The UK Government has announced the signing of a transitional social security agreement with Switzerland on 31 October 2019.

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The UK and Switzerland have completed a transitional agreement to protect existing social security coordination arrangements. This means that UK and Swiss citizens are now safeguarded whatever the circumstances of the UK’s exit from the EU.

The agreement guarantees that existing social security entitlements - including reciprocal healthcare - will continue until the end of December 2020 for both UK and Swiss nationals and for EU citizens who move to, travel to or work in the UK or Switzerland during this period.

This means that these social security rights will be protected for a transitional period between exit day and the end of December 2020 in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal, ensuring that citizens can continue to access vital protections and have their right to do so provided for in law.

UK nationals will have the same social security coordination cover in Switzerland as now between exit day and the end of December 2020. This means, for example, that a UK national who is UK-insured and who goes to Switzerland on holiday after exit will continue to have cover under the European Health Insurance Card scheme. UK nationals will also continue to be subject to only one country’s social security scheme at a time, meaning a worker will only have to pay into one country’s scheme.

This agreement will not suspend or supersede the UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement. UK and Swiss nationals covered by the Citizens’ Rights Agreement will continue to have their rights under that agreement protected after the end of 2020.

It will apply from the day that the United Kingdom exits the European Union and will be published in due course.