The United Kingdom leaves the EU on 31 January 2020. The withdrawal agreement provides for a transitional period until 31.12.2020 during which the UK continues to apply EU law on the coordination of social security systems in relation to EU states and Switzerland. During this transitional period, Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and (EC) No 987/2009 on the coordination of social security systems remain applicable without any change in the relations between Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom is assimilated to an EU state.

Future regime

The coordination rules that will apply in the future in relations between Switzerland and the United Kingdom have yet to be defined.

Protection of acquired rights

At the end of the transitional period (31.12.2020), the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU (FMPA) will no longer apply to relations between Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

In order to regulate the exit of the United Kingdom from the FMPA and to guarantee the rights that insured persons have acquired under the FMPA, an agreement on citizens' rights has been concluded between Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It will enter into force only when the FMPA is no longer applicable in the United Kingdom. This citizens' rights agreement maintains the rights arising from Annex II (social security coordination) of the FMPA for persons who were subject to the FMPA before Brexit.

You will find here further information on the social security provisions of the agreement via: