Bringing Your Personal Assistant from Abroad: Permits, Payroll, and the Limits of Goodwill
Bringing Your Personal Assistant from Abroad: Permits, Payroll, and the Limits of Goodwill
For internationally mobile individuals and families who have employed a trusted personal assistant abroad, the instinct on relocating to Switzerland is often to bring that person along. A PA who knows the family’s preferences, manages the principal’s schedule across time zones, and has years of institutional knowledge is not easily replaced. The impulse to maintain continuity is entirely reasonable. The legal steps required to do so lawfully in Switzerland are specific, and the informal arrangements that work well in some other jurisdictions – treating a PA as self-employed, paying them informally, or assuming that an international contract of employment is sufficient – do not work here.
David Kohler advises private clients and family offices on household and private employment in Switzerland, and the foreign PA question arises regularly. The analysis that matters most is: what permit does this person need, and what obligations does bringing them to Switzerland create for the employer?
The Permit Question – EU versus Non-EU PAs
The permit pathway for a foreign personal assistant depends primarily on their nationality.
An EU or EFTA national who is offered employment in Switzerland has a right to obtain a work and residence permit under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, subject to the employer fulfilling the required notification obligations. The permit is applied for through the cantonal migration authority and, for an employment relationship of more than three months, results in a permit. The process is administratively straightforward for EU nationals and typically takes two to four weeks.
For non-EU, non-EFTA nationals, the position is substantially more restrictive. Switzerland applies a quota system to non-EU work permits, and the authorities will approve a non-EU work permit only where the employer can demonstrate that no Swiss or EU/EFTA national was available for the role. For a personal assistant position, this demonstration – the so-called priority workforce test – requires evidence of genuine market recruitment. The cantonal labour market authority reviews the application before the migration authority processes it, and the standard is applied rigorously.In practice, it is very difficult to obtain a permit for a PA.
The Employment Contract – What Swiss Law Requires
Once the permit question is addressed, the employment relationship must be documented in an employment contract that complies with Swiss law – regardless of any contract in force in the country of origin. Swiss employment law applies to work performed on Swiss territory.
Payroll, Social Insurance, and the Employer’s Obligations
Bringing a personal assistant to Switzerland means becoming a Swiss employer – with all the obligations that entails. Swiss payroll involves registration with the cantonal AVS/AHV compensation office, withholding and remitting social insurance contributions (employer and employee), registration for accident insurance as required by Swiss law, and, depending on the scale of the household, possible registration for the occupational pension (LPP/BVG).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a non-EU personal assistant work in Switzerland while we are here temporarily?
Short-term assignments (under 90 days) may be possible under simplified notification procedures, depending on the PA’s nationality and the nature of the work. For longer engagements, a formal work permit is required, and for non-EU nationals this requires demonstrating priority workforce testing. David Kohler advises on the options for specific situations.
Can we pay our PA through our foreign company rather than as a Swiss employer?
Paying a person working in Switzerland through a foreign company does not eliminate Swiss employer obligations if the work is genuinely performed in Switzerland. Swiss social insurance and labour law apply on a territorial basis. Structures designed to avoid Swiss employer obligations are scrutinised by the cantonal compensation offices and can result in retroactive contributions, penalties, and in some cases the invalidation of a purported self-employment arrangement.
Are there minimum wage requirements for personal assistants in Geneva?
Geneva has a statutory minimum wage (salaire minimum cantonal), which applies to all employees working in the canton regardless of their sector or employment type. It is one of the highest minimum wages in Switzerland and significantly higher than minimum wages in most other countries. Employment arrangements must account for it from the outset.
Does David Kohler assist with employment contracts for private household staff?
Yes. David Kohler advises on all aspects of private employment in Switzerland, including employment contract drafting, social insurance registration, and the resolution of employment disputes for private households and family offices in Geneva.
The legal framework for employing a personal assistant in Switzerland is clear and, once understood, straightforward to implement. The time to address it is before the assistant arrives – not when a permit irregularity or an employment dispute surfaces. The families who do this properly experience none of the complications. The ones who do not are occasionally the subject of the difficult conversations that follow.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific legal counsel tailored to your individual circumstances. The author makes no representations as to the completeness or accuracy of the information presented, and accepts no liability for any action taken or omitted in reliance on it. Would you have a question relating to your specific situation, we encourage you to reach out to David Kohler, Swiss Attorney-at-Law.