Residence & citizenship

Switzerland B permit — absence

A Swiss B permit holder needs to review both departure registration and the duration of time abroad.

Check your own dates: Switzerland B permit — absence calculator →

Summary

Day rule / reminder
6 calendar months • each recorded absence
Window
6 calendar months from the recorded departure
What the tool measures
A date or day-count reminder

A Swiss B permit holder needs to review both departure registration and the duration of time abroad.

Who it applies to

B permit holders planning a temporary absence, with route-specific conditions checked separately.

The rule

The linked Swiss State Secretariat for Migration guidance explains expiry after more than six months abroad when departure was not declared. Giving up Swiss residence can affect rights sooner. This reminder based on calendar dates is not a permit-validity decision.

Counting the days

For each recorded absence, the reminder date is the departure date plus six calendar months. The numerical absence total excludes departure and return dates. This counter shows the recorded absence whose reminder date is nearest.

  1. Choose the date through which you want to count, then add your recorded visits.
  2. Use the counting convention above. Include recorded trips abroad and returns home, so the tool can distinguish separate absences.
  3. Read the result alongside the conditions. Missing records and other eligibility requirements are not inferred from a total.
Check your dates with the free calculator

Examples

These examples demonstrate the counter's arithmetic, using a count-through date of 30 October 2026. They do not determine legal status or eligibility.

Example 1 — one recorded visit

  • to · France

Recorded result: 8 days

Example 2 — overlapping records

  • to · France
  • to · France

Recorded result: 13 days

Example 3 — two visits with a gap

  • to · France
  • to · France

Recorded result: 8 days

Exceptions & edge cases

Declaring departure or giving up residence can affect your permit before this reminder. Swiss State Secretariat for Migration guidance describes B-permit expiry after more than six months abroad when departure was not declared. Check your permit category and cantonal authority; C permits and other routes differ.

Use the official reference for the full conditions and any changes since the source review date shown on this page.

Common misconceptions

“A counter result is the same as permission or eligibility.”

The counter measures recorded dates. Your actual permission, status and other conditions remain separate.

“Missing records count automatically as days abroad.”

Only recorded journeys contribute. Unknown gaps are not filled in as absences.

Frequently asked questions

What does this rule count?

A Swiss B permit holder needs to review both departure registration and the duration of time abroad.

Which counting window does this tool use?

6 calendar months from the recorded departure. For each recorded absence, the reminder date is the departure date plus six calendar months. The numerical absence total excludes departure and return dates. This counter shows the recorded absence whose reminder date is nearest.

What else should I check before relying on the total?

Declaring departure or giving up residence can affect your permit before this reminder. Swiss State Secretariat for Migration guidance describes B-permit expiry after more than six months abroad when departure was not declared. Check your permit category and cantonal authority; C permits and other routes differ.

Where can I read the official requirements?

Read Swiss State Secretariat for Migration ↗. The source was last reviewed on .

Keep this count with your travel history.

Follow your recorded days and selected reminders in Untild, alongside your other travel counters.

Get Untild for iPhone ↗

Sources

Source last reviewed: . This is the source review date, not a claim that every legal condition is calculated.

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