Staying in Switzerland of the staff members of permanent missions and international organisations, as well for the family members after withdrawal of the FDFA legitimation card of type «B», «C», «D», «E», «G», «I», «L», «P» or «R»
Nationals of a member States of the European Union (EU) or of member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are also subject to the provisions of the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, not available in English).
According to current practice, the Population Office of the canton of residence may agree to grant a residence permit (B permit) or a permanent residence permit (C permit) without gainful employment to former holders of FDFA legitimation cards who meet the conditions defined, or, depending on the nationality of the applicant, issue a favorable notice to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) that will take the decision.
The conditions to be met are explained in the Instructions of the SEM, Immigration sector, chapter 7, which are applicable and which must be referred to:
- Retirement of the principal beneficiary (sub-chapter 7.2.5).
- Independent status for the spouse and children (sub-chapter 7.2.6).
- Death, divorce or permanent transfer of the principal beneficiary (sub-chapter 7.2.7).
Granting of a C permit is also subject to integration criteria and language requirements in application of the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, Article 58a, Paragraph 1) and the Ordinance on the admission, residence and exercise of a gainful activity (OASA, Article 62, Paragraph 1b, not available in English). The person must prove that they have oral knowledge of the Swiss national language spoken in the place of residence (level B1) and written skills (level A1).
The persons concerned are invited to submit an application for a permit in advance to the Population Office of their canton of residence. The examination of the requests, on the basis of a complete file, by the Swiss authorities requires a certain period of time.
The Instruction of the SEM are available in the official Swiss languages (French, German and Italian).
