Protection Status S, provisional admission F, asylum/refugee B, regular residence permit B and settlement permit C — duration, rights, duties and transitions in one overview.
Anyone seeking residence law advice in Switzerland will encounter five central residence titles: Protection Status S, provisional admission F, asylum with refugee status, regular residence permit B and settlement permit C. This overview compares them — duration, rights, duties, transitions.
Note: This overview is general guidance. Which status fits a specific person depends on many individual factors. Anyone making a concrete decision should seek legal advice.
The comparison table
| Criterion | Status S | Admission F | Asylum (Refugee B) | Permit B regular | Permit C |
|---|
| Legal basis | Art. 4, 66 ff. AsylG | Art. 83 FNIA | Art. 3 + 49 AsylG | Art. 18 ff. FNIA | Art. 34 FNIA |
| Granting | Collective, by Federal Council | Individual, after asylum proc. | Individual, after asylum proc. | Individual, on application | After 5–10 years B |
| Duration | 1 year, renewable | 1 year, renewable | Indefinite (tied to B) | 1 year, renewable | Indefinite |
| Employment | With notification | With permit | Free | Free | Free |
| Social assistance | Higher rates, federal funding | Reduced rates | Like Swiss | Like Swiss | Like Swiss |
| Family reunification | Per SEM practice (spouse, children) | Only after 3 years | Immediately | Immediately | Immediately |
| Travel | 15 days/half-year to home country | With travel papers | Refugee travel document | Travel-free | Travel-free |
| Transition to B | After 5 years (Art. 74 AsylG) or hardship | After 5 years (hardship) | Asylum-B = already B | – | – |
| Transition to C | Not direct, only via B | Not direct | After 10 years (eased possible) | After 5–10 years | – |
Protection Status S — temporary collective protection
Protection Status S is activated by the Federal Council as a collective protection grant for an entire group of protection seekers. For the first time since the asylum act of 1998, it was activated on 11 March 2022 for persons from Ukraine.
Character: rapid, low-bureaucracy protection form, no individual asylum examination, collective decree. An Ausweis S is issued for one year, collectively extendable by Federal Council decision.
Advantages: rapid procedure (days instead of months), access to employment, KVG health insurance, social assistance (higher rates), family reunification per SEM practice.
Limits: temporary, no individual refugee recognition, annual expiry notice, travel to country of origin limited (15 days/half-year), transition to Permit B only after 5 years (Art. 74 AsylG) or via hardship.
More: Protection Status S — overview, Extension until March 2027, Permit B after Status S.
Provisional admission F — rejected but not removable
Provisional admission F is granted after a rejected asylum application when removal to the country of origin is unlawful (torture, death), unreasonable (war, natural disaster) or impossible (statelessness, lack of acceptance) (Art. 83 FNIA).
Character: individual examination, no permit in the legal sense but a provisional right to remain. "F" stands for "provisional admission".
Advantages: right to remain in Switzerland, labour-market access with permit (Art. 85a FNIA), social assistance.
Limits: reduced social assistance rates (Art. 86 FNIA, cantonally varying), family reunification only after 3 years (Art. 85 para. 7 FNIA), restricted travel, annual SEM review of removal factors, no naturalisation possible.
Transition to B: after 5 years via hardship (Art. 84 para. 5 FNIA in conjunction with Art. 30 para. 1 lit. b FNIA).
Asylum with refugee status — Permit B with special status
Whoever obtains asylum is recognised as a refugee under the Geneva Refugee Convention (Art. 3 AsylG). Requirement: credible serious persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.
Character: asylum automatically entails a Permit B (Art. 49 AsylG), but tied to asylum. If asylum is revoked, B also lapses.
Advantages: all rights like regular B (free employment, social assistance like Swiss, immediate family reunification), additionally protection from refoulement (Non-Refoulement principle), refugee travel document.
Limits: tied to asylum — upon revocation of asylum (e.g. due to return travel or changed situation), B-status lapses. No automatic C-status after 10 years — facilitated naturalisation possible, but no automatism.
