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Part-time and side jobs for expats.

EU/EFTA citizens and C-permit holders may take any side job; third-country B/L holders ask their canton first. Then: tax at source on a second payslip (tell both employers your workload), AHV, the 8-hour accident rule, where expats find work, and the etiquette that gets you rebooked.

Published Last updated 6 min read
Painting of a young woman in a light jacket looking at her phone at a modern tram stop in a Swiss city as a blue tram arrives, pastel town houses and a small park behind
Tram 8, a phone with the next job on it, and the quiet hours learned the hard way.
Before we start · In plain words

Expats may take side jobs like everyone else. Two things differ: the permit question, and tax at source on a second payslip.

If you hold an EU/EFTA passport or a C permit, a side job needs no permission. If your B permit came from a non-EU employer, the canton must agree first. After that, the same rules as for the Swiss apply — AHV, accident cover, taxes — with one trap: a second employer that does not know about your first one deducts too much tax at source. This page covers the rules, where expats find work, and the etiquette that gets you rebooked.

  1. Check your permit line.EU/EFTA, C, family reunification: free. Third-country B/L from an employer: ask the canton.
  2. Tell both employers your total workload.Tax at source is calculated on it. Silence costs you money.
  3. Pick a task where your background helps.English lessons, expat households, or the universal tasks that need no language.
  4. Learn the quiet hours and seven words.Reliability and “Grüezi” are most of Swiss etiquette.
01 · Three numbers

Yes, 100 %, and eight hours.

Yes
for EU/EFTA citizens and C-permit holders: any side job, no permission. Third-country B/L holders ask their canton first
SEM [1]
100 %
is the workload your second employer assumes for the tax-at-source rate if you do not tell them about your other job — and the rate goes up with it
SG tax office [2]
8 h
a week with one employer insures your free-time accidents. Below it, tick “accident” in your health insurance
BAG [4]
02 · Where expats earn

Three doors, in order of how easily they open.

English, in demandConversation lessons for adults, homework help for children at international schools, proofreading. CHF 35–60 an hour in the cities — your mother tongue is the qualification. [7]
Households that speak your languageExpat families hire expat sitters, cleaners and dog walkers: no language barrier, same expectations. International schools, church groups and expat forums are where they look.
The universal tasksMoving help, assembly, garden, deliveries — CHF 25–45 an hour, no language needed beyond “Grüezi” and “Merci”. Werkara and similar platforms bring the clients; your profile in English is fine. [6]

Household help by city: Zürich CHF 27.30, Basel 25.20, Geneva 23.10 an hour on average. [8] The ten most common tasks and their rates: Weekend side jobs: 10 tasks you can offer now.

03 · May I, and what about the tax?

Permit and workloads.

04 · The rules and the etiquette

Six things that are different — or simply Swiss.

  • Permit firstEU/EFTA passport or C permit: any side job. B or L permit from a non-EU country obtained through an employer: cantonal approval before a second job; obtained through family reunification with a Swiss or C-permit spouse: free. Status S and F: by notification. The full table is in Permits B, C, L, G: who may work on the side. [1]
  • Tax at source, twice — tell both employersOn a B/L permit every employer deducts tax at source. Since 2021 the rate depends on your total workload across jobs; an employer who does not know about the other job assumes 100 % and deducts too much. Tell each employer the total. Above CHF 120 000 a year you file a return; below it you may request one by 31 March to claim deductions. [2] [3]
  • AHV from the first jobYour first employer registers you for AHV; a second employer deducts it too, unless the job pays under CHF 2 500 a year. A family that employs you deducts from the first franc. Every year counts towards a Swiss pension — and is paid out or transferred if you leave. [5]
  • Accidents: the 8-hour ruleYour main job (8 h or more) insures your free-time accidents; the side job insures accidents at work from the first hour. With only small jobs, switch on accident cover in your health insurance. [4]
  • Quiet hours and SundaysNoise is regulated by house rules: typically no drilling, vacuuming or mowing between 22:00 and 07:00, over lunch in many buildings, and not on Sundays. Plan noisy tasks for weekday afternoons and Saturdays — and tell the client you know the rule. [9]
  • Seven words that open doorsNebenjob (side job), Offerte (a quote — not an offer), Quittung (receipt), Lohnausweis (the annual salary statement for the tax return), Ausgleichskasse (the AHV office), Stundenlohn (hourly rate), Grüezi/Bonjour/Buongiorno — and punctuality, which is not a word but is treated as one.

