Applying for a residence permit for my family (family reunification)
4. I am a Swiss national
For whom
You are a Swiss national and your family members reside in an EU/EFTA State with a durable residence permit
You can apply for family reunification in favour of:
- your spouse
- your children and those of your spouse up to age of 21 and older if they are dependent on you
- your relatives in the ascending line and those of your spouse if they are dependent on you
You are a Swiss national and your family members reside outside the EU/EFTA
You can apply for family reunification in favour of:
- your spouse
- your unmarried child(ren) under 18 years of age
When
If the members of your family reside in an EU/EFTA State with a durable residence permit, your application can be filed at any time.
If they reside outside the EU/EFTA, family reunification must, in principle, be requested within five years of your entry into Switzerland or the establishment of the family link. For children over 12 years of age, reunification must take place within 12 months.
Terms
Your family members should normally share your home.
You must have a personal e-démarches account to be able to file your application online.
Entry to Switzerland
Persons subject to a visa must apply for a visa at the Swiss representation in their place of residence abroad. They have to wait abroad for the decision.
Third-country nationals who have a long-stay visa or a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen State do not need to apply for a visa.
For further information, please consult the information provided by the State Secretariat for Migration: Entry to Switzerland
Attachments
- 1 M form per person (including children) if the request is sent by postal mail
- colour copy of a valid I.D. for each person involved
- 1 passport-sized photo with full names on the back for each person concerned
- copy of the lease or written attestation of the landlord established according to the AL form (with copy of the main lease and the I.D. of the landlord and the sub-tenant)
Depending on the situation, the following documents must also be attached:
- copy of the marriage certificate (with official translation if necessary)
- copy of the birth certificate of each of the children concerned (with official translation if necessary)
- evidence of parental authority (if family reunification concerns only children) or Form EM
- proof of financial means
Price
For online applications, payment is made online as well.
For applications sent by post, payment is made by invoice.
Processing times
Processing times can be consulted on this page: Délais de traitement moyens des demandes déposées à l'OCPM | ge.ch
Help to fill in the online form
See our fact sheet: Practical help to announce your arrival in Geneva online or to apply for a residence permit with or without activity at the OCPM | ge.ch
Your application can be done either online or by postal mail.