Canton of Vaud

In the Canton of Vaud, all residence permits are handled by the Service de la population (SPOP), the cantonal population and migration office, in Lausanne. Vaud accepts only French as the integration language, it uses integration agreements more systematically than most cantons, and it is described as reserved on early C permits and hardship cases. The law is federal; this page explains how Vaud applies it.

In short

• Your authority: the SPOP, vd.ch/spop. Address, phone, email, opening hours and online forms are there.
• French only: language proof must be in French (DELF/DALF, fide-FR, TCF). German does not count, even at a high level.
• Integration agreement: Vaud often signs a Convention d'intégration with third-country nationals who get a B permit and speak little French.
• Timescales: a B renewal takes roughly 4 to 8 weeks and a C permit 8 to 14 weeks, before any federal approval. Naturalisation takes 18 to 36 months.
• Appeals: you usually have 30 days to appeal an SPOP decision to the Cour de droit administratif et public (CDAP).

Vaud at a glance

Vaud is the most populous canton of French-speaking Switzerland and one of the four most populous in the country. Its share of foreign residents is above the Swiss average but below Geneva's. For current figures, see the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and Statistique Vaud (StatVD).

Unlike Geneva, Vaud's migration is shaped less by international organisations and more by:

• the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Université de Lausanne (UNIL), with many foreign students and researchers;
• hospitality and tourism around Lausanne, Montreux and the Riviera;
• wine and farming in the Lavaux and the Chablais;
• international sports federations, notably the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, whose status under the Host State Act raises questions similar to Geneva's.

Who lives here

• EU/EFTA nationals are the majority of foreign residents, mainly from France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany and Eastern Europe.
• Third-country nationals include large communities from the Balkans (Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia) and Türkiye, and people from current asylum countries (Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine).
• B permits are the most common, followed by C permits.
• L permits are common in hospitality, seasonal work such as the grape harvest, and short research contracts at EPFL and UNIL.
• G permits go mainly to commuters from France (Ain, Haute-Savoie) working around Nyon, Morges and Lausanne. There are fewer than in Geneva, but still many.
• F and N permits: Vaud receives asylum seekers under the SEM distribution key (Art. 27 AsylA) and hosts the federal asylum centre at Vallorbe.

The law that applies

Vaud applies federal law first: the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, SR 142.20), the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment (OASA, SR 142.201), the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681), the Asylum Act (AsylA, SR 142.31) and the practice of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). See the FNIA and OASA glossary of terms, the AFMP and free-movement glossary and the glossary on the Asylum Act.

Cantonal laws that matter:

• LASV: the cantonal social assistance act, relevant when the authority looks at social assistance under the FNIA.
• LDCV: the cantonal citizenship act (Loi sur le droit de cité vaudois), with its implementing regulation (RDCV).
• LPA-VD: cantonal administrative procedure law.
• LPAv VD (RS 177.11): the law on the legal profession, with the Vaud bar's code of conduct, the Usages du Barreau Vaudois (UBV, version April 2021).

Current versions are in the Base législative vaudoise (BLV), at prestations.vd.ch/pub/blv-publication.

How the SPOP is organised

Sending your application to the right division saves time:

• Division étrangers: B, C and L permits, renewals, changes of status and family reunification. It also handles G permits.
• Division asile et retour: asylum and removal, and coordination with Vallorbe and the other federal asylum centres in French-speaking Switzerland.
• Division naturalisation: cantonal naturalisation under the LDCV, working with the municipal citizenship commissions.
• État civil cantonal: civil status matters such as marriage, birth and recognition of a child.

The structure can change; check vd.ch/spop.

The main office is in Lausanne and reachable by TL bus and métro. The counter is usually open in the morning, with afternoons often by appointment only, and there are set phone hours. Some divisions, such as asylum and return, have their own contacts. You can use some online forms, but fewer procedures are fully digital than with Geneva's e-démarches, and many still need a paper application or a visit.

