Swiss Business Residence in 2026: Self-Employment, Your Own Company and the Cantonal Economic Interest

Many entrepreneurs come to me expecting Switzerland to have a start-up visa with a fixed investment. It does not. A non-EU founder gets a permit when the canton decides that the company serves the economic interest of Switzerland, under Article 19 of the Foreign Nationals Act. Below I use the KMU portal of the Confederation, the canton of Zurich, the SEM quota circular and BRIDGES data.

What the canton looks for

The KMU portal says the company must have a lasting positive effect on the Swiss labour market. The signs it lists are:

• diversification of the regional economy;
• several new jobs for local people;
• a significant investment;
• new orders for Swiss companies.

You also have to show that the business has the financial and operational conditions to work and that you can live on it. The canton of Zurich asks for a business plan with a planned balance sheet and income statement, enough start-up capital and income that covers your living costs.

Permits and the quota

Permit	Validity	Quota
L (short-term)	1 year, extendable by up to 12 months	yes, 4,000 for 2026
B (residence)	1 year, renewed	yes, 4,500 for 2026

The numbers come from the SEM circular on quotas for 2026. In 2024, 74% of the quotas for third-country nationals were used. By the end of September 2025 about 52% had been used. So the quota is not usually the obstacle, but in some cantons it runs short at the end of the year.

How much money in practice

There is no legal amount. BRIDGES works with about CHF 1,000,000 for a new company with a hiring plan and about CHF 1,500,000 for buying an operating business, and gives 4 to 8 months to the permit. These are practical figures from one firm, not rules. A smaller service company can also be accepted if it really creates jobs, and a large investment without jobs can be refused.

Company and taxes

A GmbH or an AG must have at least one representative who lives in Switzerland. The federal profit tax is 8.5%. The total effective rate depends on the canton: the KMU portal quotes 10 to 11.1% in central Switzerland and 16.6% in Zurich, based on BAK data for 2022. VAT is 8.1%. Employees on L and B permits pay tax at source. BRIDGES also offers company registration in Switzerland.

My honest view

The business route suits people who will really run a company in Switzerland, hire people and stay. A company set up only for the permit will be refused, and the permit is renewed only while the business works as promised. Before registering anything I ask clients to agree the project with the cantonal economic development office. If you do not plan to work, compare this route with lump-sum taxation. The overview is in the complete guide.