Change of https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-switzerland
Change description : 2019-04-16 13:53:00: EU Exit update: Latest information on passports, heatlhcare and return to UK [Brexit]
Showing diff : ..2019-04-16 12:56:12 +00:00
Guidance
Official information for UK nationals moving to or living in Switzerland, including guidance on the UK leaving the EU, residency, passports and healthcare.
To keep up to date with information about EU Exit:
The UK has reached an agreement with Switzerland, which protects the rights of UK nationals in Switzerland, whether or not the UK reaches a deal with the EU.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, the agreement will protect UK nationals resident in Switzerland from the end of the implementation period. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the agreement will apply from the day the UK leaves the EU.
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.
For more information, you can read the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement and our Explainer.
You may want to check the entry requirements for Switzerland.
If you come to live in Switzerland, you must register at your local office of resident services (Einwohnerdienste or Centre du contrôle des habitants) within 14 days of arriving. For more information, see the information by the Swiss government on notification of departure and registration.
If you stay and are employed for more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a residence permit with your local cantonal authority (Einwohnerdienste or Centre du contrôle des habitants).
Read our guidance on moving or retiring abroad for further information.
The UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement will protect UK nationals resident in Switzerland after the UK leaves the EU. 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.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, current travel rules between the UK and Switzerland will apply until the end of the implementation period.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK nationals would not need a visa to enter Switzerland for short stays of up to 90 days in a 180 day period. Swiss and UK officials are in discussions on the details of a transitional migration agreement which would apply in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. We will update this guide when there is more information on this.
UK nationals who wish to move to Switzerland after the UK leaves the EU to work for more than 4 months would be subject to Switzerland’s non-EU migration system. The Swiss government has confirmed that 3,500 work permits would be made available to UK nationals until the end of 2019. The Swiss government announcement has more information on this.
There will be no restrictions for those coming to Switzerland to work for less than 4 months.
International permits (cartes de légitimation) will not be affected by the UK leaving the EU. Special provisions will continue to apply to international permit holders wishing to retire and remain in Switzerland.
UK nationals with an international permit are not in scope of the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement.
You can apply for or renew your British passport from Switzerland. If you cannot get a passport in time for your trip, you may need to get an emergency travel document or ‘emergency passport’.
You can look at our travel advice for Switzerland and sign up for up-to-date information on local laws and customs, safety and emergencies.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, new travel rules will apply. You should have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland).
If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.
You should check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. You’ll need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK nationals will not need visas for short stays elsewhere in the Schengen area, including Switzerland. You will be able to stay up to 90 days in Switzerland and EU countries, within a 180 day period. You should retain evidence of travel (e.g. train and plane tickets), in case these are requested by national authorities. If you hold a residence permit from an EU Member State or Switzerland, you will be able to transit through the Schengen area to reach your country of residence. We will update this guidance as more information becomes available.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, nothing will change until the end of 2020. In this time you can continue to travel freely in the Schengen area with your UK passport. What happens after 2020 will form the next part of negotiations.
You must take out compulsory insurance with a Swiss health insurance company no later than three months after arriving or beginning to work in Switzerland. You can look at the Swiss government’s website for more information on:
If you are living or working in Switzerland, you need to have old-age and survivors’ insurance and disability insurance.
If you live in Switzerland and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate.
If you are resident in Switzerland, you should not be using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the UK to access healthcare in Switzerland.
The NHS has more information about healthcare for UK nationals living in and visiting Switzerland.
You can read the NHS guidance on healthcare and studying abroad.
You can find a list of medical facilities and practitioners in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
You should also check if your prescriptions are legal in Switzerland.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, there will be no changes to your access to healthcare until the end of the implementation period. After the implementation period, the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement will protect the rights of UK nationals who are resident in Switzerland at that time.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement protects the rights of those UK nationals resident in Switzerland on the day that the UK leaves the EU. Your access to healthcare will not change for UK nationals resident in Switzerland, including students and S1 holders.
Your EHIC may not be valid in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The UK has offered to maintain the EHIC scheme after the UK leaves the EU, however this is reliant on Switzerland continuing to accept UK EHICs.
You should read the NHS guidance on healthcare for UK nationals in Switzerland and how it may change after the UK leaves the EU.