The full permit table: Permits B, C, L, G: who may work on the side. Taxes on side income: Side income and taxes. First weeks in the country: How to work in Switzerland as a newcomer.

05 · Questions people ask

Short answers.

Can I take a side job on a B permit?

EU/EFTA citizens: yes, any job, no approval. Third-country nationals whose B permit came through an employer: ask your cantonal migration office first. Third-country spouses admitted through family reunification with a Swiss or C-permit partner: yes, freely.

Why is my second job taxed so heavily?

Tax at source is calculated on your total workload. If your second employer does not know about your main job, it assumes the side job is your only one at 100 % and applies a higher rate. Tell every employer your total workload — and request an ordinary assessment by 31 March if too much was deducted.

Where do expats find side jobs in Switzerland?

English tutoring and homework help for international-school families, household tasks for expat families (sitters, cleaners, dog walkers), and the universal tasks — moving, assembly, garden, deliveries — through platforms like Werkara. Rates: CHF 25–45 for household tasks, CHF 35–60 for English lessons.

Am I insured for accidents in a side job?

At the side job, from the first hour, by that employer. In your free time, by your main employer if you work 8 hours or more a week there; otherwise through accident cover in your health insurance.

What Swiss etiquette should a tasker know?

Be on time to the minute, greet and shake hands, respect quiet hours (22:00–07:00, lunch, Sundays), sort the recycling, and write a short confirmation message after agreeing a job. Reliability is the currency.

Painting of a babysitter reading to a child on a sunny balcony

Every task. One app.

Werkara connects people who need help around the house with verified taskers nearby. Register in a few minutes and get your first task this week.

Become a tasker
References

Where the rules come from.

  1. [1]
    State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) — Weisungen AIG, chapter 4 — gainful employment: EU/EFTA free; third-country permits tied to employer; family reunification. www.sem.admin.ch
  2. [2]
    Canton of St. Gallen, tax office — Quellensteuer FAQ — with several employers the rate is set on the total workload; tell every employer about the other jobs. www.sg.ch
  3. [3]
    Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) — Besteuerung an der Quelle — ordinary assessment from CHF 120 000 or on request by 31 March. www.estv2.admin.ch
  4. [4]
    Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) — Accident insurance — who is compulsorily insured; non-occupational cover from 8 hours a week with one employer. www.bag.admin.ch
  5. [5]
    AHV/IV information centre — Merkblatt 2.01 / 2.06 — AHV from the first job; CHF 2 500 small-wage line; households deduct from the first franc (2026). www.ahv-iv.ch
  6. [6]
    knows.com — Stundenlohn Schweiz — household tasks CHF 25–50 an hour. www.knows.com
  7. [7]
    Nachhilfe-Vergleich Schweiz — Kosten Nachhilfe — language tutoring prices. nachhilfe-vergleich-schweiz.ch
  8. [8]
    Blick — Haushalts-Report — household help by city: Zürich CHF 27.30, Basel 25.20, Geneva 23.10. www.blick.ch
  9. [9]
    ch.ch — the Swiss authorities online — Living in Switzerland — quiet hours, waste, neighbours. www.ch.ch

Checked against the sources above on 5 October 2026; figures are for 2026 and change each January. The “last updated” date at the top changes whenever a figure is refreshed. Permit rules are summarised; the cantonal migration office and tax office give binding answers. Rates are market observations. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.