Important to know
If you obtained your right of residence in Switzerland through marriage (family reunification) and experience domestic violence, you may also be able to stay in Switzerland after separation, depending on the situation.
Temporarily living somewhere other than at your marital address (e.g. at a women's shelter or a friend's apartment) does not result in the loss of a residence permit.
Since the legal situation in the case of separation is complex and every situation is different, it can be helpful to seek advice.
It is important to keep evidence of violent incidents. We recommend the following:
- Take photos of injuries and screenshots of threats or insults that you receive on WhatsApp, Facebook etc.
- Keep the evidence somewhere safe. For example, with a friend or at work.
- Inform some people in your environment about the violence, such as someone in your circle of friends, from work, the neighbourhood or school.
