News & Insights
EU–Switzerland Business Impact / Switzerland–EU Framework Agreement: Key Issues and Potential Changes for Businesses
EU–Switzerland Business Impact Series — Article 1 Discussions around the Switzerland–EU framework agreement (these negotiations are commonly referred to as Bilaterals III) have generated extensive political debate. Far less attention, however, has been given to a...
Intra-company transfers: when GATS becomes a business risk
Switzerland is a key hub for multinational groups, and intra-company mobility is essential to many international operations. In theory, the GATS transfer regime, implemented in Switzerland under the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act (LEI), provides a clear legal...
Spot Checks: why immigration has become a business-critical risk
Switzerland’s labour market continues to rely heavily on international talent. According to the 21st SECO Observatory Report on the Free Movement of Persons (July 2025), EU/EFTA workers remain essential to economic growth, workforce availability and the stability of...
Stricter Border Controls in Switzerland: A Trend to Watch
What employers and travellers should know In 2024 and 2025, border controls across Europe have become more visible and more rigorous. Switzerland, despite being part of the Schengen area, is not immune to this trend. While the legal framework has not fundamentally...
Talent Shortages in Switzerland: When Immigration Law Is Flexible — but Practice Still Demands Proof
Hiring outside the EU/EFTA is possible, but preparation remains key. Switzerland is facing a structural shortage of skilled workers in many sectors. In response, Swiss immigration rules allow for greater flexibility when employers recruit non-EU/EFTA nationals for...
Swiss Immigration Quotas in Switzerland: Myth vs. Reality in a Slowing Economy
For many years, employer perception has been shaped by past experience: a few years ago, work permit quotas were several times exhausted, often well before year-end. This created uncertainty and reinforced the belief that hiring outside the EU/EFTA was largely...
Stricter Identity Document Checks for Foreign Nationals in Switzerland
On 5 December 2025, the Swiss Federal Council announced plans to significantly strengthen the verification of foreign nationals’ identity documents in the context of residence, settlement, and cross-border permits. An investigation commissioned by the State...
Job Vacancy Reporting Obligation in Switzerland – What Applies in 2026?
As of 1 January 2026, the updated Swiss job vacancy reporting obligation (“Stellenmeldepflicht”) will enter into force, following the annual revision published during the last quarter of the preceding year. What is the job vacancy reporting obligation? In Switzerland,...
Switzerland Quotas for Croatia : Potential Unilateral Reactivation of Quotas for Croatian Workers Under Bilateral Framework in 2026
On 26 November 2025, the Federal Council announced that it may activate the safeguard clause under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) if immigration from Croatia exceeds defined thresholds by 31 December 2025. 📌 Activation thresholds (trigger...
Switzerland – Release of applicable immigration quotas for 2026
📢 Breaking Immigration News – Switzerland Confirms 2026 Quotas The highly anticipated announcement has just been released: Switzerland will keep immigration quotas unchanged for 2026.This confirms the country’s continued need to attract and retain highly skilled...