What makes Vaud different

French only

For a B permit through family reunification from a third country, and for some renewals, Vaud asks for oral French at level A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). For an early C permit after five years instead of ten (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA with Art. 62 para. 1bis OASA), you usually need oral B1 and written A1 in French. The authority applies these at its discretion; there is no right to an early C.

Accepted proofs include:

• DELF/DALF, the French state diplomas;
• fide-FR, the Swiss fide certificate in French;
• TCF or TCF Suisse, depending on the case;
• the other proofs recognised under Art. 77d OASA.

Unlike in bilingual cantons such as Bern, Fribourg and Valais, only French counts in Vaud. Check with the SPOP which levels and proofs apply to you.

Integration agreements (Convention d'intégration)

The integration agreement, based on Art. 58b FNIA, is a central part of Vaud practice. Vaud uses it more systematically than Geneva, and it used such agreements before the FNIA made them a nationwide tool in 2019.

• When: often when a third-country national receives a B permit with low French skills, as a rule below A2.
• What you commit to: a language course up to a set level (typically A2), a cantonal or communal integration course on civics, geography and the law, and sometimes other conditions.
• If you do not comply: this can count in your integration assessment and affect your next renewal or conditions.

The agreement is lawful, and you are responsible for meeting it. If you disagree with its content, speak to a lawyer entered in the Vaud bar register. More on the integration agreement under Art. 58b FNIA, including a section on Vaud.

Hardship cases

Vaud's hardship practice (Art. 30 para. 1 let. b FNIA) is described as rather reserved, in the middle range between Geneva (more open) and some stricter cantons in Central Switzerland. Each case is assessed under Art. 31 OASA on integration, family, finances, length of stay, health and the chances of reintegration in your home country.

Early C permit

An early C permit after five years (Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA) requires successful integration and is at the canton's discretion. Vaud is described as reserved and fairly strict on language and integration. It looks at French (as a rule oral B1, written A1), financial independence without social assistance, orderly finances, a clean criminal record and taking part in social life. No approval rates are published.

Family reunification

For family members from third countries (Art. 43 to 47 FNIA), the SPOP checks sufficient income, suitable housing, no dependence on social assistance, and language. Vaud is described as moderate on housing size, taking account of the SKOS guideline and the expensive housing markets in Lausanne, the Riviera, Morges and Nyon.

Children over 12 must be brought in within 12 months, and otherwise the deadline is five years from when the right arose (Art. 47 para. 1 FNIA with Art. 73 OASA). For late applications, the SPOP checks for important family reasons (Art. 47 para. 4 FNIA), guided by Federal Supreme Court case law (see BGE 137 I 284 and later rulings).

Separation and divorce

If you separate from or divorce a Swiss citizen or C permit holder, Art. 50 FNIA applies. You can stay after at least three years of marriage and successful integration (Art. 50 para. 1 let. a FNIA), or for important personal reasons such as domestic violence (Art. 50 para. 1 let. b FNIA). Vaud's victim support office (LAVI, under the Victim Support Act, SR 312.5) works alongside the migration assessment.

Students and researchers at EPFL and UNIL

EPFL hosts a very large number of third-country students, doctoral candidates, postdocs and researchers, many on fixed-term contracts and permits.

• Student and researcher permits: L permits for students and researchers are based on Art. 27 FNIA (study) or Art. 30 FNIA (researchers). The SPOP works closely with the EPFL and UNIL staff and student services. See the students section of the L short-stay permit and its subclasses.
• Job after graduating: moving from student L status to a work B permit means a labour-market check (Art. 21 FNIA, priority for Swiss and EU/EFTA workers), quotas (Art. 20 FNIA and the annual quota rules), a cantonal decision and SEM approval (Art. 99 FNIA).
• Six months to look for work: if you graduate from a Swiss university as a third-country national, you can stay six months to look for a job (Art. 21 para. 3 FNIA). Apply before your study permit expires, and ask the SPOP about the details. For a change from L to B, apply directly to the SPOP, ideally several months before the L permit ends.

