Right to stay · Settlement C
The settlement permit C — staying without renewing every year
The C permit is granted indefinitely and without conditions. It comes ordinarily after ten years — or early after five, if you are well integrated. This guide shows the routes, the conditions, and the two traps that 'indefinite' leaves out.
This guide covers settlement under the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (FNIA) — relevant above all for third-country nationals holding a B permit. For nationals of EU and EFTA states, the rules of the Free Movement Agreement apply; recognised refugees and hardship cases follow their own routes.
Three routes to the C permit
Ten years, five years — or an entitlement
For most people, settlement is a discretionary permit: it 'may' be granted if the conditions are met. A true entitlement arises only through family or through agreements between states.
Ordinary
10 years · discretionThe standard route. The C permit 'may' be granted — a discretionary decision, not automatic.
- At least ten years of residence in Switzerland in total, the last five uninterrupted with a residence permit (B).
- No grounds for revocation, and integration met.
- Oral language skills at level A2, written at level A1 in the language of your place of residence.
Early
5 years · discretionWith good integration, the C permit may be granted as early as after five years.
- Five years uninterrupted with a residence permit (B); temporary stays do not count.
- The same conditions as the ordinary route — but a higher language threshold.
- Oral language skills at level B1, written at level A1.
With an entitlement
EntitlementThrough family or through agreements between states, an entitlement to settlement arises — no discretion.
- Spouses of Swiss citizens or settled persons: an entitlement after five years of orderly residence, if integration is met.
- Children under twelve: a separate, unconditional entitlement to settlement.
- Some nationalities have an entitlement after five or ten years under settlement agreements.
'May' means discretion: even reaching the years gives no entitlement without integration met. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and your cantonal migration office remain decisive.
The conditions
What must be met
Ordinary and early settlement share the same four conditions — only the language threshold is higher on the early route.
Length of stay: ordinary route, ten years in total, of which the last five uninterrupted with a residence permit (B); early route, five uninterrupted years on a B. Short stays and temporary stays do not count toward the five years.
No grounds for revocation: no ground under Article 62 or 63 paragraph 2 FNIA exists — such as serious criminality or lasting, substantial dependence on social assistance.
Integration under Article 58a: respect for public security and order and for the values of the Federal Constitution, and participation in economic life or the acquisition of education.
Language: making yourself understood in the national language spoken at your place of residence — oral A2 and written A1 for ordinary settlement, oral B1 and written A1 for early settlement.
Articles 34 and 58a FNIA and the OASA ordinance are decisive; the case-by-case assessment rests with your cantonal migration office.
The two clocks
Ten years — or five with good integration
Settlement has two deadlines. Which one applies to you depends on your integration and your language skills.
10years
Ordinary — in total, the last five uninterrupted with a B permit
5years
Early — uninterrupted with a B, with good integration (oral B1)
The count starts from your first creditable day of residence with a permit. Stays for education or further training count only if you then held, without interruption for two years, a permit for a permanent stay.
Temporary stays interrupt the five years. Anyone who in the meantime held only a short stay or provisional admission restarts the uninterrupted period from scratch.
Indefinite, but not unloseable
Two traps that 'without conditions' leaves out
The C permit is granted indefinitely. You can still lose it — in two ways many people overlook.
Downgrade to a B permit
If you no longer meet the integration criteria, settlement may be revoked and replaced by a residence permit (B). 'Indefinite' does not mean 'unconditional forever'.
AIG Art. 63Lapse through a stay abroad
If you leave Switzerland without deregistering, the C permit lapses after six months. On a prior application it can be maintained for up to four years — the application must be filed before you leave.
AIG Art. 61The C card is renewed every five years as a control measure. That is a renewal of the card, not a new permit decision — settlement itself remains indefinite.
When other rules apply
Three cases with their own route
Not every route to settlement follows the FNIA. These three lead elsewhere.
EU/EFTA nationals
For nationals of EU and EFTA states, settlement is governed by the Free Movement Agreement and agreements between states, not by the FNIA alone.
To the 'Living here' overviewThrough family
Spouses and children of Swiss citizens or settled persons reach settlement through an entitlement — on their own timelines, not through the discretion of this guide. The details are covered in family reunification.
To family reunificationAfter flight or in hardship
Recognised refugees, provisionally admitted persons and hardship cases follow their own rules and access. In an emergency, protection comes first.
To crisis help
Provenance & status
Checked against Fedlex (FNIA/OASA) on 10.06.2026
General information, not lawyer-reviewed legal advice. Deadlines and conditions vary by canton and individual case; the State Secretariat for Migration and your cantonal authorities are decisive.
Sources
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