You should read our guidance on working in another EU country. You will need to register your residence for work purposes in Switzerland.
If you live abroad and require a police certificate from the UK, apply to the ACRO Criminal Record Office.
If you work 8 hours or more a week, you’re covered against occupational and non-occupational accidents by your employer.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, your right to work will stay the same until the end of the implementation period.
If you’re planning to start a business, provide a service, or do a job in a regulated profession after the UK leaves the EU, further guidance can be found here.
The UK has a double-taxation agreement with Switzerland to ensure people do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.
You should read the guidance on:
See the Swiss government’s detailed information on paying tax.
We strongly recommend you get professional advice on paying tax in Switzerland. Find an English speaking lawyer in Switzerland.
You may be able to pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it may become more expensive to use your UK bank card in Switzerland.
Read more about using a bank card, insurance or other financial service in the EU.
The UK leaving the EU will not change existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Switzerland. You should direct individual taxpayer questions about double taxation to the relevant tax authority.
You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.
If you retire in Switzerland, you can claim:
For more information on your Swiss retirement provision, you can read the Swiss government’s guidance on:
If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you don’t.
The UK government will continue to pay an uprated state pension for the fiscal year 2019/2020 to those eligible in Switzerland after the UK leaves the EU in any scenario. These rights are protected for those covered by the social security coordination section of the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement.
You can also read further guidance on benefits and pensions if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Switzerland. You should:
If you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks, many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you.
You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.
You may be eligible to claim some Swiss social security benefits. To find out if you are entitled to Swiss benefits and how to claim, see the following guidance on social security benefits and social insurances.
The UK government will continue to pay an uprated state pension, child benefits, and disability benefits to eligible UK nationals living in Switzerland after the UK’s exit from the EU in any scenario. These rights are protected under the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement for those in scope.
You can also read further guidance on benefits and pensions if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
If you are resident in Switzerland you have 12 months to swap your UK licence for a Swiss one. You can do this at your local cantonal authority. Your UK licence will be accepted in Switzerland for up to 12 months. This will not be affected by the UK leaving the EU.
For information on driving in Switzerland, read the guidance on:
When driving in Switzerland, you should always have your:
Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.
If you use your vehicle in Switzerland for more than one year, you need to declare it to customs. You can read the Swiss government’s guidance on entering Switzerland with a motor vehicle.
If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, driving licence rules will stay the same during the transition period. Please read our guidance on driving in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:
Although foreign nationals can’t vote in Switzerland at federal level, several cantons and communes give foreign nationals voting rights. You can find information on the voting rights of foreign nationals in Switzerland on the Swiss government website.
If your child is born in Switzerland, you will need to register a birth abroad
If someone dies in Switzerland you can:
Find out about how to get married abroad
You may need:
For travel to EEA EFTA countries from the UK, pet owners should check the requirements of their destination country. Please read the Swiss government guidance on traveling with pets.
If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you’ll have to visit your vet to get a pet passport.
Read guidance on returning your cat, dog or ferret to the UK. For moving pet horses and other equines read guidance on export horses and ponies: special rules.
You can dial the European emergency number 112 or you can dial in Switzerland:
If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy Berne.
Read the guidance on buying a property abroad. If you already own a property, property rights are protected under the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement.
You should read our guidance on:
Tell the UK and Swiss authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.
To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.
If you get healthcare in Switzerland through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.
Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Swiss authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.
2025-12-24 11:36
Rewrote guide to make it easier to read and understand. Includes new information about dual citizens travelling to the UK (‘Passports and travel’ section).
2023-08-02 15:04
Removed Covid information
2022-03-11 08:00
Important information in the Working in Switzerland, and National insurance sections if you work in Switzerland, even it if it is for an employer based in the UK.
2022-01-10 19:15
Guidance reviewed and updated with new information, including in the driving section.
2021-02-17 11:14
Coronavirus section updated with a link to guidance on vaccines.
2020-09-08 09:40
Passports and travel section updated to include information on passport validity and entry requirements when travelling to other European countries from January 2021
2020-01-23 11:03
Brexit update: includes further details on passport validity if the UK leaves the EU with a deal.
2019-09-03 16:17
Brexit update: Pensions section updated to include further details on State Pension uprating.
2019-04-16 13:53
EU Exit update: Latest information on passports, heatlhcare and return to UK