UK and Switzerland sign agreement to recognise qualifications

A new permanent agreement will ensure UK qualifications are recognised in Switzerland, and vice-versa, making it easier for British professionals to work and do business with the Alpine nation.

The UK-Switzerland Recognition of Professional Qualifications Agreement replaces the expired arrangements under the previous Citizens’ Rights Agreement that was signed following the UK’s exit from the EU. The agreement allows UK-qualified professionals in regulated sectors to have their qualifications recognised in Switzerland and makes it easier for employees to work between both countries.

The agreement applies to over 200 UK professions ranging from lawyers and auditors to driving instructors and cabin crew, and also includes anaesthesia associates for the first time. 

For regulated professions, the ability to sell services overseas is often dependant on their qualifications being recognised by foreign regulators. The agreement could therefore help boost UK-Swiss trade, already worth £46 billion a year, particularly in professional and business services, worth £8 billion. The move also coincides with ongoing talks on an upgraded UK-Switzerland trade deal to further strengthen services trade, already worth £27 billion a year. 

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 

“As a former trainee solicitor, I know the challenges faced by UK professionals when working abroad and innovative agreements like this will make a real difference to our world-class services sectors.“

The agreement also includes a bespoke route to recognition for certain legal professionals, so lawyers can become qualified in the other country after practising for three years. This is vital as Switzerland is one of the largest and most important export markets for UK legal services in Europe.  

It will make it easier for businesses to deploy their qualified staff between UK and Swiss locations and safeguard the autonomy of UK and Swiss professional regulators to set standards and decide who is fit to practise the profession.