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In Switzerland, fraudsters repeatedly attempt to obtain residence permits using forged identification documents. (Stock photo)
KEYSTONE
Fake contracts, shell companies, and even forged passports: A veritable market for fraudulently obtained residence permits has developed in Switzerland. The authorities lack the resources to scrutinize applications closely.
People are said to have fraudulently obtained residence permits in Switzerland using employment contracts, shell companies, or forged EU identity documents. As reported by the “NZZ am Sonntag, ” EU/EFTA citizens with an employment contract of at least twelve months receive a B permit valid for five years.
According to the newspaper, court cases show how these rules are being exploited. In one case in the canton of Fribourg, a Slovenian woman worked at a company for only two days. The authorities later concluded that the contract was fictitious, and the Federal Supreme Court revoked the permit, which had already been granted until 2029.
In Zurich, meanwhile, 50 Romanians are said to have been officially employed through a shell company, thereby obtaining residence permits illegally.
Particularly striking are cases of bogus self-employment. According to the *NZZ am Sonntag*, the federal government’s latest report on accompanying measures cites a record figure for 2025: Nine percent of the self-employed EU/EFTA citizens who were inspected were deemed to be bogus self-employed, primarily in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security also uncovered 1,456 forged documents in 2025. The St. Gallen cantonal police find an additional 130 to 160 forgeries among the more than 1,500 identification documents they examine each year.
Dario Cellere, a migration official in St. Gallen, told the NZZ: “They buy counterfeit European identity cards. Combined with a permanent employment contract, they are thus able to obtain a five-year B permit in no time.”
The Association of Swiss Resident Registration Offices has also issued a warning. Co-President Alexander Ott told the newspaper that the number of documents showing signs of forgery is “increasing significantly”—and many forgeries likely go undetected.
A similar case from last year shows that such gaps in oversight also affect the healthcare system. At Psychiatric Services Aargau, a Russian woman had been treating patients as a doctor since January 2022.
In July 2025, the Medical Professions Commission revoked her Medreg registration; she was subsequently dismissed, and the canton of Aargau filed criminal charges. The woman told SRF: “Of course I’m a doctor.” The presumption of innocence applies.
