New Switzerland-UK trade deal: What it means for work permits

Switzerland and the UK have finalised a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) set to be signed by the end of the year. The deal will make it easier for corporate transfers and graduates to obtain Swiss work permits.

Switzerland and the UK finalise new trade deal

Yesterday, July 13, the President of Switzerland, Guy Parmelin, and the British Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, announced that the two countries had finalised negotiations for a “modernised trade agreement”.

The new agreement builds on the “Mind the Gap” deal, which has been in place since 2021 after the UK left the European Union (EU). Prior to that, relations between Switzerland and the UK were largely governed by EU bilateral agreements.

The new trade agreement “goes significantly beyond simply maintaining the status quo”, focusing on trade, investment, intellectual property, telecommunications and much more, states a Swiss Federal Council press release. 

The deal also “sends a geopolitical signal” as the two countries are “major European powers outside the European Union [that are] deepening their strategic partnership.” A UK government policy paper further stated that “Switzerland is one of the UK’s most important partners in Europe.” 

Both sides must now obtain approval from the relevant government bodies, with the aim of signing the agreement by the end of 2026. 

Easier UK-Switzerland corporate transfers and work permits

So, what is in the agreement that's relevant to British citizens looking to live or work in Switzerland? Once the agreement is signed, anyone who works in the UK and travels to Switzerland as part of their job will be able to continue doing so visa-free for up to 90 days a year, a benefit that was set to end in 2029. This will be “retained permanently”. 

Furthermore, it will be easier for companies to transfer employees from the UK to Switzerland for up to five years. These employees will not be “subject to stringent economic needs tests” that UK citizens often go through to obtain a Swiss work permit, continues a UK government press release. 

Since Brexit, British passport holders are classed as “third country nationals” and often need to be sponsored by a company to gain a residence permit and the right to work. There are currently almost 50.000 UK nationals living in Switzerland, making up around 2 percent of all expats, according to the State Secretariat for Migration.

British graduates wanting to move to Switzerland are also set to benefit, particularly in the finance, insurance and consultancy industries, as the agreement similarly aims to make it easier for them to obtain work permits.

Faster airport entry and free mobile roaming

The new agreement will also make it easier for the roughly 800.000 visitors who travel to Switzerland each year for work or a holiday. UK passport holders will be able to enter Switzerland via automatic e-gates, avoiding queues at passport controls.

Additionally, anyone travelling to the alpine nation will be able to use their mobile data for free without any roaming charges.

The announcement has been “welcome[d]” by the business, pharmaceutical and chemical industries in Switzerland, reports Nau, as well as the business association Economiesuisse.

You can read a full explanation of what the deal covers on the UK government website.