The Swiss economy is, according to the ratings made by international specialized institutions, among the most competitive, innovative and liberal. The main features that give Switzerland a privileged business environment, tailored to high- quality products and services are the excellent level of security offered by business law, long-term stability of the investment framework, full guarantee of property rights, fair competition, and banking secrecy.
Find out what the most important documents are that foreigners need to obtain if they want to work and live in Switzerland and the main conditions that apply in order to obtain them.
With a stable economy, Swiss unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the world, standing at 3.7 percent in January 2017, with average unemployment typically lower in German-speaking Switzerland (3.1 percent) than in French and Italian-speaking Swiss cantons (5 percent).
The EU card it is basically a work and residence permit created by the European Union for the non-European citizens in order to allow them to work within European Union countries.
The cost of living in Switzerland is among the highest in the world, with the main cities Zurich and Geneva being named in the top 15 most expensive cities in the world in a 2019 study. On the other hand, Swiss salaries and the living standards are also among the highest in the world, which is the main reason why you should consider Switzerland a perfect location for work and living a quality life.
A quarter of the staff employed in Switzerland is made up of foreigners. They are the holders of a work permit and a residence permit. For foreigners who want to invest and operate their own business in Switzerland or managers of foreign companies, especially those firms generating jobs, getting the residence permit and the work permit is not a problem.
The employment Law is the most important element that governs employment in Switzerland for residents and for foreign nationals. Any foreign individual is allowed to work in Switzerland only after signing the Swiss individual contract of employment.
Since the establishment of the Bilateral Agreements between Switzerland and the European Union, citizens from the EU residing in Switzerland for profit – making purposes, have a legal claim to the access to the Swiss labor market, given that all the required legal conditions are met. The agreements also apply to the states that are members of the European Free Trade Association.
