UK‑Switzerland Trade Deal Hits Milestones for Travelers and Businesses
The United Kingdom and Switzerland have signed a new services‑trade agreement that, for the first time, lets UK passport holders use e‑gates at Zurich airport and stops roaming charges for all visitors and professionals.
The trade secretary said this is the biggest services‑trade deal the UK has negotiated to date, and the deal is expected to raise UK exports to Switzerland by £5.2bn each year over the long term.
Under the deal, UK professionals can operate in Switzerland for up to 90 days without a work permit, a benefit that put the former 2029 deadline on a permanent footing. The agreement also lets UK staff stay in Switzerland for five years without restrictive economic‑needs tests, with lawyers, accountants and architects standing to gain most.
About 800,000 British people visit Switzerland annually, making it the UK’s sixth‑largest services export market with over £30bn of trade between the two nations in 2025. Swiss citizens already use e‑gates in UK airports.
The agreement introduces e‑gate use for UK travellers at Zurich from the end of this year; Geneva and Basel airports will announce schedules soon. This system is separate from Switzerland’s planned implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System, which will let UK citizens use EU e‑gates.
In the interim, the UK transport secretary has engaged with the European commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism to secure a smooth rollout of the new EU border checks before the busy summer period.
The trade deal arrives as the UK’s Prime Minister approaches the end of his tenure, with the incoming leadership committed to bolstering opportunities for British firms in a key European market.
