Internship and apprenticeship in Switzerland: which permit you need

For an internship or an apprenticeship in Switzerland, third-country nationals need a permit, even with modest remuneration and even when the work is unpaid: «gainful activity» is any activity that is normally paid, even if it is performed without pay (Art. 11 para. 2 AIG). Art. 1a para. 2 VZAE expressly lists apprentices and interns as employed persons. This article is aimed at interested individuals and at businesses that wish to hire them.

EU/EFTA nationals

The Agreement on Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) applies to them, and the hurdles are considerably lower than for third countries. The rest of this article concerns third-country nationals.

Internship from a third country: the realistic routes

• Trainee agreements (Art. 42 VZAE): The procedure and the permit follow Switzerland's agreements with individual states. The SEM grants the permit for a maximum of 18 months; an extension is possible only within that maximum duration. Age, education and sector are governed by the respective agreements. You should clarify beforehand whether your country has such an agreement.
• Compulsory internship within a full-time course of study in Switzerland (Art. 39 VZAE): The internship may account for no more than half of the duration of the programme. This requires an application by the employer, compliance with wage and working conditions, and suitable housing.
• Side job alongside studies (Art. 38 VZAE): University students may work up to 15 hours per week, at the earliest six months after starting their studies, if the school management confirms that this will not delay graduation.
• General admission (Art. 18 ff. AIG): Outside these routes the normal requirements for gainfully employed persons apply (qualifications, quotas, priority). For internships this is usually a high hurdle.

Apprenticeship from a third country

In Switzerland a vocational apprenticeship counts as gainful activity. Third-country nationals therefore need a work permit, which the training company applies for. Because the general admission requirements are geared to qualified workers (Art. 23 para. 1 AIG), admission for an apprenticeship is not a given; it depends heavily on the individual case and on cantonal practice. In addition, a residence permit is not guaranteed after the apprenticeship ends. Clarify this before you sign an apprenticeship contract or make travel plans.

A separate rule exists for young people who are already in Switzerland but have no lawful residence:

You can find more on hardship cases in the article Hardship permit in Switzerland.

Pitfalls

• Starting without a permit: The company must not let the internship or apprenticeship begin before the permit is granted. The employer submits the application (Art. 18 lit. b AIG).
• «Only once»: A short-term residence permit as an au pair, for education and training, or as a trainee can in principle be granted only once; exceptions exist in justified individual cases (Art. 56 para. 3 VZAE).
• Back-to-back permits: Trainee permits may not be issued back to back; at least two months abroad must be shown in between (Art. 57 VZAE).
• Change of purpose: Moving straight from an internship into permanent employment is not possible without a new permit (Art. 54 VZAE).
• Pay and working conditions: Customary local and occupational conditions also apply to internships (Art. 22 AIG, Art. 22 VZAE). «Internship» is not a licence for low wages.

As of October 2026. This article provides an overview and does not replace individual legal advice; practice and requirements may differ depending on the canton and the individual case. This is a translation of the German original; in case of doubt, the German version prevails.

Note: Statutes are cited by their German abbreviations (AIG = Foreign Nationals and Integration Act, VZAE = Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Activity, AsylG = Asylum Act, BüG = Citizenship Act, SR = Systematic Compilation of Federal Legislation). Fedlex links lead to the German originals.