₣450,000+
Annual tax
Switzerland Passport
Passport rankings out of 198 countries
Freedom of travel37
Asset protection51
Quality of life18
"Plan B"27
About Switzerland
Swiss citizenship is obtained by naturalization, birthright, through marriage with a citizen of the country. There is no citizenship by investment program in the country, but wealthy foreigners can obtain a residence permit for paying a lump-sum tax and apply for citizenship after 10 years of residence. The tax amount usually ranges from 450,000 ₣ to 1 million Swiss francs per year.
Switzerland is a country in Central Europe. It borders with Italy, Austria, France, Germany and Liechtenstein. Switzerland is a federation of 26 cantons. The country does not have a capital, and the federal authorities are located in Bern. Switzerland is part of the Schengen area.
The country's economy is closely linked with the economy of the European Union. Switzerland has developed agriculture, the production of medicines, watches, equipment, jewelry, food, the banking sector and the service sector.
Population
8.6 million
Capital
—
Official language
German, Italian, French and Romansh
GDP per capita
$86.849
Time zone
UTC+1…+2
Currency
Swiss frank
Switzerland passport ranking and benefits
1
Visa-free travel to 186 countries
The Switzerland passport ranks high. Therefore, its citizens can visit the Schengen countries, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA, Canada, and other countries visa-free.
The Switzerland passport ranks high. Therefore, its citizens can visit the Schengen countries, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA, Canada, and other countries visa-free.
2
Living in Switzerland
A Switzerland residence permit and citizenship allow one to live in the country. The country has a stable economy and developed educational and medical systems. Switzerland has the longest life expectancy in the world because of the high-quality medicine, good ecology, products and water.
A Switzerland residence permit and citizenship allow one to live in the country. The country has a stable economy and developed educational and medical systems. Switzerland has the longest life expectancy in the world because of the high-quality medicine, good ecology, products and water.
3
Moving to EU countries
The procedure of moving to the EU is simplified for Switzerland powerful passport holders. They don’t need a visa or a residence permit in advance.
The procedure of moving to the EU is simplified for Switzerland powerful passport holders. They don’t need a visa or a residence permit in advance.
4
Founding of a business and opening a bank account in Switzerland
Citizens of the country can work, found companies and open bank accounts in Switzerland and the EU. Switzerland has low tax rates for companies: the corporate tax rate is 11.9—21.6%, and the standard VAT rate is 7.7%.
Citizens of the country can work, found companies and open bank accounts in Switzerland and the EU. Switzerland has low tax rates for companies: the corporate tax rate is 11.9—21.6%, and the standard VAT rate is 7.7%.
Grounds for obtaining a Switzerland passport
Switzerland allows dual citizenship
Birth to citizens of the country
Marriage to a citizen of the country
Work for the country's government
Naturalization
Estimated time: 10 years
Repatriation
Adoption
Parents citizenship
Special conditions
Special services to the state
Obtaining a Switzerland passport by naturalization: requirements for applicants
Knowledge of state language
Assimilation or cultural knowledge
Stable financial status
Good health
No criminal records
Switzerland passport after a residence permit for financially independent persons
Switzerland doesn’t have a citizenship by investment programme. Wealthy people get residence permits for financially independent persons. 10 years later, they can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.
3+ months
Obtaining period
10+ years
Naturalisation period
Children under 18
Conditions for obtaining a residence permit
Investors can get residence permits by paying a lump-sum tax. The contract for paying the tax is concluded with a canton where the investor and their family will live.
The tax sum is calculated individually, depending on the family’s spending, income, possessions and conditions of the chosen canton. For non-EU citizens, it is ₣450,000 to ₣1,000,000 a year.
Besides the lump-sum tax, the investor contributes to the Social Insurance Fund, health insurance, government duties and charges, and professional services fees.
The residence permit for financially independent persons doesn’t allow them to work or run a business in Switzerland. To maintain the status, one must live in the country for at least 183 days a year.
Step-by-step procedure for obtaining a Switzerland residence permit for financially independent persons
1
1 day
Preliminary Due Diligence
A certified Compliance Anti Money Laundering Officer conducts a preliminary check of the applicants. The Officer uses the same databases that are used during the application processing.
The preliminary Due Diligence decreases the refusal risk to 1%. It is completely confidential. The investor provides only a passport.
Take a short anonymous test and learn more about the nuances of Due Diligence checks.
2
Up to 2 months
Preparation of a contract with a canton
An applicant chooses a canton where they move to after obtaining a residence permit. They can select any canton except for Zurich, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Schaffhausen — they don’t offer residence permits for paying a lump-sum tax.
Royal Immigration lawyers prepare documents and hold negotiations with the Tax Office. At this stage, the investor and lawyers agree on the tax amount, and the application is pre-approved.
3
1—2 weeks
Obtaining a D visa
The investor gets a national D visa to come to Switzerland and apply for a residence permit.
4
1 day
Filing an application
Documents for a residence permit are sent to the canton’s Migration Office. An Royal Immigration lawyer accompanies the investor. After the application is filed, the investor can leave the country or stay there.
5
2—4 months
Due Diligence and obtaining a residence permit
In general, Due Diligence lasts for up to 50 days. However, in some cases, the process can take up to 4 months. If the application is approved, the applicants come to Switzerland and get residency cards personally.
6
Annually
Extension of a residence permit
The Switzerland residence permit by the lump-sum tax payment is valid for 1 year. It can be extended if the applicant fulfilled the contract with the chosen canton: spent at least 183 days a year there and paid the tax.
7
10 years after obtaining a residence permit
Applying for citizenship
To obtain Switzerland citizenship, one needs to live in the country for at least 10 years, get a permanent residence permit, learn at least one official language to the B1 level and integrate into the society.
One year is counted as two for children from 8 to 18 years old who live in the country. To apply for citizenship, they must live in Switzerland for at least 6 years.
Frequently asked questions
By birth, naturalisation or marriage to a Swiss citizen.
To obtain Switzerland citizenship by naturalisation, an adult foreigner must live in the country for at least 10 years, get a permanent residence permit and integrate into the society. One year is counted as two for children from 8 to 18 years old who live in the country. At the same time, they must live in Switzerland for at least 6 years.
A wealthy foreigner with a legal income, no unspent convictions and who hasn’t lived in Switzerland for the past 10 years. Their global spendings have to exceed the cost of apartment rent in the canton by at least 7 times.
Alongside the investor, their spouse and children under 18 can also get residence permits. Family members must have no unspent convictions.
The lump-sum tax depends on the family’s global spending, income, cost of possessions and rules of the canton with which they signed a contract. The annual tax for non-EU and non-EACT citizens is ₣450,000 to ₣1,000,000 a year.
