Switzerland · Retirement
Residence Permit for Retirees (Art. 28 AIG / Art. 25 VZAE)
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This route is for non-EU/EFTA nationals aged 55 and over. It is discretionary, administered canton by canton, and requires personal ties to Switzerland.
A narrow but real non-EU route that does not depend on asserting a cantonal fiscal interest. That said, special personal ties is interpreted strictly, and holiday visits or owning a chalet do not qualify on their own.
Qualifying routes
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Retiree admission, age 55+
There is no set investment. What is required is sufficient financial means, no gainful activity anywhere in the world, and special personal ties to Switzerland.
The facts
- Total landed cost
- There is no investment threshold. Costs come down to advisory fees and the ordinary or lump-sum tax bill.
- Route type
- Pension requirement
- Timeline
- 3–12 months (This is a cantonal decision, and it still requires SEM approval.)
- Physical presence
- Switzerland has to become the centre of your life. The canton checks for genuine residence, not just a paper trail.
- Family
- SpouseDependent children under 18
- Permanent residency
- A C permit is generally available after 10 years.
- Citizenship
- 10 years of residence.
- Language test
- B1 spoken and A2 written in a national language.
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- aged 55 or overnon-EU/EFTA nationalno gainful employment worldwidesufficient financial meansspecial personal ties to Switzerlandcentre of life transferred to Switzerland
What can go wrong
- No gainful activity anywhere in the world is allowed. This is stricter than most retirement visas, and it bars continuing to run a business abroad.
- Special personal ties to Switzerland must be substantiated. Property ownership alone is not enough.
- Claiming supplementary benefits (Ergänzungsleistungen) is an explicit ground for revoking the permit.
- Cantonal practice varies widely, and refusals are common.
- Non-EU nationals face restrictions on buying Swiss residential property under the Lex Koller until they hold a C permit.