Crown World Mobility’s weekly bulletin of 6 November 2025 confirmed that London and Bern have formally prolonged the Services Mobility Agreement (SMA) for a further four years, up to 31 December 2029. The deal preserves visa-free business travel for service suppliers—lawyers, consultants, tech specialists and creatives—for up to 90 days in Switzerland and up to 12 months (via the Service Supplier visa) in the UK.
Originally crafted as a post-Brexit bridge, the SMA has underpinned more than 26,000 short-term Swiss assignments by UK firms and generated an estimated £1.6 billion in bilateral services trade since 2021. Extending it removes a looming cliff-edge for mobility planners who were bracing for re-imposed work-permit tests from January 2026.
![UK–Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement extended to 2029]()
Practically, UK assignees must still file an online notification before working in Switzerland, and Swiss nationals must hold a UK sponsor licence reference, but neither side will face labour-market tests or quotas during the stay. Professional indemnity insurers and global payroll teams should, however, note that social-security coordination continues to sit under separate agreements and may require A1 certificates.
With negotiations on a comprehensive UK-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement moving slowly, mobility specialists welcome the breathing room. Law firms cite the extension as vital for maintaining client pitches in Zurich’s financial district, while engineering consultancies say it safeguards seasonal tunnels and rail projects in the Alps. The UK government is expected to publish updated sponsor-guidance in December.
Companies should review internal travel-approval systems to ensure SMA-eligible trips are coded correctly and to avoid unnecessary work-permit applications via Canton authorities.
Originally crafted as a post-Brexit bridge, the SMA has underpinned more than 26,000 short-term Swiss assignments by UK firms and generated an estimated £1.6 billion in bilateral services trade since 2021. Extending it removes a looming cliff-edge for mobility planners who were bracing for re-imposed work-permit tests from January 2026.
Practically, UK assignees must still file an online notification before working in Switzerland, and Swiss nationals must hold a UK sponsor licence reference, but neither side will face labour-market tests or quotas during the stay. Professional indemnity insurers and global payroll teams should, however, note that social-security coordination continues to sit under separate agreements and may require A1 certificates.
With negotiations on a comprehensive UK-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement moving slowly, mobility specialists welcome the breathing room. Law firms cite the extension as vital for maintaining client pitches in Zurich’s financial district, while engineering consultancies say it safeguards seasonal tunnels and rail projects in the Alps. The UK government is expected to publish updated sponsor-guidance in December.
Companies should review internal travel-approval systems to ensure SMA-eligible trips are coded correctly and to avoid unnecessary work-permit applications via Canton authorities.