Asylum in Vaud

Vallorbe. The federal asylum centre at Vallorbe, in the north of the canton, is one of the main centres for French-speaking Switzerland and is run directly by the SEM. Applications go through phase 1 of the accelerated procedure there (Art. 26b AsylA and following).

Extended procedure. If your case is not decided in phase 1, it moves to the extended procedure (Art. 26d AsylA) and you are allocated to a canton. Vaud takes a large share. You then live in the canton, often in accommodation run by EVAM (Établissement vaudois d'accueil des migrants).

Legal advice. Offices mandated under Art. 102f AsylA and other contacts in Vaud:

• SAJE, Service d'Aide Juridique aux Exilés (run by EPER/HEKS and others): the main legal advice service for asylum and refugee matters, saje-vaud.ch.
• Centre de droit à l'asile: additional advice on asylum and residence, often linked to SAJE.
• EPER/HEKS Région Vaud: regional asylum advice, part of the Swiss Refugee Council (OSAR/SFH) network.
• Caritas Vaud: social and legal support.

The Swiss Refugee Council (OSAR/SFH) keeps the full list. Confirm addresses and hours on each organisation's site. See also the glossary on the Asylum Act.

How long it takes

These are non-binding guides; only the SPOP gives binding information. Federal SEM approval (Art. 99 FNIA) is not included and can add weeks to months.

What slows things down:

• Missing documents: the SPOP asks for them, and each round costs weeks.
• SEM approval where federal law requires it (Art. 85 para. 2 and Art. 86 OASA).
• Language certificates obtained after you apply: the file waits until you submit them.
• An integration agreement adds a step.
• Security and criminal-record checks, especially if you lived in several countries.

There is no formal fast track. In justified cases you can ask in writing about progress once the usual time has passed, or point out real urgency, such as a job start date, children's school enrolment or the start of a semester. As a last resort, with a lawyer's help, you can appeal to the CDAP for unjustified delay under the LPA-VD.

Practical tips for applying

• Send a complete file. Include a colour copy of your passport, proof of residence, your DELF/DALF or fide-FR certificate, criminal-record extracts from every country you lived in over the last ten years, proof of income and, if relevant, your employment contract. This can save several weeks.
• Translations: documents in other languages usually need a certified French translation (not German) and, where required, an apostille under the Hague Apostille Convention.
• Registering your address: report a move within Vaud to your municipality's Contrôle des habitants within 14 days. If you move from another canton, you must register in your new Vaud municipality within 14 days.
• New passport: tell the SPOP if you renew your passport while holding a B, C, Ci or L permit, so your permit card can be updated.

G cross-border permit

Because Vaud borders France, G permits matter here, though less than in Geneva or Basel. EU/EFTA nationals get them under the AFMP. Third-country nationals need a permanent right of residence in the neighbouring country and must have lived in the border zone for at least six months (Art. 35 para. 1 FNIA). The SPOP's Division étrangers handles them; with a complete file, EU/EFTA applicants usually get a permit in three to six weeks. The permit lasts as long as the job contract, or five years for an open-ended contract, and can then be renewed.

Tax at source

If you work without a C permit, for example as a third-country national on a B permit, tax is usually deducted at source from your wages. It is a cantonal tax under the Tax Harmonisation Act (SR 642.14) and the Vaud tax law (LI VD), with the federal share collected alongside under the Direct Federal Tax Act (SR 642.11). It is not the federal withholding tax on investment income.

If your gross earned income is above CHF 120,000 a year, a full tax return (subsequent ordinary assessment) follows automatically. Below that, tax at source is usually final, but you can ask for a full assessment. Commuters from France fall under a special Swiss-French agreement that shares the tax revenue between the two countries; commuters from other EU states fall under the relevant double taxation agreement.

