Short-term work in Switzerland under 90 days
A simple guide to short-term work in Switzerland under 90 days and when notification or a permit may still be needed.
Fenja Brockmann
A practical employer guide to short-term work in Switzerland for up to 90 working days, including business visitors, notification, permits, and start-date rules.
Short answer
Short-term work in Switzerland under 90 days may still need a Swiss notification or work permit before the person starts work. The 90-day rule is not a general permission to work. It is a simplified route for specific cases, mainly some EU/EFTA short-term employment, EU/EFTA service providers, EU/EFTA posted workers, and certain UK service-provider cases.
The correct route depends on nationality, employer location, activity, sector, duration, work location, and whether the person is attending meetings or doing productive work. Employers should check the route before travel, because tourist or business entry is not the same as permission to work.
💡 Check the Swiss hire feasibility. Permitree gives employers the likely Swiss route, timeline, document checklist, costs, risks, and process overview before they move into the full hiring or mobility case.
Quick route overview
Situation | Likely route | Important note |
|---|---|---|
EU/EFTA national working for a Swiss employer for up to 3 months | Online notification may apply | Notification is usually filed no later than 1 day before work starts. |
EU/EFTA employer posts a worker to Switzerland for up to 90 working days | Online notification may apply | For posted workers, filing is usually at least 8 days before work starts. |
EU/EFTA employer posts a non-EU/EFTA employee | Notification may apply only if the worker meets EU/EFTA labour-market integration rules | SEM generally refers to at least 12 months with a standard or permanent residence permit in that EU/EFTA state. |
UK service provider sends worker to Switzerland | Notification may apply under the Switzerland-UK Services Mobility Agreement | This is for service provision from the UK, not ordinary Swiss local employment. |
Employer is outside EU/EFTA and not covered by a UK service route | Work permit usually required from day one | Short duration does not remove the permit requirement. |
Business meetings only | May be business visitor activity | No productive work should be performed. |
This table is a starting point. The final answer depends on the facts.
Under 90 days does not mean “no rules”
The most common misunderstanding is this: employers hear “90 days” and think the person can work freely for 90 days. That is not correct.
The Swiss online notification procedure can replace a work permit only for eligible cases. If the case is not eligible, a work permit may still be needed, even for one day of work.
This matters for:
installations
repairs and maintenance
client delivery
consulting at a Swiss site
training delivery
technical testing
project work
trial work
internships
volunteering that looks like normal work
work for a Swiss employer
Permitree practice point: always ask “what will the person actually do in Switzerland?” before asking “how many days?” Activity comes first.
Business visit or short-term work?
Not every trip to Switzerland is work. Some visits are business visitor activity.
Business visitor activity may include:
attending internal meetings
meeting clients for discussions
negotiating contracts
attending conferences
visiting a site without doing productive work
participating in high-level planning discussions
Short-term work may include:
installing equipment
repairing or maintaining machinery
delivering services to a Swiss client
writing code or delivering technical output from Switzerland
training Swiss staff as a service
performing billable consulting work
working on a Swiss project site
doing an internship or trial period
volunteering in a role normally performed for pay
Swiss law treats gainful activity broadly. Work can still be considered work even if the person is paid abroad or not paid at all.
When the notification procedure may be used
The online notification procedure may be available for:
EU/EFTA nationals taking up short-term employment with a Swiss employer for up to three months
posted workers sent by an employer based in an EU/EFTA state for up to 90 working days per calendar year
self-employed EU/EFTA service providers based in an EU/EFTA state
certain service providers from the UK under the Switzerland-UK Services Mobility Agreement
For posted workers from EU/EFTA employers, the worker does not always need to be an EU/EFTA national. A non-EU/EFTA worker may qualify if they have already been admitted to the regular labour market in an EU/EFTA state for long enough. SEM generally treats this as met if the person has held a standard or permanent residence permit in that country for at least 12 months.
The notification procedure does not apply to all other categories of persons.
Filing deadlines before work starts
The filing deadline depends on the route.
For posted workers and self-employed service providers, the notification is usually filed at least 8 days before work starts.
For foreign workers taking up short-term employment with a Swiss company for up to three months, the notification is usually filed no later than 1 day before the first day of work.
Some sectors require notification from day one, regardless of the duration. These include:
construction and secondary contract work
gardening and landscaping
hotel, restaurant, and catering
cleaning in companies and households
monitoring and security services
itinerant trade, with exceptions
sex industry
Permitree practice point: do not book the person to start on Monday if the notification still needs an 8-day waiting period. The start date should follow the route, not the other way around.
