The UK and Switzerland have secured a far-reaching agreement on services that maintains high quality access for UK service suppliers to the Swiss market.

The deal is part of the government’s strategy to place the UK at the centre of a network of modern free trade agreements with dynamic economies, and to enhance our status as a global services hub.

The UK-Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement will allow UK professionals and other service workers to continue travelling freely to Switzerland and work visa-free for up to 90 days a year.

This deal will support trade in vital industries of the UK economy, including finance, consultancy, legal services, the tech sector and the creative industries.

When travelling to Switzerland, UK professionals will be able to do business as they do now and will not face economic interest tests, work permits or lengthy processing times for the first 90 days.

The agreement builds on the existing UK-Switzerland trade deal and will enter into force from 1 January 2021.Together, these deals will support over £37 billion worth of trade, ensuring low or zero tariffs access for thousands of products including cars, medicines and watches. 

The initial agreement will last for two years to ensure continuity immediately after the transition period. It will help lay the groundwork for an enhanced UK Switzerland trading relationship in the future.

The UK and Switzerland have also committed to work together on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications in each other’s country. This will make it easier for British professionals – from accountants to architects – to practise in Switzerland.  

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said:

We have a golden opportunity to lead the world in modern areas like tech and services, and to push new frontiers in trade. Ultimately, we want to create a cat’s cradle of deals with dynamic economies that share our values and commitment to rules-based free trade.

This deal – with a fellow services powerhouse – is an important part of that vision. It provides vital continuity for businesses and paves the way for a more advanced deal with Switzerland in the future.

Antony Walker, Deputy CEO techUK said:

This is an excellent outcome for the UK tech sector which serves and collaborates with many of Switzerland’s most innovative businesses in key growth sectors like Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals.

The agreement delivers on the key asks that techUK members called for ahead of the negotiations. It ensures continuity in existing business arrangements and provides a strong basis for what we hope will be an equally ambitious future FTA.

Miles Celic, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK said:

Businesses in both the UK and Switzerland will welcome this agreement. Mobility is a vital foundation for successful trade relations and this exceeds the expectations of what many people thought could be achieved in the time available.

The commitment to working together on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications is also a positive outcome. Given Switzerland’s place as one of the UK’s largest trading partners in services, we hope that this will be a further important step towards an ambitious and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the two countries in the future.

Sally Jones, EY’s Trade Strategy and Brexit Lead, said:

Today’s announcement is enormously important and significant, in terms of both the breadth and depth of services access it represents. The freedom for UK service providers to work in Switzerland for 90 days visa- and permit-free, with just a straightforward notification process, is vital – not just for the service providers ourselves but also for the companies we support.

Whether pharmaceutical giants, specialist robot manufacturers or boutique chocolatiers, our clients will hopefully feel reassured in the knowledge that their UK advisers are still able to support them in exactly the same way as before.

Policy Chair at the City of London Corporation Catherine McGuinness said:

Switzerland and the UK are natural partners and world leaders when it comes to financial services exports, so it is vital that we deepen our relationship in the years to come. I therefore warmly welcome the Services Mobility Agreement reached between our two countries, which will set out a pathway towards deep mutual cooperation for financial services trade between our two countries.

This sends out a signal that we are an open trading nation, willing to work with like-minded partners in order to eradicate cross-border trading barriers and connect the world to capital. Continuity of services trade will ultimately benefit businesses and consumers in both of our countries and across the world.

Thank you,

We welcome the High Commissioner’s report, which provides an opportunity to act with resolve on the human rights situation in Belarus.

The United Kingdom is gravely concerned about the fraudulent presidential elections and appalling violations, particularly the targeting of peaceful protesters and restrictions on freedom of expression.

We condemn the excessive use of force by the authorities. The Belarusian people face increasing repression by authorities acting with impunity. We are very concerned that two British diplomats were expelled for observing peaceful protests.

The UK imposed sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko and others responsible for violations.

The UK is engaging with all actors: the authorities, the opposition and civil society. We are doubling financial support to independent media and human rights organisations, with an extra £1.5 million over two years. Our Canada-UK Media Freedom Award was won by the Belarusian Association of Journalists, who bravely defend media freedom.

We repeat our call on Belarus to implement the recommendations of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report, in particular the recommendation that new elections, held in accordance with international standards, are required.

Madame High Commissioner, what steps should the authorities take for a genuine dialogue with the people of Belarus?

Thank you.

Members of International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) voted in a virtual election in November, with the result announced at their annual meeting this week.

IANPHI is a network of public health leaders with 111 members, representing 95 countries and works to build global public health capacity by creating, connecting, and transforming the world’s national public health institutes.

Professor Selbie’s election comes as the landscape of global public health is changing in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, making the work of IANPHI more vital than ever and provides an excellent opportunity for the UK to further strengthen its relationships with our global partners.

He has worked closely with IANPHI members for several years across various projects, including PHE’s International Health Regulations Strengthening Project which aims to establish and strengthen the capability of public health institutions to prevent, detect, respond to and control public health threats.

Following a period of transition, Professor Selbie will take over from outgoing president Andre van der Zande in January, beginning a 3-year term.

Professor Duncan Selbie said:

The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and the response on a scale we have never before seen in living memory. Public health experts have never been more important to the health of their people and their local economies. We have a huge opportunity and responsibility to share our knowledge and learn from each other, ultimately strengthening global health security. IANPHI have a leading role to play in this.

Outgoing IANPHI president Professor Andre van dar Zande said:

IANPHI is very fortunate to have someone of Duncan’s experience and skill at its helm. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of how important it is to have strong, effective institutes protecting the public’s health.

Background information

IANPHI was formally launched in 2006, starting with 39 founding members and growing to 110 as of December 2020.

It is the only organisation that strengthens national public health institutes using an evidence-based international framework for development.

IANPHI provides direct funding to governments in low-income countries to build and strengthen national public health capacity through development of NPHIs.