Family Reunification

If you live here, direct relatives or your spouse may also be able to move to Switzerland (family reunification, Familiennachzug). Which family members can you submit a request for? This depends on your nationality and your residency status. Your family may also be able to move here even if you are only provisionally admitted and have an F permit.

The migration office (Migrationsamt) decides on whether your family can join you in Switzerland. The migration office will inform you about what you have to do and what documents you need.

Please note:
You need to request the reunification of your family within a certain deadline. The deadline for children is shorter than for adults, such as your spouse.

Do you live in Switzerland and want to marry someone from another country? You can apply for entry to allow you to prepare the marriage (Vorbereitung der Heirat). This enables your partner to enter Switzerland prior to marriage and you can get married here.

The migration office (Migrationsamt) decides whether your partner may enter the country. The office will inform you about what you have to do and which documents you need.

Do your relatives or acquaintances from your country of origin wish to visit you in Switzerland? They will need an entry visa for Switzerland. It is often not easy to obtain a visa. Sometimes your visitors need to present an invitation letter that you have signed. Or the visitors must guarantee that they can finance themselves (declaration of commitment, Verpflichtungserklärung).

The Swiss embassy abroad decides on whether people receive a visa. The embassy provides information about what your visitors have to do and which documents they need. You can also obtain information from the migration office (Migrationsamt).