Guidance

Preparing for Brexit: Switzerland

This page brings together guidance and information relating to Switzerland, to help people and businesses prepare for our exit from the EU in all scenarios.

This guidance was withdrawn on

This page has been withdrawn as it contains out of date information.

The UK’s current relationship with Switzerland is based on more than 120 EU-Swiss Bilateral agreements. These form the primary basis for the UK’s economic relations and cooperation with Switzerland in a number of important areas, including trade and citizens’ rights. These will cease to apply to the UK after the UK leaves the EU in any scenario.

If the UK leaves with a deal, the EU has agreed that it will notify treaty partners and third countries that the UK is treated as an EU Member State for the purposes of its international agreements during the implementation period up until 31 December 2020. This includes the EU-Swiss Agreements. This would provide a basis for continuity until the end of this period. Once the implementation period ends, the UK will no longer be covered by these agreements.

Continuity of UK-Swiss international agreements after Brexit

The Government has been undertaking a significant programme of work to identify which international agreements need to be retained on exit, and to put in place arrangements with international partners to replicate the effects of the current agreements.

The UK is seeking to maintain the relationship and cooperation we currently enjoy with Switzerland as we exit the EU. We have been working with the Swiss to put in place new arrangements across a range of issues. These seek to maintain continuity of effect as far as possible, including in a no deal scenario.

We have successfully concluded and signed agreements in the areas of:

You can view further information on the status of international agreements that the Government is seeking to transition here.

Other steps relevant to no deal

We have published guidance on the steps businesses and citizens may need to take to prepare for our exit from the EU. A number of these publications are relevant to Switzerland. These are listed below.

In some cases, these publications also set out measures the UK is taking unilaterally to safeguard our relationships with the EU, the EEA EFTA states and Switzerland, in the event that the UK leaves without a deal.

Please note that this is a collection of guidance and may therefore not be an exhaustive list of all guidance relevant to you. You should refer to gov.uk/euexit for further information relating to Brexit.

Citizens’ Rights and Migration

Living in Switzerland guide

Guidance on the Settlement Scheme for EU, EEA EFTA and Swiss nationals

Staying in the UK for longer than 3 months if there’s no Brexit deal

Passport rules for travel to Europe after Brexit*

No deal preparations for schools in England

No deal preparations for further education and apprenticeship providers

No deal preparations for higher education institutions

No deal preparations for local authority children’s services in England

Regulations and Standards

Merger review and anti-competitive activity

Patents

Trade marks and designs

Exhaustion of intellectual property rights

Consumer rights

Protecting food and drink names

Plant variety rights and marketing plant reproductive material if the UK leaves the EU without a deal*

Breeding animals

Registration of veterinary medicine

Accessing animal medicine IT systems

Batch testing medicines

How medicines, medical devices and clinical trials would be regulated

Ensuring blood and blood products are safe

Quality and safety of organs, tissues and cells

Regulating biocidal products

Labelling tobacco products and e-cigarettes

Maintaining the continuity of waste shipments

Placing manufactured goods on the UK market

Placing manufactured goods on the EU internal market

Travelling with a European Firearms Pass

How to comply with REACH chemical regulations

Transport

Aviation security

Prepare to work and operate in the European aviation sector

Driving Abroad

Prepare to drive in the EU and EEA after Brexit

Prepare to drive in the EU and EEA after Brexit: lorry and goods vehicle drivers

Prepare to drive in the EU and EEA after Brexit: bus and coach drivers

Vehicle type-approval

Rail transport, safety and technical standards

Run international bus or coach services and tours

Driving in the EU after Brexit: driving licence exchange

Trade

Accounting for UK companies after Brexit

Auditing for UK auditors and audit firms operating in the EEA after Brexit

Providing services including those of a qualified professional

Exporting animals, animal products, fish and fishery products to the EU

Importing animals, animal products and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin

Export horses and ponies: special rules

Importing and exporting plants and plant products

Developing genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Trading and labelling organic food

Trading timber: imports and exports

Exporting objects of cultural interest

UK trade agreements with non-EU countries

Financial Services

Banking, insurance, and other financial services

Civil and Judicial Cooperation

Handling civil legal cases that involve EU countries if there’s no Brexit deal

Communications and Telecoms

What telecoms businesses should do if there’s no Brexit deal

Data

Amendments to UK data protection law in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019

Broadcasting and video on demand

*Guidance, advice and measures in this publication are only partly relevant to Switzerland.

Updates to this page

Published 29 March 2019

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