Investor in Switzerland: how residence works and where it fails

Do you want to invest in a Swiss company or build one, and move to Switzerland for it? Then a sober observation comes first: a residence permit cannot be “bought” in Switzerland. There is no investor programme with a fixed price. What matters is whether your project preserves or creates jobs and whether you as a person meet the requirements. Pure asset management without entrepreneurial activity is a different case; more on that in the article Taking up residence for wealthy individuals.

The legal basis

Art. 23 para. 3 lit. a AIG makes it possible to admit investors and entrepreneurs who preserve or create jobs, notwithstanding the usual qualification and integration criteria (Art. 23 paras. 1 and 2 AIG). There is no statutory minimum amount. By way of illustration: the Federal Administrative Court considered an investor who put CHF 680,000 into a hotel, thereby preserving several jobs and intending to create more, to be eligible for admission (F-6463/2017). The sum is an example, not a threshold.

What the authorities want to see

• A convincing business plan with realistic revenue and staffing projections
• Proof of the funds and their origin
• The specific number and quality of jobs that are preserved or newly created
• Your own role in the company
• A clear cantonal connection: the procedure runs through the canton where you live or where the company has its seat; the cantonal economic development agency is often a sensible first point of contact

Pitfalls before you invest

• Creating facts prematurely: Buying property, a lease, an employment contract, setting up a company or a shareholding do not in themselves establish an entitlement to a permit (Art. 6 para. 2 VZAE). Sign only on condition that the permit is granted. The acquisition of land by persons abroad is also subject to the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (“Lex Koller”).
• Entering first, applying afterwards: Anyone who enters as a tourist and only then applies for permanent residence must in principle wait for the decision abroad (Art. 17 para. 1 AIG). A “procedural stay” is possible only if the requirements are manifestly met. With discretionary permits such as investor admission, that is more the exception, see Procedural stay explained simply.
• Working in your own company before the permit: Even unpaid work counts as gainful employment (Art. 11 para. 2 AIG). With tourist status it is not permitted.
• Not keeping job commitments: Admission is based on the benefit to the labour market. If the promised jobs are not created, the extension is at risk.
• Weak business plan or unclear origin of funds: Both are a frequent reason for queries and delays. Prepare documents completely and in a way that can be followed.
• Wrong expectation about duration: The first residence permit is valid for one year and can be extended (Art. 58 VZAE). The settlement permit follows after ten years at the earliest, and in some circumstances earlier with good integration (Art. 34 AIG).

And if you are an EU/EFTA national?

Then the AFMP (Annex I) applies: self-employed persons can settle under the conditions set out there, without a quota and without proof of overall economic interest. This does not apply to third-country nationals.

Family

Spouses and children can be brought to Switzerland, but the application is subject to a deadline: within five years, and for children over twelve years within twelve months (Art. 73 VZAE). More on this in the article Family reunification for executives.

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.