For tax questions, contact the Administration cantonale des impôts (ACI Vaud), via vd.ch, or a tax adviser.

Communal voting rights

Since the new cantonal constitution (Cst-VD) came into force in 2003, foreign nationals with a C permit who meet minimum residence periods in Switzerland and in Vaud can vote and stand for election at municipal level. Vaud goes further than Geneva, which grants only the right to vote. Cantonal and federal voting remain reserved for Swiss citizens. The exact periods are in the Cst-VD and the law on political rights (LEDP).

Similar rules exist in Jura (which goes furthest, including cantonal voting), Neuchâtel, Geneva (voting only) and Fribourg.

Naturalisation in Vaud

Naturalisation has three levels, and you need all three: federal approval under the Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA, SR 141.0) and the Citizenship Ordinance (SCO, SR 141.01), citizenship of Vaud under the LDCV, and citizenship of your municipality.

• Federal requirements: residence (Art. 9 SCA) and integration (Art. 11 and 12 SCA).
• Language: the SCA requires sufficient language skills (Art. 12 para. 1 let. c SCA), and the SCO sets them at oral B1 and written A2 (Art. 6 SCO). In Vaud this must be French. Accepted proofs include fide-FR, DELF/DALF and the diplomas listed in Art. 6 para. 2 SCO.
• Cantonal interview: the SPOP's Division naturalisation usually holds an interview (audition cantonale) on your integration, knowledge of Swiss and Vaud life and law, and spoken French. It carries real weight; a weak performance can lead to the procedure being suspended and repeated later.
• Municipal interview: many municipalities hold their own interview through a citizenship commission. Small rural ones tend to be informal; Lausanne, Yverdon-les-Bains, Montreux, Vevey and Nyon use structured interviews with standard questions. Ask your municipality.
• Civic knowledge test: the Test de connaissances civiques covers Swiss, cantonal and municipal institutions, history, geography and direct democracy. Details are in the LDCV and RDCV.

See the glossary on the 2018 Citizenship Act.

Appealing an SPOP decision

A refusal, revocation or removal decision by the SPOP can be challenged.

1. The decision. The SPOP issues a formal ruling under the LPA-VD. The appeal deadline is usually 30 days from notification; the instructions on the ruling are what count. In some procedures, a request for reconsideration (réclamation) to the SPOP may come first.
2. Cantonal court. You can appeal to the Cour de droit administratif et public (CDAP) of the Tribunal cantonal Vaud within 30 days. It reviews both facts and law.
3. Federal Supreme Court. The last step is the Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne, in the cases the Federal Supreme Court Act allows (SR 173.110, Art. 82 and following). In immigration and asylum matters, often only a subsidiary constitutional complaint is possible.

See the appeal pathway against rulings of the cantonal migration authorities.

Lawyers in Vaud

Lawyers in Vaud are supervised by the Chambre des avocats du canton de Vaud, which keeps the cantonal bar register and handles discipline under the LPAv VD and the federal Lawyers Act. Contact details are on the vd.ch Tribunal cantonal page. The Ordre des avocats vaudois (OAV) is the voluntary professional association. For your own case, choose a lawyer entered in the Vaud bar register.

Help in a crisis

• 144: medical emergencies, 24 hours. Call it in an acute mental health crisis or if someone is in danger; in Vaud it connects you to the psychiatric emergency service.
• 142: national helpline for domestic violence, 24 hours, in German, French and Italian, working with the Vaud LAVI office.
• 143: La Main tendue, 24 hours, with a French-language line for Vaud.
• 147: Pro Juventute, advice for children and young people, 24 hours.
• Centre MalleyPrairie: Vaud's shelter for women and children affected by domestic violence. Find its emergency number on its own site or vd.ch.
• SAJE / EPER Lausanne and Caritas Vaud for asylum, migration and social advice.

Related pages

• Canton of Geneva, for comparison
• French-speaking Switzerland standard cluster (Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Jura)
• B residence permit and C settlement permit