That does not mean “no paperwork”. It means the legal starting point is a right if the conditions are met, rather than a discretionary admission decision.
If you have a Swiss job
Employment lasting more than three months requires residence formalities. A contract of at least 12 months or unlimited duration normally supports a five-year B EU/EFTA permit. A contract longer than three months but shorter than 12 months normally leads to an L permit for the contract period.
For the surrounding context, see Swiss residence routes.
Register with the commune within 14 days of arrival and before starting work.
If you are self-employed
Genuine self-employment can support a B EU/EFTA permit. Expect to demonstrate that the activity is real: business plan, contracts, invoices, registration, business premises where relevant and recognition by the social-security compensation office.
A company incorporated somewhere else does not automatically make you self-employed for Swiss immigration or social-security purposes. The actual working relationship matters.
If this decision changes the viability or sequence of your move, a Swiss relocation strategy consultation can apply it to your own facts.
If you do not work
Retirees, investors and other people of private means can reside in Switzerland if they show sufficient resources and comprehensive health and accident insurance. The test is whether you and your family can live without relying on Swiss social assistance.
For the surrounding context, see the B permit.
Bringing family
EU/EFTA free-movement rules provide broader family-reunification rights than the ordinary third-country regime. Spouses and qualifying descendants can join, and dependent parents or grandparents can qualify in relevant cases. Family members admitted under these rules generally have a right to work regardless of their own nationality.
The part free movement does not solve
Free movement does not choose your canton, calculate wealth tax, move your company, or end tax residence in your former country.
For the surrounding context, see the C permit.
Residence is the easy half. Structure is where the planning starts.
General information on Swiss law and practice, not individual legal, tax or investment advice.
