Switzerland and Great Britain have concluded negotiations for a new free trade agreement. It’s not just skilled workers who want to do business in the Kingdom who benefit. But also tourists.
July 13, 2026, 5:58 p.mJuly 13, 2026, 5:58 p.m
After more than three years of negotiations, a new trade agreement has been reached between Switzerland and Great Britain. Federal President Guy Parmelin and Peter Kyle, the British Minister for Economic Affairs and Trade, sealed the deal on Monday.
Visibly satisfied: British Economics Minister Peter Kyle and Guy Parmelin.Image: keystone
Thanks to the agreement, engineers, consultants and other specialists will in future be able to travel to the United Kingdom for professional purposes visa-free and therefore more easily. Companies in the service sector will receive more legal certainty if they want to serve British customers, invest in Great Britain or open a branch. And the contract makes digital business transactions easier for SMEs.
The new agreement “goes significantly beyond the previous bilateral regulations in several areas” and strengthens legal certainty for Swiss and British companies, according to the Department of Economic Affairs.
Soon there will be no more roaming fees
The British side announced the conclusion much more euphorically than Switzerland. This is probably due to the fact that British companies make almost twice as much money selling services in Switzerland than the other way around. It is a “landmark agreement,” it says in a statement. Trade in services is expected to increase by around 8 billion francs per year in the long term, which corresponds to an increase of 25 percent.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also promoting the agreement to his compatriots with the argument that they will not have one in the future Roaming charges would have to pay more in Switzerland. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs confirmed on request that this should also apply the other way around. However, the authorities cannot yet say when and for what – i.e. whether just for making calls or for surfing – fees will no longer be charged. Details would be clarified in the next few weeks.
Switzerland finds the agreement an important signal
Great Britain is also an important trading partner for Switzerland. From the federal government’s perspective, the agreement is also symbolically important. The fact that two economically important non-EU members are relying on open markets and reliable rules in times of increasing fragmentation and trade policy uncertainty is a “geopolitical signal,” according to Parmelin’s department.
The agreement is not yet settled. The signing is expected to take place this year, after which the two parliaments must give the green light. Only then can it come into force. (schweiztoday.ch)