I have a few questions about what the required documents / info to get a B permit are...
From what I've read somewhere, I can obtain the B permit by myself within the first week of my arrival at local authorities ("Gemeinde Einwohnerkontrolle") from my residential area . I indeed need a copy of my passport, my work contract and a passport photo for that.
My question is : do I need to give them a residential address ?
If yes, should I first register my address to the local autorities ?
I ask these questions because I am in Zurich next week to search an apartment, so I do not yet have an address in Zurich, but my future employer wants me to send him my B permit as soon as possible. So I wondered if I could get it next week even w/o an address ?
You will need an address - after all the permit has to be posted to you and they need an address for that. Are you staying in an hotel? That will usually do if you’re going to be there for a few weeks. Registering with your gemeinde is all you need to do, the info will be passed on to the Migration Office as the permit application is being processed.
Without an address you won’t get a permit because you have to be resident here so until you sort that out forget about applying for your permit. You also cannot start work until you’ve registered.
You can go in next week when you're here and make your permit application.
You will need your job contract and passport to do this plus some passport photos. You will also need to provide them with an address but this can be a temporary address so a hotel is ok if you're going to be staying there long term or the address of your employer is usually also acceptable.
When you make the permit application they should give you a paper stating that the the permit application is being processed and a copy of this should be fine to give to your employer until you get the actual permit in hand ( which could take days or weeks or months depending on where you are).
Also the permit won't necessarily be posted to you. Neither my OH ( who lived at several different places) nor myself have had our permits sent by post and have always had to collect them in person. They have always telephoned us to say they are ready for collection.
My husband also started work before he made his permit application. As an EU national I believe that it's ok to do that but you do have to register within 8 (or 14?) days of arrival.
I went to the wrong one the first time and had a fun tour around NW Zurich
If your temporary accommodation is NOT in the City itself, you need to figure out which Gemeinde it is located in and search for "anmeldung".
Remember that when you find your permanent apartment, you will need to re-register - if staying in the same Canton, just re-register, if moving Canton, deregister from Zurich before re-registering with the new Gemeinde.
Gainful employment of more than 3 months
Within 14 days of their arrival and before actually taking up work, nationals of EU-25/EFTA states have to register with the local authorities of the commune in which they are residing and apply for a residence permit.
I've summarized the pieces of information for myself, and I thought this might be helpful for someone else, so I am posting this here...
WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR A RESIDENCE/WORK PERMIT ?
You cannot start work until you've registered and applied for a B permit. Within 14 days of their arrival and before actually taking up work, nationals of EU-25/EFTA states have to register with the local authorities of the commune in which they are residing and apply for a residence permit.
WHERE TO APPLY FOR THE WORK PERMIT ?
Registering with your Gemeinde/Commune is all you need to do, the info will be passed on to the Migration Office as the permit application is being processed.
(Just at Saturday: Cityoffice in the city hall for all 12 districts) If your temporary accommodation is in other district of the Zurich Canton (that is to say NOT in the City itself), you need to figure out which Gemeinde it is located in and search for " + anmeldung" (or einwohnerkontrolle ?)
WHAT DOCUMENTS / INFO ARE REQUIRED ?
You will need a copy of your job contract and passport to do this plus some passport photos.
You will need an address since the permit has to be posted to you and they need an address for that. Without an address you won't get a B permit because you have to be resident here.
But this can be a temporary address if you are staying in a hotel, the address of the hotel will be ok if you're going to be there for a few weeks.
Or the address of your employer is usually also acceptable.
HOW TO GET IT?
When you make the permit application they should give you a paper stating that the the permit application is being processed and a copy of this should be fine to give to your employer until you get the actual permit in hand (which could take days or weeks or months depending on where you are).
Also the permit won't necessarily be posted to you. You may have to collect it by yourself in person. In this case, you’re given a phone call when the permit is ready for collection.
WHAT TO DO AFTER?
Remember that when you find your permanent apartment, you will need to re-register - if staying in the same Canton, just re-register, if moving Canton, deregister from Zurich before re-registering with the new Gemeinde.
Then he did so illegally as until he registers he’s considered a tourist. Read the BFM quote again.
Gainful employment of more than 3 months
Within 14 days of their arrival and before actually taking up work, nationals of EU-25/EFTA states have to register with the local authorities of the commune in which they are residing and apply for a residence permit.
It may have had something to do with being an inter company transfer and him already working several days a week at the company here on his Bekgian contract before moving he.
His Swiss contract started on January first and he arrived at the office directly from the airport on the Monday morning, the relocation agent took him to his temporary accommodation at the end of work that day and then they went a couple if days later to register and open a bank account etc. whether it was legal or not that's exactly what he did and nobidy at the immigration place said anything about it when he went to register.
In reality most people actually move here a few days before they actually start working so have a chance to register beforehand but I would hazard a guess that there are also quite a few who don't.
So as mentioned previously, in conclusion, you can start working here before you do all of the rest of the administrative procedures concerning residence, permits and registration.
What Medea Fleecestealer perhaps is trying to say is that one is supposed to, in theory, first apply for a permit within 14 days of arrival and only after that application is made may one begin employment.
The reality today of course is somewhat different. Many first arrive, look for a place to live, rent an apartment, move in, perhaps even look for work, start work, and only then apply for the permit/go to the town hall to announce arrival!
When the town hall asks what day you want to put as date of arrival, you just put that day, that day you actually go to the town hall, or at the most a couple of days before.
It wouldn't be wise to indicate a date too far back in the past. For example: if you go to the town hall on September 7th and say you actually arrived on August 15th, your Krankenkasse might try to make you back pay for August as well since they are unable/unwilling to invoice a you for half of one month.
I for one had rented and furnished a flat in Switzerland and was working here well before I had a residence permit!
People have many other pressing things to do when they move here other than rush to the town hall!
Gee. You managed to do all that, yet couldn’t spare half an hour to “rush” down to the town hall. And worked illegally too - great way to start life in your new country.
Yes it was more convenient to do it that way. The longer you leave registration the more months go by in which you do not have to pay a for a health insurance plan here - something I didn't need as I was already covered elsewhere for free, thus I made a substantial saving saving. Not to mention the savings on tax and other salary deductions and contributions during that time!