How the 90 days are counted
For cross-border services, SEM says the 90 working days per calendar year are counted for both:
the company posting workers, and
the posted worker
This means the employer should track Swiss workdays carefully across the whole calendar year. Sending different employees does not always solve the limit, because company days matter too.
For EU/EFTA nationals taking up short-term employment with a Swiss employer, the three-month or 90-day concept is linked to the person's short-term employment.
The details matter if:
the same person travels multiple times
the company sends several workers during the year
work happens on different Swiss sites
the project crosses 31 December
the company uses both notification and permit routes
When a permit is still needed under 90 days
A permit may still be required even when the Swiss work is short.
This is common when:
the employer is outside the EU/EFTA and the UK service route does not apply
the worker is non-EU/EFTA and not eligible for the EU/EFTA posted-worker notification route
the person will work directly for a Swiss employer and cannot use notification
the work exceeds the notification route
the arrangement looks like staff leasing from abroad
the sector or activity requires another authorization
the person has already used the available Swiss working days
For non-EU/EFTA short-term permit cases, Switzerland usually checks labour-market rules, qualifications, salary and working conditions, and the reason the work must be performed in Switzerland. The case is not approved just because it is short.
UK nationals and UK service providers
After Brexit, UK nationals are no longer treated as EU/EFTA nationals under free movement rules.
There are two different situations:
A UK national taking employment with a Swiss employer usually needs a work permit under Swiss non-EU/EFTA rules.
A UK-based service provider may still use the notification procedure for certain cross-border service provision under the Switzerland-UK Services Mobility Agreement, up to 90 working days per calendar year.
This distinction is important. “UK person coming for 90 days” is not enough information. The employer must check whether it is Swiss local employment or UK service provision.
Documents employers should prepare
For short-term work, employers should usually prepare:
passport or ID copy
nationality and residence status details
employer location and legal entity details
Swiss host or Swiss employer details
work dates and Swiss work location
activity description
employment contract or assignment letter
service agreement or project description, if posted
salary and expense details
A1 certificate or social security certificate, where applicable
notification confirmation or permit approval
sector-specific documents, if required
For non-EU/EFTA permit cases, authorities may also ask for CV, diplomas, proof of specialist knowledge, job description, business justification, and salary comparison.
What employers should avoid
Employers should avoid saying:
“It is under 90 days, so no permit is needed.”
“They are paid abroad, so Swiss rules do not apply.”
“They are only coming as a tourist but will work a little.”
“The A1 certificate means they can work.”
“We can file the notification after they start.”
“This is a business trip” when the person will deliver services in Switzerland.
A safer message is: “Short-term work may be possible, but we need to check whether this is a business visit, notification case, or permit case before confirming travel and start dates.”
Questions asked by employees
Can I work in Switzerland for less than 90 days without a permit?
Maybe, but only if your case fits a notification route or another permitted route. Under 90 days does not automatically mean no work authorization.
Can I enter as a tourist and work for a few days?
No, do not assume that. Tourist or visitor entry is not permission to work. Productive work may need notification or a permit.
Can I start work as soon as I arrive?
Only if the correct notification or permit route is already in place. Posted-worker notifications often need to be filed at least 8 days before work starts.
Does the A1 certificate allow me to work?
No. An A1 certificate is about social security, not immigration permission. You may still need notification or a work permit.
Do meetings count as work?
Simple meetings may be business visitor activity. But delivering services, installing equipment, training, consulting, repairs, project work, internships, and trial work can be work and should be checked.
Questions employers should be ready to answer
What exactly will the person do in Switzerland?
This is the most important question. The route depends on the actual activity, not only the job title or trip length.
Who is the employer?
Swiss employer, EU/EFTA employer, UK service provider, or non-EU/EFTA employer can each lead to a different route.
How many Swiss working days have already been used?
Track days for the individual and, in posted-worker service cases, the posting company.
Is the sector day-one notification?
Check this before work starts, especially for construction, cleaning, hospitality, security, and gardening.
Could this be staff leasing from abroad?
If the Swiss company directs the person like its own employee, the structure may be risky and should be reviewed.
How Permitree helps
Permitree helps employers check whether a short Swiss trip is a business visit, notification case, permit case, or posted-worker case before travel is booked.
💡 Check the Swiss hire feasibility. Permitree gives employers the likely Swiss route, timeline, document checklist, costs, risks, and process overview before they move into the full hiring or mobility case.
FAQ
Legal references
Foreign Nationals and Integration Act, FNIA/AIG, especially rules on gainful activity and permits
Ordinance on Admission, Period of Stay and Employment, VZAE/ASEO
Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, AFMP/FZA
Free Movement Ordinance and SEM notification procedure guidance
Posted Workers Act, EntsG
Switzerland-UK Services Mobility Agreement
Recruitment Act rules on staff leasing
