2025:
A total of 6,591 work permits were issued to these people last year; 764 of these permits were given to UK nationals and 5,827 to people from other third countries.
That is not unusual – in fact, only a portion of available permits distributed each year.
According to SEM data, quotas had not been fully utilised since 2017.
“If one or more of these requirements are not met, the permit will not be granted, even if there are still permits available within the annual maximum numbers,” it said.
READ MORE: Why Switzerland doesn’t hand out all available work permits for non-EU nationals
Advertisement
What sectors were they typically recruited for?
About half of these qualified specialists were employed in the IT sector, in business consultancy, in research or in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, SEM data indicates.
We also know that a number of them – especially those from the United States and the UK – work in finance/banking sectors.
