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I want to live in Germany with my wife (same nationality as me), but work in Switzerland (and stay in a flat in Zürich) during the week.

I know I will need a Grenzgänger (cross border commuter) permit for Switzerland.

If my job was in Germany, I would qualify for a Blue Card (I have a degree, and my salary clears the minimum very comfortably). However it is not clear that I can apply for a Blue Card on the basis of a job in Switzerland.

What options are open to me?

(Background: I am already doing this - but we are British citizens, which means at least until 29th March we just use free-movement rights. On 30th March there is a frighteningly high chance we are going to cease being an EU/EEA national. Germany and Switzerland have both promised transition arrangements, but we may well fall in the cracks.

I would like answers to this question to concentrate on the options open to general 3rd-state nationals (eg from India or USA). If necessary, I can ask another question about how to make use of transition arrangements.)

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  • If you spend the week in Zürich, you may spend more than 180 days/year in Switzerland. That would make you a resident there (and potential tax evaders if you pay your taxes in Germany).
    – Diego Sánchez
    Jan 11, 2019 at 13:30
  • @DiegoSánchez I pay tax in Switzerland too.
    – Martin Bonner supports Monica
    Jan 11, 2019 at 13:46
  • What is your wife's citizenship? I assume she is also a non-EU/EEA national?
    – Kyralessa
    Jan 23, 2019 at 10:45
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    @Kyralessa For the purposes of the this question my wife is non-EU/EEA too. (She is British too).
    – Martin Bonner supports Monica
    Jan 23, 2019 at 10:47
  • My impression is that your situation won't change much. Your priority in the quotas will go down since you're not EU/EEA. I'm married to an EU citizen, and I also live in Germany and work in Switzerland, but I'm American, so I'm subject to the quotas. For employment purposes in Switzerland my being married to an EU citizen doesn't seem to matter since I don't actually live in Switzerland. I think the bigger question is how it will affect your living in Germany, but so long as you remain employed I think you'll be fine. But I can't speak with authority on all this.
    – Kyralessa
    Jan 23, 2019 at 11:01

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