British travellers and businesses are set to benefit from a new services trade agreement between the UK and Switzerland, announced today. The landmark deal will scrap mobile roaming charges for those visiting either country and introduce faster airport processing for UK passport holders, who will soon be able to use e-gates at Swiss airports.
Trade Secretary Peter Kyle hailed the agreement as the most significant services trade deal the UK has ever negotiated, forecasting an annual increase in UK exports to Switzerland by £5.2 billion in the long run. The government has confirmed that UK passport holders will gain access to e-gates at Zurich Airport by the end of this year, with timetables for Geneva and Basel airports expected to be announced shortly. This initiative is distinct from Switzerland's upcoming implementation of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES).
Beyond tourism, the deal also cements a services mobility agreement, allowing British businesses to provide services in Switzerland for up to 90 days without a work permit, a provision that was previously set to expire in 2029. Furthermore, UK employees, including lawyers, accountants, and architects, will be permitted to transfer to work in Switzerland for up to five years without undergoing stringent economic needs tests. Switzerland is a significant economic partner for the UK, serving as its sixth-largest services export market, with over £30 billion in services trade recorded in 2025.
Approximately 800,000 Britons visit Switzerland each year, a figure that could see further growth with these new facilitations. The agreement comes as Sir Keir Starmer concludes his premiership, with Andy Burnham set to take over. Sir Keir commented that the deal is about "making life easier and creating more opportunity for people across the UK," enabling British firms to "sell their expertise in one of our most important markets in Europe, supporting jobs and investment here at home."
Separately, the UK's Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has engaged with European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, to discuss the EU's new EES border system. They agreed to collaborate to ensure the smoothest possible EES checks, particularly in anticipation of the busy summer travel periods.