Switzerland: Quota Update for Croatian Nationals

Update January 20, 2026: Croatian nationals coming to work in Switzerland will no longer be subject to quotas. The number of L and B permits issued to Croatians in 2025 remained below the thresholds which would have permitted an activation of the unilateral safeguard clause. Croatia now benefits from full free movement of persons. 

November 26, 2025: Depending on immigration figures as of December 31, 2025, Switzerland may reimpose quotas on locally-employed Croatian nationals for 2026. Swiss authorities have stated that any such decision will be made by January 2026 at the latest. We will continue to monitor developments.

These quotas were in place from 2023 to 2024, pursuant to a ‘safeguard clause’ in a temporary transitional scheme between Croatia and Switzerland. The quotas were then removed in 2025, but the legal potential for them to be reintroduced for one final year in 2026 remains. In any event, after 2026, this transitional scheme will cease and Croatian nationals will benefit from full freedom of movement, on an equal footing with nationals of other EU Member States.  

 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.