Croatian citizens get full freedom to live and work in Switzerland

Switzerland

From 1 January 2025, Croatian citizens will be able to live and work in Switzerland without restrictions.

This follows a two-year period during which Switzerland imposed quotas on the number of Croatian nationals permitted to reside and work in the country.

Full freedom of movement is now set to be reinstated.

The Swiss Federal Council made the decision to lift these quotas, which limited the number of work permits issued to Croatians.

Following this decision, the regulation governing these restrictions was amended, according to Večernji list.

Switzerland had little choice in the matter. In previous years, it invoked the so-called “safeguard clause” as outlined in its agreement with the EU. However, this clause can only be applied for a maximum of two consecutive years under the terms of the agreement.

Theoretically, if immigration numbers rise sharply again, Switzerland could reactivate the safeguard clause in 2026, but only for a single year.

After that, the 10-year transitional period established under the agreement on the free movement of people between Switzerland and the EU, which allows such measures, will come to an end.

After this, Croatian citizens will finally enjoy the same full freedom of movement as citizens of other EU countries.

In late 2021, Switzerland restricted the entry of Croatian workers for 2022, arguing that the number of arrivals was excessive after the liberalisation of the labour market.

At the end of last year, the restrictions were extended for similar reasons. Each year, the quotas for work permits were quickly filled.

For 2024, Switzerland set a maximum of 1,204 permits in category B (for employment exceeding one year) and 1,053 permits in category L (for employment up to one year), distributed quarterly.

These permits were issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the quotas were reached, no further permits could be issued until the next quarterly release.

Croatian workers could only begin working after receiving the necessary permits. By the end of October 2022, the annual quota for B permits had been fully used, and 76% of the L permits had been issued. This year’s quota was also exhausted well before the end of the year.

There were, however, exceptions to the L category restrictions. Permits for four-month work assignments were issued without limitation.

Additionally, Croatian nationals with student visas were allowed to work up to 15 hours per week during term time and full-time during semester breaks. The same applied to Croatian doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers employed in Switzerland for more than 15 hours per week.

As Večernji list notes, Switzerland fully liberalised its labour market after Croatia joined the EU and completed a transitional period.

However, in 2022, it invoked the safeguard clause for the first time, drawing criticism from the Croatian government, which argued that Croatians should be treated equally to other EU/EFTA nationals.

The Croatian authorities also contended that the pressure on Switzerland’s labour market did not justify the activation of the safeguard clause.

The EU and Switzerland signed an agreement on the free movement of people (AFMP) in 1999. When Croatia joined the EU, the extension of the AFMP to include Croatia was agreed upon in Protocol III.

The AFMP was extended to Croatia in 2017, but a safeguard clause was included, allowing Switzerland to reintroduce quotas for Croatian workers in response to significant increases in immigration.

This clause remains valid for 10 years from the implementation of Protocol III, expiring on 31 December 2026.