Business leaders from the City of London are lobbying the Swiss government to let British nationals use the automated passport gates that are already available to Swiss and EU citizens at Zurich, Geneva and Basel airports. In meetings in Bern on 17 April, policy chair Chris Hayward told Swiss officials that slow manual checks are undermining a recently-implemented UK–Switzerland financial-services accord by discouraging short-haul executive travel. Under current Schengen rules, UK travellers—now treated as third-country nationals—must queue for manual stamping and, from this month, biometric registration under the EU’s new Entry/Exit System.
![City of London pushes Switzerland to open e-gates to UK passport holders]()
For travellers trying to navigate these changing requirements, VisaHQ can simplify the process. The platform provides real-time guidance on Schengen entry rules, helps arrange any necessary visas or travel authorisations, and keeps users informed about new procedures such as biometric registration. UK citizens can explore their options and start an application at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Hayward argued that giving Britons reciprocal e-gate access (the Swiss already enjoy e-gate privileges on arrival in the UK) would be “a quick, low-cost win” for bilateral trade. Swiss migration authorities said technical and legal changes would be required because the gates are linked to Schengen databases, but acknowledged they are studying the proposal. The financial-services pact that entered into force in January allows banks, insurers and wealth managers to serve clients across borders without establishing a local branch. Industry take-up has been modest so far—nine UK insurers and a dozen Swiss private banks have registered—but both sides see faster passenger processing as critical to realising the agreement’s potential. If Switzerland agrees, it would be the first Schengen state to extend automated-gate privileges to the UK post-Brexit and could set a precedent for other business hubs such as Frankfurt and Amsterdam. In the meantime, executives are being advised to factor in up to 45 minutes for manual border clearance when scheduling meetings.
For travellers trying to navigate these changing requirements, VisaHQ can simplify the process. The platform provides real-time guidance on Schengen entry rules, helps arrange any necessary visas or travel authorisations, and keeps users informed about new procedures such as biometric registration. UK citizens can explore their options and start an application at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Hayward argued that giving Britons reciprocal e-gate access (the Swiss already enjoy e-gate privileges on arrival in the UK) would be “a quick, low-cost win” for bilateral trade. Swiss migration authorities said technical and legal changes would be required because the gates are linked to Schengen databases, but acknowledged they are studying the proposal. The financial-services pact that entered into force in January allows banks, insurers and wealth managers to serve clients across borders without establishing a local branch. Industry take-up has been modest so far—nine UK insurers and a dozen Swiss private banks have registered—but both sides see faster passenger processing as critical to realising the agreement’s potential. If Switzerland agrees, it would be the first Schengen state to extend automated-gate privileges to the UK post-Brexit and could set a precedent for other business hubs such as Frankfurt and Amsterdam. In the meantime, executives are being advised to factor in up to 45 minutes for manual border clearance when scheduling meetings.
