I am likely to be seconded to my London office for 12 months starting in February next year. I have a permit C.
Ideally I would like to announce my departure so I can avoid paying health insurance while I'm away. That said, it would be preferable to sublet my existing apartment having found a very nice one.
Does anybody happen to know if I can both announce my departure from Switzerland while also continuing to sublet my existing apartment?
If your subtenant pays a deposit you must put it in a special bank account running on the subtenant’s name (just like your landlord must have done with your deposit). And as you are in Zurich, you must also fill in this form and give it to your subtenant. https://www.zh.ch/content/dam/zhweb/…gsmietzins.pdf
To extend a bit on this: your permit C can be suspended, provided certain conditions are met. You’re highly likely to meet them, however there’s no legal claim for one to be granted.
By default, permits B and C lapse automatically if the foreigner is abroad for more than six months. A permit C can be suspended for up to four years upon request, which is to be submitted to the canton’s responsible MigrationsAmt (before the six months have passed, or before leaving). See here for Zürich , that’s also who you need to contact for the suspension.
Being sent abroad by the employer for a limited time is one of the accepted reasons. If the fact that you intend to keep your apartment is relevant, it will be a positive because it’s further evidence of your intent to return.
My understanding is that you have to have an approval for the 4 year blocking period BEFORE you leave Switzerland. Else the 06 months period applies. Because the blocking is completely at discretion of the Kantonal authorities.
My understanding however was that when you formally announce you're leaving, as I will have to do as there is no other way to stop health insurance payments, that you must also show the canton proof that you no longer rent an apartment here?
You don't have to be resident here to rent an apartment.
You do have to de-register to cancel your health insurance.
You can ask to put your C-permit on hold for up to 4 years (do this if you are British or other Non-EU), beware if your C permit expires before you return, even if on hold, you lose the hold and the C-permit (according to something posted on here a while back).
Wrong on two counts. Why don't you read the relevant document on the linked page? That's what the original sources get linked for, in particular sections 2.1 and 3.2 of the last PDF linked on that page.
Of course the earlier you have it in your pocket the better it is for one's peace of mind, that just doesn't make it a requirement.
The first suspension granted is actually at most 2 years, it's only with additional extensions that the maximum of 4 years total can be attained. It follows from this alone that requests must be validly submittable from abroad, simply because that's where requests for extensions will be submitted from.
In fact you can even submit your first request for suspension despite having de-registered and after leaving, provided you do so within the 6-month default lapsing period. Any such request interrupts the 6-month countdown. Mind, I'm not saying that's a good idea.