My husband, dual British and EU national, has received a job offer and will be moving to Zurich in February. It’s mostly clear on how he will get the permit B, however there are some unclear bits with regards to family reunification process for myself, a British citizen.
We are confused when it comes to Type D visas. Some sources say I will be required to apply for it before my move and some say that Brits are exempt from it.
My understanding is that it should be possible for me to enter Switzerland without any visa and then apply for my family reunification in Zurich Gemeinde where we will represent all the relevant documents such as marriage certificate, proof of funds, accommodation, etc. Is my assumption correct?
Also, do we have to wait until my husband has permit B issued or can I move before?
Any information on this topic is highly appreciated.
I think the confusion arises from Brexit and what rights UK citizens have after that happened.
Since you weren’t living in Switzerland before January 1st 2021, you must have a Type D visa to enter the country for longer than the 90 tourist limit.
There is a link under the FAQ’s here about family reunification.
Your husband will probably need to present his residence permit or at least the application for it plus a rental contract to show that the accommodation is big enough for both of you.
What does this actually mean with regards to my entry? For example when border officer asks for the purpose of my visit - do I just say that I am reuniting with my EU partner or how does it work?
I found information which suggests long stay visas are not required for Brits which suggests I could enter the country without any visa and apply for family reunification once I enter the country.
I guess I am looking to find out if anyone’s been in a similar situation recently. For example, I know that any third national moving to the U.K. for family reunification, requires to obtain a visa prior to arrival and they present this to the border officers. I guess type D visa is silmilar but it seems that certain nationalities might be exempt from the requirement.
If you are coming to live, you need to apply for the D visa before you arrive. You are not coming as a tourist, so you can’t use your tourist visa free entry. If you enter without it, you may well find yourself having to go back home to get it.
Call or email the Swiss Embassy in London to ask their advice.
Typed D visa for immigration (family reunion) implies a background check. Check the documents they’re asking for. This is why this type of visa is needed for a long term stay.
Thanks everyone for your replies, much appreciated.
I think I found the information I required. For vast majority of the nationalities type D visa is required, however a few of them including the U.K., Australia, Japan, New Zealand, etc. seem to be exempt from national/type D visa for long term stays including the family reunification purposes. I will call the embassy just to double check the process.
The UK is one of very few non EU countries which don’t require the D visa for Switzerland, I believe it was part of the agreement made following Brexit.
As the citizen of a third country you are free to enter Switzerland only for the purposes of tourism… You need a D vista to enter the country for your purposes. Do not put yourself in a situation where you are depending on the goodwill of a given official on a given day, because if it goes pear shaped you will be in breach of the immigration laws and that may work out very badly for you - a refusal and a ban.
Misinformation; it’s already been shown that UK nationals don’t need a Type D visa to enter the country. That’s the official Swiss website that’s come from.
