Life in Switzerland for S Status-Beneficiaries

In Switzerland, everyone has the right to equal treatment and non-discrimination. To find out more about what this means, please consult the information provided here: Non-discrimination – UNHCR Switzerland.

When you have been granted protection status S, you can stay in Switzerland temporarily.

After you have been in Switzerland for 5 years:

• Subject to an individual assessment of your case, you will receive a B permit once you have to renew your S permit. The B permit will still be linked to protection status S. This means, if the Federal Council decides to lift protection status S at a later stage, your B permit might also be lifted;
• Under certain conditions and integration requirements, you may apply for a regular B permit.

If in doubt about any of the above, please reach out to a legal counselling service in your canton of residence.

After legally residing in Switzerland for ten years with a B permit, you can apply for a C permit (settlement permit) under certain conditions. With the C permit you can stay in Switzerland, even if the protection status S is revoked.

Social assistance is regulated by cantonal law. Beneficiaries of protection status S receive social assistance from the canton to which they have been assigned if they are fully or partially unable to earn their living independently. The amount is generally lower than for Swiss citizens. Social assistance covers the basic needs of daily life in Switzerland. Social assistance can take the form of benefits in kind (accommodation, food, hygiene articles, etc.) or money.

For additional information on social welfare benefits in Switzerland, please consult the resources provided here: Social welfare benefits – UNHCR Switzerland.

To call an ambulance dial 144.

Emergency medical services are available to anyone in Switzerland who needs them, even before applying for protection status S and without health insurance. The public authorities will cover the costs in such cases.

Once granted temporary protection and allocated to a canton, you will have to register for compulsory health insurance with the cantonal authorities. The coverage will retroactively apply from the moment you applied for protection status S (in person or via the application form).

Compulsory health insurance covers basic medical care, including psychological care.

You can find more information on health care in Switzerland on the following webpages:

• By the Swiss Red Cross: Health info for all
• Visit Health – by ch.ch for more information about health in Switzerland.

If you are a cancer patient, please consult the information provided by the Swiss Cancer League: Krebspatient:innen aus der Ukraine auf der Flucht (krebsliga.ch).

As resident you are subject to the Swiss social security system. In return, you are entitled to benefits just like Swiss citizens.

A social insurance protects you against risks whose financial consequences you cannot manage on your own, such as unemployment or disability.

It also provides pensions for older people, and in certain cases, for surviving spouses or children if a spouse or parent dies.

In addition, your employer insures you against accidents and occupational diseases.

To find out more about social security in Switzerland, please consult the information provided here: Social security – UNHCR Switzerland.

The cantonal integration office provides support with integration, which includes learning the local language, searching for employment, and participating in social life, among others.

Learn more about Swiss integration policy and specific programmes for beneficiaries of protection status S.

Primary and lower secondary education is compulsory in Switzerland for all children, regardless of their nationality or residence status. Children start primary school at the age of four. Public education is managed by the cantons. The canton to which a child has been assigned determines when a child can start attending school and whether prior preparatory/language classes are needed. Children may therefore have to wait until they can join regular school classes.

Please consult the overview of cantonal education structures (in German and French, also available in Ukrainian and Russian).

If you need more information on the partial distance learning curriculum put in place by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, please consult this page: Українознавчий компонент.

If you would like to continue your higher education in Switzerland, you can visit the following webpages for information on the conditions: Ukraine – swissuniversities and Individuals with status S – Perspectives – Studies.

As soon as you receive your permit S, you are allowed to start working in Switzerland. This means that you are allowed to take up work both in a dependent (meaning: working for an employer) or independent (meaning: being self-employed) capacity.

Since 1 December 2025, it is no longer necessary to obtain a work authorisation from the cantonal authorities. However, the cantonal authority responsible for your future place of work needs to be notified before you can start to work. Your employer is responsible for this notification. If you work in an independent profession, this responsibility lies with you. The same notification is necessary again once you quit or change your job or self-employed activity. Notifying the cantonal authorities is not necessary in cases where the activity is part of an employment programme.

If you are working remotely for a foreign employer and your activity does not impact the Swiss job market, you do not need to notify your canton. However, income from such work must be declared to the relevant authorities as required.

If you are looking for a job, you can register with the public employment service once you have obtained protection status S. It is possible to look for a job in a canton other than the one you have been assigned to.

Vocational training is also available to status S beneficiaries, depending on your language skills. For more information on available training and requirements, consult the following webpage: BIZ – berufsberatung.ch (also available in Ukrainian and other languages).

Further information about vocational training:

• Swiss education system
• Information on education and occupations in Switzerland (in English and Ukrainian)

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation is the main authority responsible for the recognition of diplomas for the purpose of carrying out a regulated professional activity in Switzerland.

If you have any questions regarding the recognition of your diploma in Switzerland or need support during the procedure, you can reach out to the following organisations:

• for residents of the French-speaking part of Switzerland: association découvrir.
• For residents of the German-speaking part of Switzerland: HEKS MosaiQ and Capacity Zurich.

Health care professionals can also find more information on the SRC website as well as on the website of the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health.

According to Swiss law, protection status S holders from Ukraine may travel abroad and return to Switzerland with a valid national passport without prior authorization by Swiss authorities. No visa is required for the return to Switzerland. However, please take note that your protection status S can be revoked if you live in a third country for more than two months and have moved your centre of vital interest there. .

When travelling abroad, the entry regulations of the destination country must be complied with:

• Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports can travel visa-free in the Schengen area for 90 days within 180 days.
• Ukrainian citizens with non-biometric passports as well as other third-country nationals should contact the consulate of the destination country to clarify the entry requirements before their planned trip abroad. Please find here the list of foreign representations in Switzerland.
• An “S permit card” alone is not a recognized travel document.

Regarding travel to Ukraine, the State Secretariat for Migration may withdraw, or not renew, the status S if you leave Switzerland for Ukraine for more than 15 days during any 6-months period. Exceptions can be made for those who can prove that their stay was in preparation for their definitive return to Ukraine or for imperative reasons such as visiting a sick close relative.

If you leave Switzerland for a prolonged period of time and therefore lose your status, you can still come back to Switzerland and reapply for protection. However, you will have to restart the procedure to obtain temporary protection status S.

As a beneficiary of protection status S, you are required to pay taxes in Switzerland on any income you have. Taxes on your salary in Switzerland are withheld at source, i.e. deducted directly from the salary before it is paid. The level of taxation varies depending on the canton. For more information contact the competent authority in your canton of residence, or read about the Swiss tax system.

For specific information, please contact the Cantonal immigration authorities.

For comprehensive information on the reception of refugees from Ukraine in the various Cantons, please select here the relevant Canton for you.

For integration programs for foreigners, a list of competent cantonal authorities and authorities in the major cities can be found here: Ansprechstellen für Integration in den Kantonen und Städten (available in German, French and Italian). To get more details on the Cantonal Integration Programme, please consult this page (available in German, French and Italian).