“Beware of fake news!”: The Swiss Embassy reacts to reports claiming that “Switzerland is ‘opening its doors’ to 85,000 jobs for foreigners”

The Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo has reacted following the publication of a news story, including in Kosovar media, claiming that “Switzerland is ‘opening its doors’ to 85,000 jobs for foreigners – with salaries up to 6,500 euros”.

According to the statement from the Swiss Embassy, this information is false, and the quotas for third-country nationals (non-Schengen states) remain unchanged for 2026.

“Beware of fake news! Recently, social media and online newspapers have circulated claims that Switzerland is opening its labor market to 85,000 foreign workers. These reports are false!”, the embassy said at the beginning of its statement.

It further emphasized that, “as stated in the official press release from 19 November 2025, the Swiss Federal Council has decided to maintain the existing quotas for third-country nationals for 2026”.

“A maximum of 8,500 qualified workers and specialists from third countries may be recruited in Switzerland next year. This includes 4,500 residence permits (B) and 4,000 short-term permits (L),” the Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo added, as reported by Telegrafi.

The embassy’s reaction comes after several media outlets, including some in Kosovo, reported that Switzerland planned to hire around 85,000 workers from abroad, including doctors, engineers, IT specialists and hotel staff, with salaries reaching up to 6,500 euros per month.

These reports described an “urgent need” for qualified personnel in Swiss hospitals, hotels and engineering offices, and suggested applying through human-resources agencies as a supposedly fast track to employment./Telegrafi/