Switzerland – UK Services Mobility Extended to 2029

On 21 October 2025, Switzerland and the United Kingdom extended the Agreement on the Mobility of Service Providers until 31 December 2029. The agreement makes it easier for Swiss companies to engage British service providers and governs the access of Swiss service providers to the British market.

1. Background

The temporary agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on services mobility (Services Mobility Agreement, SMA) maintains the facilitated access for short-term cross-border service provision since the end of the free movement of persons between Switzerland and the United Kingdom following the latter’s withdrawal from the European Union in 2021 (commonly referred to as “BREXIT”). The SMA governs the entry and temporary stay of service suppliers in the respective other country.

2. Extension of the SMA

On 15 October 2025, the Federal Council decided to extend the SMA by four years (until 31 December 2029).

In accordance with the SMA, Switzerland will continue to apply the existing notification procedure (which also applies to EU/EFTA citizens and companies) to service providers from the United Kingdom who provide services in Switzerland for more than eight and up to a maximum of 90 working days per calendar year (continuously or consecutively). The notification procedure can be used by UK nationals who are established in the UK and work as self-employed, as well as by employees (regardless of nationality) who are integrated into the regular UK labour market and are posted to Switzerland by their employer, which is legally established in the United Kingdom, to provide a service.

For such short-term assignments, service providers from the United Kingdom — unlike service providers from other non-EU/EFTA countries — do not require a short-term residence or work permit. No quotas apply either. In return, however, the accompanying measures¹ for the free movement of persons apply. However, a work permit is required for assignments in Switzerland beyond this scope, or for local employment of United Kingdom nationals in Switzerland.

The SMA does principally not apply to self employed service providers residing in the United Kingdom who are not UK nationals.

For Swiss service providers (self-employed persons established in Switzerland and natural persons employed by a Swiss legal entity), the SMA provides preferential market access in the United Kingdom across more than 30 service sectors, as well as facilitation for certain Swiss higher vocational education and training qualifications. The permissible duration of stay for providers of contractual services in the United Kingdom is limited to a maximum of 12 months per 24-month period. The SMA is supplemented by an agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications, which has been in force since March 2025.

3. Outlook

As part of the ongoing development of the existing free trade agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom, market access in the services sector is to be regulated in the long term, including a long-term solution for the provision of services by all usual categories of natural persons. For this reason, the SMA remains temporary for the time being. A few weeks ago, Switzerland and the United Kingdom decided, by exchange of notes, to extend the SMA until 31 December 2029.

4. Commencement

This amendment to the Services Mobility Agreement enters into force on 1 December 2025.