Regular residence permit B — the standard residence title
Permit B is the regular, time-limited residence permit for third-country nationals in Switzerland (Art. 33 FNIA). It is granted for a specific purpose: employment (Art. 18–25 FNIA), family reunification (Art. 42–45 FNIA), studies (Art. 27 FNIA), hardship (Art. 30 FNIA) etc.
Character: purpose-bound, individual, cantonally granted with SEM approval for third-country nationals. 1-year validity, regularly extendable as long as the purpose persists.
Advantages: comprehensive rights — free employment (cantonal), social assistance like Swiss, immediate family reunification, free choice of residence.
Limits: tied to the granting purpose (loss of employment = loss of employment purpose under work-based B), social assistance dependency can lead to revocation (Art. 62 para. 1 lit. e FNIA).
Transition to C: after 10 years uninterrupted residence, for EU/EFTA citizens and certain other states (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan) after 5 years with good integration (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA).
Settlement permit C — the permanent status
Permit C is the indefinite, purpose-independent residence form (Art. 34 FNIA). Whoever holds C is, in residence-law terms, practically equal to Swiss citizens.
Character: indefinite, purpose-independent, all rights like Swiss except political rights and military service. Cantonally granted.
Advantages: no extension needed (only biometric card renewal every 5 years), no lapse upon loss of employment purpose, immediate family reunification, free choice of residence, no status risk from job loss, easiest naturalisation.
Limits: lapses upon long absence (over 6 months without retention application; over 4 years even with application as a rule), revocation upon longer prison sentence or serious social assistance dependency.
Quick comparison: which status fits which situation
Ukrainian in Switzerland since 2022, awaiting 5 years: Status S → after 5 years check Permit B under Art. 74 AsylG, alternatively hardship B.
Asylum seeker from third country with concrete persecution: ordinary asylum procedure — if recognised, asylum-B with full rights; if rejected, examine admission F.
EU/EFTA citizen with employment: Permit B as EU/EFTA citizen (Art. 4 FZA-Annex I) — automatic entitlement, simplified procedure.
Third-country national for Swiss employment: Permit B work permit under Art. 18 ff. FNIA — quota, high requirements.
Third-country national marrying a Swiss citizen: Permit B family reunification (Art. 42 FNIA) — entitlement exists.
When legal advice is useful
- For the choice between asylum procedure and Status S for persons from multi-country constellations — consequence assessment
- For the transition from Status S or admission F to Permit B — argumentation and documentation decide the outcome
- For an imminent revocation (social assistance, criminal conviction, long absence)
- For family reunification from third countries — strict requirements, formal hurdles
- For rejected SEM decisions — observe the 30-day appeal period
Related topics
Permits in detail
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Status S and provisional admission F?
Status S is a collective temporary protection granted without individual examination (Art. 4, 66 ff. AsylG). Provisional admission F is granted individually after a rejected asylum application when removal is unlawful, unreasonable or impossible (Art. 83 FNIA).
Does an asylum application offer better legal status than Status S?
Yes, if recognised as a refugee (asylum). Asylum directly entails a Permit B with full rights. Status S is only temporary, collective, without individual refugee recognition. But those who do not receive asylum may end up with F or nothing — Status S is therefore often the safer option for Ukrainians.
Can I switch directly from Status S to Permit B?
After 5 uninterrupted years of Status S in Switzerland, a Permit B tied to Status S can be applied for under Art. 74 AsylG. In parallel, the hardship Permit B under Art. 14 para. 2 AsylG remains available.
How long does it take to obtain Permit C?
Generally after 10 years of uninterrupted residence with Permit B. For persons from certain states (e.g. EU/EFTA, USA, Canada) and with good integration, after 5 years. Status S, admission F and asylum-B count differently.
Which status allows family reunification?
Permit B (recognised refugees and regular B) immediately. Permit C immediately. Status S per SEM practice for spouses and minor children. Admission F only after 3 years (Art. 85 para. 7 FNIA).
Which status is best for self-employed persons?
Permit C without restriction. Permit B with a labour-market permit. Status S and admission F possible with cantonal authorisation, but with administrative hurdles. Asylum-B as regular B.
What happens to my status if I marry?
Marriage alone does not change the status automatically. Marriage to a Swiss or Permit-C holder entitles to Permit B (Art. 42, 43 FNIA). Status S either remains in parallel or is replaced by B.