International Mobility & Investment Migration

Practice Group

Schellenberg Wittmer's International Mobility & Investment Migration Practice Group offers the full range of legal and tax services relating to immigration and international mobility. We support Swiss-based companies hiring foreign executives or expatriates. We also assist high net worth individuals wishing to take residence in Switzerland to benefit from the attractive tax and living conditions. We assist in finding immigration solutions for all other categories of foreigners, in particular entrepreneurs, freelancers and retirees. We also help our clients with the Swiss naturalisation process. Finally, we guide clients wishing to acquire foreign residence or citizenship, in particular via foreign investment programs.

Expertise

Experience

We assist Swiss-based companies (from multinationals to SMEs) in:

  • Obtaining work and residence permits for foreign workers (executives, expats)
  • Establishing the contractual terms of employment for their foreign employees
  • Securing tax arrangements with the Swiss tax authorities for foreign workers

We assist foreign executives and expats living in Switzerland in:

  • Setting up or adapting their estate plan (last will, trust, mental incapacity planning, marital property agreement)
  • Buying a property in Switzerland (legal and tax assistance)
  • Planning and optimising their tax situation

We assist foreign high net worth individuals wishing to take up residence in Switzerland in:

  • Pre-immigration tax planning (obtaining a "lump-sum" tax ruling, optimizing income and wealth tax liabilities by setting up appropriate structures)
  • Obtaining residence permits
  • Buying property
  • Setting up or updating their estate plan (last wills, succession agreements, trusts, mental incapacity planning, marital property agreements)
  • Planning and optimising their tax situation
  • Finding the right schools for their children

We assist entrepreneurs, self-employed and freelancers in:

  • Obtaining residence permits in Switzerland
  •  Setting up the appropriate legal structure to run their business activities from Switzerland

In collaboration with our wide international network, we assist and guide high-net worth individuals in:

  • Choosing an appropriate country of residence (Switzerland or other) that meets their requirements in terms of business activities, mobility, tax and lifestyle
  • Obtaining residence permits abroad
  • Obtaining foreign citizenship via immigration or citizenship by investment programs
  • Renouncing a citizenship where appropriate

We recently advised clients in the following cases (in collaboration with foreign counsels from our network where appropriate):

  • Relocation of a high-profile European citizen to the United Arab Emirates and global advice on family law implications
  • Negotiation of a residence permit in Switzerland for a multi-billionaire from a Latin American country
  • Obtaining a residence permit in Switzerland for a world-renowned freelance orchestra conductor on the grounds of overriding cultural public interest
  • Assistance to an international racing driver in renouncing US citizenship
  • Obtaining Swiss citizenship for an American family
  • Obtaining the citizenship of a Caribbean State for an national of an Asian country

Contact

Partners

Full Team

Awards & Recognitions

The group and leading practitioners are highly ranked and recognised among leading law firms in global directories and publications:

  • Chambers Global and Europe
  • Legal 500 
  • WWL Switzerland and WWL International Guides

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