SWITZERLAND – Short Term Work Exemption Explained
Authorities in Switzerland have recently clarified the details of the short-term work exemption that permits foreign nationals to work in Switzerland for a period of up to eight days per year without first having to obtain work permits or register. It is has now been made clear that the way in which the eight days are counted is determined by the country from which the employee is being sent from.
The eight-day exemption rule applies to both the individual and the sending company if the employee is being deputed from a country within the EU/EFTA area. As such, sending companies may choose to send one or more employees to Switzerland at the same time but only for a period of up to eight days. Once a company has used up the eight days, it must register the assigned employees and any future employees it sends to Switzerland for the rest of the year. However, registered employees are allowed to work for up to 90 days per year before requiring a work permit.
This exemption rule is also valid for employees being assigned to Switzerland from non-EU/EFTA countries but it only applies to the individual and not the company. Any individual employee can only be sent to Switzerland for a maximum of eight days per year without first having to secure a work permit but the company is not limited in the amount of employees it sends.