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SwitzerlandFamily reunification residence permit

Family reunification in Switzerland in Switzerland

Family reunification in Switzerland allows a spouse and unmarried minor children to join a family member who already lives in the country — on the basis of Swiss citizenship, a residence permit, a settlement permit or temporarily admitted status. The conditions and the deadlines for filing depend on the status of the person the family is joining.

Source: State Secretariat for Migration of Switzerland (SEM)

Who can move and when

The conditions depend on the status of the person the family is joining and on the age of the children.

Spouse and children under 12
  • Applies where the sponsor is a Swiss national or a holder of the settlement permit C, the residence permit B or temporarily admitted status F
  • The application is filed within five years of the sponsor’s permit being issued or of the family relationship arising
  • Once the deadline has passed, reunification is approved only for important family reasons
Children over 12
  • A separate, shorter deadline applies to them — the move must be arranged within twelve months
  • A later move is allowed only for important family reasons
The family of a temporarily admitted person (permit F)
  • Reunification is possible no earlier than three years after temporary admission status was granted
  • The category covers the spouse, the registered partner and unmarried children under 18
The family of an EU/EFTA national
  • There is no filing deadline for this category
  • Reunification is governed by the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, not by the general rules for third-country nationals

Documents to gather

The conditions checked regardless of the sponsor’s status:

  • Proof of accommodation appropriate to the size of the family — the guide is that the number of rooms equals the number of family members minus one
  • Proof of an income that covers the maintenance of the whole family and removes any dependence on social assistance
  • For the spouse of a holder of permit C, B or F — proof of enrolment on a national language course

How the process runs

The order of steps for a family joining a sponsor in Switzerland.

  1. 1

    File the reunification application

    up to five years from the issue of the sponsor’s permit; twelve months for children over 12

    A spouse and minor children must be applied for within five years of the sponsor’s permit being issued or of the family relationship arising. For children over twelve the deadline is shorter — twelve months. A later move is allowed only for important family reasons. For EU/EFTA nationals there is no deadline.

  2. 2

    Prove housing and income

    You need a flat appropriate to the size of the family — the guide is that the number of rooms equals the number of family members minus one — and an income that covers the maintenance of the whole family without recourse to social assistance.

  3. 3

    Enrol on a national language course

    The spouse of a holder of the settlement permit C, the residence permit B or status F confirms enrolment on a language course; a year after entry they must show command of the local language at level A1. No language requirements apply to children.

  4. 4

    Receive the permit and family member status

    Once the application is approved the family member is given a status tied to the sponsor’s permit. The spouse and children of a permit B holder receive the right to work without separate approval for the validity of the sponsor’s permit; for family members of a holder of the short-term permit L the employer files a separate application.

Timelines and rights

Validity

The right to reunification must be claimed within five years. Children over twelve are brought over within twelve months. Time runs from the issue of the permit or from the moment the family relationship arose.

Work

The spouse and children of a permit B holder are entitled to gainful employment without a separate approval procedure; that right is limited to the validity of the main permit. For family members of a holder of the short-term permit L the employer must file a separate application. Source: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/de/home/themen/arbeit/faq.html

Residence

Living with the person you have joined is an express requirement of the law. Five years of continuous and lawful residence open the way to the settlement permit C.

Who you can bring with you

Who moves together with the sponsor and on what terms.

Spouse or registered partner
They must confirm enrolment on a national language course and, a year after entry, command of it at level A1. With a permit B holder the spouse may work without separate approval, limited to the validity of the sponsor’s permit.
Unmarried children under 18
No language requirements apply to children.
Children over 12
The move must be arranged within twelve months, otherwise reunification is approved only for important family reasons.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

A spouse is granted the settlement permit C after five years of continuous residence. The integration criteria of art. 58a AIG and language are required: A2 spoken, A1 written.

Route to citizenship

The application is made once you hold a settlement permit C and have ten years of residence in Switzerland, three of them within the last five years before the application. Spoken language is required at level B1 and written language at A1.

Frequently asked questions about Family reunification in Switzerland

Who can join their family in Switzerland?
The spouse or registered partner and the unmarried minor children of a person already living in Switzerland — a Swiss national, a holder of the settlement permit C, the residence permit B, temporarily admitted status F, or an EU/EFTA national.
How long is there to file a reunification application?
For the family of a Swiss national or a holder of permit C, B or F the law allows five years for reunification with a spouse and minor children; for children over 12 the deadline is shorter — twelve months. Later than that, only for important family reasons. For EU/EFTA nationals there is no deadline.
What requirements on housing and income apply to reunification?
The family must live together in accommodation appropriate to its size — the guide is that the number of rooms equals the number of family members minus one. The income must be sufficient to maintain the whole family so that no dependence on social assistance arises; there are exceptions for working EU/EFTA nationals, for families of Swiss nationals without substantial dependence on social assistance and for recognised refugees.
Does the spouse need to know German, French or Italian?
Yes, if the sponsor holds the settlement permit C, the residence permit B or status F: the spouse confirms enrolment on a national language course and, a year after entry, command of it at level A1. No language requirements apply to unmarried children under 18.
Can a family that has arrived through reunification work in Switzerland?
The spouse and children of a holder of the residence permit B may work without separate approval — their right is limited to the validity of the sponsor’s permit. For family members of a holder of the short-term permit L the employer must file a separate work permit application, which is approved where there is an offer from an employer and the conditions on working conditions and salary are met.
How does reunification for the family of a temporarily admitted person (permit F) differ from the general rules?
The spouse, the registered partner and unmarried children under 18 of a temporarily admitted person or a temporarily admitted refugee may be reunited no earlier than three years after that status was granted — separately from the five-year and twelve-month deadlines that apply to the families of Swiss nationals and of holders of permits C and B.
What happens to the application if the family receives social assistance?
As a rule reunification is approved only where the income is sufficient to maintain the whole family without social assistance. There are exceptions to this rule: working EU/EFTA nationals, the families of Swiss nationals without permanent and substantial dependence on social assistance, and recognised refugees are entitled to reunification regardless of their financial position.

Other ways to move to Switzerland

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Switzerland.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.