The Department for Business & Trade confirmed that the UK and Switzerland have signed an exchange of notes prolonging their Services Mobility Agreement (SMA) until 31 December 2029. The deal lets UK professionals undertake client projects in Switzerland for up to 90 days a year without a work permit or economic-needs test, while Swiss service suppliers can use the UK Service Supplier visa for stays up to 12 months.
The four-year extension averts a post-Brexit cliff-edge for exporters in legal, financial, tech and creative services—the UK’s third-largest services export market. The Law Society welcomed the move, noting that Switzerland is the second-largest European market for UK legal services and generates £700 million in annual export revenue.
Although the agreement is temporary, negotiators aim to embed similar provisions in the bilateral Free Trade Agreement now under negotiation. In the interim, mobility teams should ensure project staff keep detailed time-records, as exceeding the 90-day quota triggers permit requirements and local labour-law obligations.
The SMA also underscores growing European interest in flexible, short-term work mobility frameworks. Companies may seek comparable mini-deals with other non-EU states to mitigate the loss of automatic EU free-movement rights.
The four-year extension averts a post-Brexit cliff-edge for exporters in legal, financial, tech and creative services—the UK’s third-largest services export market. The Law Society welcomed the move, noting that Switzerland is the second-largest European market for UK legal services and generates £700 million in annual export revenue.
Although the agreement is temporary, negotiators aim to embed similar provisions in the bilateral Free Trade Agreement now under negotiation. In the interim, mobility teams should ensure project staff keep detailed time-records, as exceeding the 90-day quota triggers permit requirements and local labour-law obligations.
The SMA also underscores growing European interest in flexible, short-term work mobility frameworks. Companies may seek comparable mini-deals with other non-EU states to mitigate the loss of automatic EU free-movement rights.
Fonte: GOV.UK
