On Friday January 31st at 23.00 the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. We look at how it will affect Swiss and UK citizens living in Switzerland.
The UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement
The UK has reached an agreement with Switzerland, which protects the rights of UK nationals resident in Switzerland by the end of the implementation period 31 December 2020. After Brexit and until the end of the implementation period, nothing will change for UK nationals who can continue to live, work and move to Switzerland as they do now.
The agreement protects UK nationals’ right to stay and to work, including frontier workers, family reunification and access to healthcare. It also protects social security benefits, access to an uprated state pension and export benefits, and the continued recognition of professional qualifications.
Providing there is a deal until the end of the implementation phase there should be no problem for UK residents to continue to stay here after 31st December 2020.
You can read about the deal in detail here.
Visas and residency after Brexit
The UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement will protect UK nationals resident in Switzerland at the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020. If you are in scope of the Agreement, you will not need to take any special action to benefit from it.
You should reapply for a new permit before your existing one expires, as usual. This applies whether you hold a short or long stay permit, or a frontier worker permit.
Current travel rules between the UK and Switzerland will continue to apply until the end of the implementation period.
There are no restrictions for those coming to Switzerland to work for less than 4 months.
The text was taken from the British Embassy’s Website.
