The UK has signed a new trade agreement with Switzerland that will remove mobile roaming charges and allow British travellers to pass through airports more quickly using electronic gates
for the first time.
The agreement, described by Trade Secretary Peter Kyle as “the most significant services trade deal the UK has ever negotiated”, will end roaming fees for tourists and business professionals travelling between the two countries.
The government estimates that the deal could boost UK exports to Switzerland by £5.2bn a year in the long term.
Under the agreement, rules allowing businesses to provide services for up to 90 days without requiring a work permit will be made permanent. The current services mobility arrangement was due to expire in 2029, but the new deal secures the system indefinitely.
British passport holders are expected to be able to use electronic gates at Zurich Airport by the end of this year. Airports in Geneva and Basel are expected to announce their own implementation timelines soon.
The scheme is separate from Switzerland’s planned adoption of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which will eventually allow UK citizens to use electronic gates at EU border points.
The agreement will also make it easier for British professionals to move to Switzerland for work, allowing them to stay for up to five years without facing strict economic needs tests.
Ministers said the changes would benefit skilled workers including lawyers, accountants and architects.
Around 800,000 British citizens visit Switzerland every year, according to government figures. Switzerland is the UK’s sixth-largest market for services exports, with trade in services between the two countries exceeding £30bn in 2025.
Swiss citizens are already able to use electronic gates at UK airports.
The deal follows a series of trade agreements signed by the UK with countries and regions including the United States, India, the Gulf Cooperation Council, South Korea and the European Union.
The announcement comes during the final weeks of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, ahead of his expected replacement by Andy Burnham.
