In a late-night session on February 20, 2026, the Swiss Federal Council signed off on the country’s most comprehensive border-security package in two decades. The ordinance, published Friday in the Swiss Observer, empowers the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security to move from largely risk-based spot checks to a regime of systematic, technology-enabled inspections at high-traffic road and rail crossings.
Under the plan, new mobile licence-plate readers and biometric handhelds will be rolled out to 16 tactical units that patrol Switzerland’s 1,935-kilometre frontier with Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. Data will feed directly into the Schengen Information System, allowing officers to screen vehicles and travellers in real time against terrorism, trafficking and overstaying alerts. The Federal Council stressed that the measures are fully compatible with Schengen rules and will not bring back stationary passport booths; instead, “roving teams” will operate on both sides of the border in partnership with neighbouring authorities.
For business travellers and daily cross-border commuters, the most visible change will be a rise in random but deeper inspections—especially of vans and coaches—at secondary crossings. The government insisted that professionals holding Swiss residence permits or EU free-movement rights will see only “minimal extra waiting time,” but logistics firms are bracing for slower just-in-time deliveries until new fast-track lanes for authorised economic operators go live next quarter.
![Swiss Federal Council Approves Sweeping Border-Control Upgrade]()
Travelers who want to be certain their paperwork will clear these beefed-up spot checks can turn to VisaHQ’s dedicated Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/), which provides up-to-date visa guidance, document legalisation services and automated reminders—helping individuals and companies stay compliant while the new controls settle in.
Corporate mobility managers should review assignment timelines: drivers may need to carry original A1 certificates proving social-security coverage, and assignees on L-permits should keep copies of work-authorisation letters on hand. The Council also confirmed tougher removal procedures for third-country nationals found without valid status, shortening the appeal window from 30 to 15 days.
Politically, the package is a bid to head off mounting domestic pressure for Switzerland to emulate Austria’s fixed checkpoints. By opting for technology and intelligence-led patrols, Bern hopes to reassure voters about security while preserving the fluid frontier that underpins the country’s CHF 360 billion cross-border trade.
Under the plan, new mobile licence-plate readers and biometric handhelds will be rolled out to 16 tactical units that patrol Switzerland’s 1,935-kilometre frontier with Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. Data will feed directly into the Schengen Information System, allowing officers to screen vehicles and travellers in real time against terrorism, trafficking and overstaying alerts. The Federal Council stressed that the measures are fully compatible with Schengen rules and will not bring back stationary passport booths; instead, “roving teams” will operate on both sides of the border in partnership with neighbouring authorities.
For business travellers and daily cross-border commuters, the most visible change will be a rise in random but deeper inspections—especially of vans and coaches—at secondary crossings. The government insisted that professionals holding Swiss residence permits or EU free-movement rights will see only “minimal extra waiting time,” but logistics firms are bracing for slower just-in-time deliveries until new fast-track lanes for authorised economic operators go live next quarter.
Travelers who want to be certain their paperwork will clear these beefed-up spot checks can turn to VisaHQ’s dedicated Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/), which provides up-to-date visa guidance, document legalisation services and automated reminders—helping individuals and companies stay compliant while the new controls settle in.
Corporate mobility managers should review assignment timelines: drivers may need to carry original A1 certificates proving social-security coverage, and assignees on L-permits should keep copies of work-authorisation letters on hand. The Council also confirmed tougher removal procedures for third-country nationals found without valid status, shortening the appeal window from 30 to 15 days.
Politically, the package is a bid to head off mounting domestic pressure for Switzerland to emulate Austria’s fixed checkpoints. By opting for technology and intelligence-led patrols, Bern hopes to reassure voters about security while preserving the fluid frontier that underpins the country’s CHF 360 billion cross-border trade.
