Hiring a Japanese Chef in Switzerland: SEM Specialty Cook Rules

Switzerland caps work permits for people from outside the EU and EFTA, and it normally expects them to be highly qualified. Cooks are a written exception: the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has detailed rules for admitting specialty cooks to restaurants. Those rules are demanding, and many small Japanese restaurants will not meet them. This guide sets out the criteria as they stand in the SEM directives updated on 30 June 2026, so you can judge quickly whether an application is worth making.

1. The general rule for non-EU workers

According to the SEM, a non-EU/EFTA national can only be admitted to work if they are a manager, specialist or other qualified professional, usually with a degree and several years of experience. The employer must also show that no suitable person could be found in Switzerland or the EU/EFTA, and pay and conditions must match those customary for the region, profession and sector. The employer applies to the cantonal labour market and migration authorities.

Japan and Switzerland do not have a working holiday programme: Switzerland is not among the 32 countries in Japan's programme as of 1 April 2026. There is no youth route to fall back on.

2. 2026 quotas

On 19 November 2025 the Federal Council kept the quotas for third-country workers unchanged for 2026:

The Federal Council noted that quotas are consistently underused: by September 2025, cantons had drawn about 52% of the third-country permits. For a restaurant, the quota is rarely the obstacle. The qualitative criteria are.

3. The specialty cook rules: what your restaurant must show

Section 4.7.9.1 of the SEM directives on foreign nationals (Weisungen AIG) sets out the conditions for admitting cooks. The business must meet all of them:

Seasonal cooks are possible only in businesses that are demonstrably seasonal, typically in tourist regions. The SEM also tells cantons to be very cautious about repeated short-term permits for rotating cooks without an objective reason.

Cantonal decisions to admit a cook require SEM approval, because they are treated as admissions of people with special professional skills.

4. What the cook must show

Section 4.7.9.1.2 of the directives sets the qualification standard:

• A completed multi-year cook training with a diploma (or recognised equivalent), and experience in the relevant specialty cuisine, at least six years in total including the training.
• Alternatively, long professional experience, as a rule eight years, can count as equivalent if confirmed by the foreign labour ministry, a professional association or similar (employment references, for example).
• Proof of registration for a language course in the local national language, or a language certificate at A2 level (spoken and written). Cooks on short or seasonal assignments of up to 10 months are exempt.
• The SEM's form on the cook's training and professional experience, completed in full.

For a Japanese candidate, the typical strong profile is a graduate of a two-year culinary school with four or more years in Japanese restaurants since. A self-taught cook needs around eight years of documented work. Get employment certificates from previous employers in Japan early; they take time to collect and translate.

5. L-GAV minimum wages for 2026

The national collective employment agreement for the hospitality industry (L-GAV) sets monthly minimum wages for full-time staff aged 18 and over. From 1 January 2026 (or the 2026 summer season):

The SEM requires specialty cooks to be paid in principle at least category IV, CHF 5,293 a month in 2026. That is the top level of the table, normally reserved for staff with a federal professional examination. In practice, a specialty cook from Japan must be paid at least what the agreement sets for the most qualified local staff. Build this into your budget before you start.

6. Which permit, and for how long

Under the directives, a cook admitted for the first time receives a short-term permit under Article 19(1) of the ordinance on admission, stay and employment (VZAE), which can be extended by 12 months. For newly opened restaurants, the extension is granted only if the business is doing well.

To move to a residence permit (B) under Article 20(1) VZAE, all the restaurant conditions above must still be met and the cook must show A2-level knowledge of the local national language, spoken and written. For a Japanese cook in Zurich that means German, in Geneva French. Start language lessons from the first month.

7. Short assignments and events

Section 4.7.9.4 allows short-term permits for qualified specialty cooks for economically significant events, such as specialty weeks, promotions and trade fairs. These are generally outside the quota. The same qualification requirements and category IV pay still apply.

For a hotel or restaurant planning a Japanese food week with a guest chef from Japan, this is the relevant route, and it is far simpler than a permanent hire.

8. Step by step

1. Check your restaurant against every criterion in section 3. If you fail one, stop and fix it first.
2. Run and document a real search in Switzerland and the EU/EFTA. Keep adverts, dates and applicant records.
3. Collect the candidate's diploma, employment references covering at least six years, and a language course enrolment or A2 certificate. Our remote skills test guide helps you confirm skills before investing in paperwork.
4. Prepare a contract at L-GAV category IV or above, with the other terms clearly stated. See the employment contract checklist.
5. Submit to the cantonal authority, which forwards its decision to the SEM for approval.
6. After arrival, support language learning so that the move to a B permit is possible.

For the equivalent rules in neighbouring countries, see our guides to Germany (which also has a specialty cook rule) and France. To advertise to Japanese cooks in Europe and Japan, post a job on WashokuJob.

General information gathered from official sources in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Cantonal practice varies; confirm with your cantonal migration office before applying.