At its 18 February meeting the Swiss Federal Council launched a three-month public consultation on a new national Eurodac Ordinance – the domestic legal backbone needed for the country to adopt the EU’s overhauled Migration and Asylum Pact. Eurodac, the EU’s fingerprint database for asylum seekers and irregular border-crossers, is being expanded to include face images, biographical data and visa information; as a Schengen-associated state, Switzerland must mirror the upgrade if it wants continued access to the system.
For mobility and compliance managers the stakes are high. From June 2026, visa-issuing authorities – including Swiss consulates worldwide – will be able to query Eurodac before issuing short-stay (Type C) or long-stay (Type D) visas. The check will flag previous asylum claims or overstays anywhere in the Schengen area, making it harder for applicants with negative immigration history to obtain Swiss permits. Employers sponsoring third-country nationals should therefore audit past travel records early in the hiring process to avoid last-minute refusals.
![Federal Council Opens Consultation on Swiss Eurodac Regulation Aligned with EU Migration Pact]()
Companies and individuals navigating these forthcoming changes do not have to do so alone. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides up-to-date guidance on Swiss and Schengen visa requirements, interactive tools to pre-screen applicants for possible Eurodac hits, and concierge support for assembling compliant documentation—an efficient safety net while the new ordinance is phased in.
The ordinance also grants Swiss police and border guards automated access to Eurodac for serious-crime investigations, tightening the net against document fraud at Zurich and Geneva airports. Data-protection provisions require that biometric records be deleted after ten years or immediately once a person acquires Swiss citizenship – a concession secured by Parliament’s privacy caucus to placate critics worried about mass surveillance.
Implementation will take place in two phases. A ‘light’ version will go live on 12 June 2026 so that Swiss embassies can connect to the EU platform before the summer visa rush. The fully fledged system – including law-enforcement access and sanctions for carriers that transport undocumented migrants – is scheduled for late 2027. Companies moving staff should plan for slightly longer lead-times for visa appointments during the cut-over period, especially for assignees with complex travel histories.
For mobility and compliance managers the stakes are high. From June 2026, visa-issuing authorities – including Swiss consulates worldwide – will be able to query Eurodac before issuing short-stay (Type C) or long-stay (Type D) visas. The check will flag previous asylum claims or overstays anywhere in the Schengen area, making it harder for applicants with negative immigration history to obtain Swiss permits. Employers sponsoring third-country nationals should therefore audit past travel records early in the hiring process to avoid last-minute refusals.
Companies and individuals navigating these forthcoming changes do not have to do so alone. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) provides up-to-date guidance on Swiss and Schengen visa requirements, interactive tools to pre-screen applicants for possible Eurodac hits, and concierge support for assembling compliant documentation—an efficient safety net while the new ordinance is phased in.
The ordinance also grants Swiss police and border guards automated access to Eurodac for serious-crime investigations, tightening the net against document fraud at Zurich and Geneva airports. Data-protection provisions require that biometric records be deleted after ten years or immediately once a person acquires Swiss citizenship – a concession secured by Parliament’s privacy caucus to placate critics worried about mass surveillance.
Implementation will take place in two phases. A ‘light’ version will go live on 12 June 2026 so that Swiss embassies can connect to the EU platform before the summer visa rush. The fully fledged system – including law-enforcement access and sanctions for carriers that transport undocumented migrants – is scheduled for late 2027. Companies moving staff should plan for slightly longer lead-times for visa appointments during the cut-over period, especially for assignees with complex travel histories.
