Swiss Immigration
March 23rd, 2008The Swiss program is a bit different than the other programs. The majority of wealthy individuals who elect Switzerland as their immigration destination do so for the “lump sum” fiscal package where a familly is not taxed on its revenues or assets but rather on its living expenses.
Who can retire to Switzerland?
Switzerland grants residence permits very selectively. The interview process is quite difficult and there is a great discretion on the selection. The process is a lot more arbitrary than other programs.
- Be over 55 years old
- Be retired (no day-to-day responsibilities)
- Have an annual income of over 100,000 CHF
- Live in Switzerland for at least 180 days a year
- Demonstrate some ties to Switzerland
If you are younger than 55, you won’t fit in the standard residence permit to retire in Switzerland. However, there’s a variation on this program trough which you can obtain the same residence permit by making an investment in a local company.
The characteristics of this investment are :
- You must invest in a company in the canton where you want to live
- Your investment has to finance the growth of the company.
- You can either invest as a loan or as an equity investment, or a mix of both.
- Your investment should last as long as you remain in Switzerland.
- The company cannot be listed on a stock exchange.
- You cannot invest in a bank account, an apartment or a bogus company, but in a real company with employees.
The rationale is that by investing in a company that needs financing to grow, you help creating jobs in Switzerland. In return many canton will grant you a residence permit.
The other conditions applicable to the standard residence permit to retire in Switzerland still hold:
- Be retired (no day-to-day responsibilities)
- Have an annual income of more than Sfr.100′000.-
for more information on the Swiss immigration program visit the official website.