Working in Switzerland without an EU passport: what you're actually allowed to do
Whether you're allowed to work in Switzerland as a cleaner, nanny or caregiver isn't decided by your passport - it's decided by your residence status. Here's an honest look at which paths genuinely exist and where none does, so you don't waste time or money chasing a permit that isn't available.
What decides whether you can work is your residence status, not your passport. If you already hold permit B, C or F, you can work as household help regardless of your nationality. With no prior link to Switzerland at all, there is practically no legal path to a new household job.
- Permit B/C (e.g. through marriage or family reunification): full labour-market access, whatever your nationality.
- Permit F (provisional admission): work without a quota since 2019 - your employer just needs to notify the canton.
- A brand-new hire from abroad with no prior link to Switzerland: not possible under current law in practice.
Are you allowed to work in Switzerland?
Pick what applies to you - you'll instantly see your answer and the next step.
You hold permit B or C
You get this permit through, for example, marriage, a registered partnership or family reunification. Once you hold it, your nationality no longer matters - you have full labour-market access, exactly like someone with a European passport. You can work as a nanny, cleaner or caregiver. The only thing that matters is that your future employer registers you correctly (AHV, accident insurance, employment contract) - which is exactly what Clino handles for the family.
You're in the asylum process: permit F, N or S
Permit F (provisional admission): free labour-market access with no quota since 2019. Your employer simply notifies the canton - no new permit application, and it's free.
Permit N (asylum seeker): work is generally possible from 3 months after filing your asylum claim, but every case is assessed individually. There's no automatic right - the cantonal authority decides on the specific job offer.
Permit S (protection status, e.g. from Ukraine): working is allowed, but the permit has to be applied for at the canton. Your employer files the request and must keep the usual local and sector wage conditions.
You want to come as an au pair
There is a dedicated route for au pairs from non-EU/EFTA countries - but with much stricter rules than for Europeans:
- • Age usually 18-25 (narrower than for EU/EFTA, where up to 30 is possible).
- • Maximum 12 months, not renewable as an au pair.
- • Almost always via a recognised agency, with cantonal approval BEFORE entering Switzerland - never travel hoping it'll work out.
- • Some cantons don't approve au pairs from third countries at all - confirm this with the canton or agency first.
Important: an au pair is not a household employee under a different name. You receive pocket money (CHF 500-800) instead of a market wage, plus board and lodging, and a genuine language course is part of the deal.
Not sure whether au pair or nanny fits your situation better? The comparison shows you the differences.
You already work for this family abroad
If the family you already work for is moving to Switzerland, there's an exception - but only if you worked for them continuously and verifiably for at least 2 years before the move, with a written contract. This exception is meant for families who already had staff - not for finding a new employer once in Switzerland.
You have no prior link to Switzerland
If you want to move here from abroad to work as a cleaner, nanny or caregiver, under current law there is practically no path. Annual quotas apply (aimed mainly at qualified specialists), and your future employer would have to prove they couldn't find anyone in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA for the role - for household work that's almost never possible.
This isn't the answer you want to hear - but it's better to know it clearly than to spend time, money or trust on an agency promising a route that doesn't legally exist.
Not sure which applies to you?
German for Household Work, Level 1
The 150 words and phrases you actually need at work, explained in your language.
- ~40 min
- in your language
- PDF certificate with QR code
Frequently asked questions
Does anything change if I marry a Swiss or EU/EFTA citizen?
Can I work while I wait for a decision on my permit application?
Does a G permit (cross-border) help if I live near the border without a European passport?
I'm already working without papers - what should I do?
Once I'm allowed to work, how does Clino help?
🇭🇷 I have a Croatian passport - does that count as an EU passport?
🇬🇧 Does a UK passport help - wasn't the UK part of the EU?
Sources
- 1State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) - permit types - www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/aufenthalt/eu_efta.html
- 2Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA) - www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2007/758/en
- 3SEM - gainful employment for provisionally admitted persons - www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/arbeit/erwerbstaetige_asylbereich.html
- 4Canton of Zurich - residence with gainful employment for third-country nationals - www.zh.ch/de/migration-integration/aufenthalt/aufenthalt-mit-erwerbstaetigkeit-fuer-drittstaatsangehoerige.html
- 5Federal Council - thresholds to restrict free movement with Croatia not reached - www.admin.ch/en/newnsb/ciU7vNgDGQu6
- 6SEM - FAQ for United Kingdom nationals (Brexit) - www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/arbeit/uk/faq.html
Related guides
Allowed to work? Here's your next step
Learn what you should be earning, which rights you have, and how to become an in-demand professional.
Get employed legally, without the awkward conversation
We prepare your personal employment pack and send it to your employer in their language. Free.
+ CHF 50 for you when they register you
Create your pack (2 min)Important note: This article is not legal or immigration advice. Residence and labour law is complex and changes - always confirm your specific case with the cantonal migration office.
As of: July 2026.
