Third-Country Nationals Can Soon Enter Switzerland for Work, Study & Family Reunification

In the light of positive developments regarding COVID-19, the Swiss Federal Council has decided to lift restrictions on entering, working and living in Switzerland for nationals of all Schengen states from mid-June and no later than July 6.

The decision can be reversed, if in the next coming weeks, the number of infections increases again in Switzerland and/or in the EU/EFTA countries.

At the same time, the Council has agreed to permit several categories of third-country citizens to enter its territory in the second stage of easing the lockdown measures, as of June 8.

First of all, the applications filed for the employment of workers from third countries will be processed again, and the admission of some workers will be possible.

“Admission will be possible if the work assignment is in the public interest and, for example, is necessary to the national economic supply, or if a company urgently requires this skilled labour from an economic perspective and the work cannot be postponed or performed abroad,” a notice published in the website of the Council explains.

In addition, family reunification will be possible again for those who own a permanent residence permit, a residence permit, a short-stay permit or who have been temporarily admitted to Switzerland, under the usual conditions.

“The cantons will begin processing applications again for a short stay permit from persons who wish to enter into a marriage or a registered partnership with a Swiss or with a foreign national who has a residence or permanent residence permit,” the notice further explains.

School pupils and students will be eligible to enter Switzerland for purposes of starting, continuing, or finishing their studies, regardless of their country of origin. Yet, those intending to enter Switzerland for short-term education and further training will not be permitted to enter Switzerland during this phase.

The Federal Department of Home Affairs, in consultation with the Federal Department of Justice and Police and the Federal Department of Finance, may order a medical examination at the border for certain groups of people. The examination includes temperature reading, a health questionnaire or quarantine, for all persons from a high-risk country listed in the COVID-19 Ordinance.

At the beginning of May, the relevant ministries in Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland agreed to lift all travel restrictions between the four until June 15, given that the situation permits.   The Swiss authorities will take the necessary steps to reopen the borders from June 15 with these countries, as previously announced, thus abolishing all travel restrictions and re-establishing the free movement of persons.

However, Switzerland has informed Italy that it believes it is too early to lift border controls with Italy on June 3, as the latter has declared the lifting of internal border checks with its neighbours on that date.