Doing legal business in Switzerland

Practising rights for UK lawyers in Switzerland

UK lawyers can:

• provide legal advice under their home country professional title on English law and public international law
• provide legal advice on EU law, as this is not a restricted area of activity in Switzerland
• requalify as Swiss lawyers after three years of regular practice and registration with the relevant competent authority (see Recognition of Professional Qualifications)
• practise arbitration, conciliation and mediation under home title
• partner with, employ or be employed by locally qualified lawyers in Switzerland, subject to partnering restrictions

Lawyers of UK nationality can travel to Switzerland on business and provide legal services to clients for up to 90 days per calendar year without a visa or work permit.

Learn more about short-term business travel.

Permanent practice and requalification

The Recognition of Professional Qualifications (RPQ) is an agreement between the UK and Switzerland.

It provides a permanent route for UK lawyers to requalify in Switzerland without having to complete a Swiss law degree.

The RPQ agreement came into force on 1 January 2025. It replaces the previous Citizens Rights Agreement (CRA) which expired at the end of December 2024.

Under the RPQ, lawyers of any nationality who qualified in the UK can requalify in Switzerland if they:  

• register to practise with the relevant local competent authority in Switzerland
• sit an aptitude test or complete an adaptation period. For the adaptation period, you will need to effectively and regularly practise Swiss law for at least three  years. It can be less than three years’ practice of host-country law if you can demonstrate suitable professional experience
• apply to requalify into the local profession by having their qualifications recognised by the relevant competent authority

The aptitude test varies depending on the canton (administrative region). We recommend contacting the specific bar association in the canton where you would like to register to find out more about the test.

Find out what the RPQ agreement means for UK solicitors.

Read the full RPQ agreement.

Short-term business travel

The Services Mobility Agreement (SMA) sets out the rules for short-term business travel.

It provides more favourable market access conditions for UK lawyers in Switzerland compared to lawyers from other non-EU/EEA countries.

Under the SMA, solicitors of UK nationality can travel to Switzerland to provide legal services for a period of up to 90 days per calendar year without having to: 

• get a visa or work permit, or
• complete an economic needs test

The UK employer (company) or individual (if self-employed) must notify the local cantonal authorities (member states of the federal government) at least eight days before the work starts.

Learn more about the notification procedure for short-term work in Switzerland.

The SMA will be in place until the end of 2029, as the UK and Switzerland decided to extend the agreement again by four years.

Time spent in Switzerland as a UK national counts towards the maximum 90 days of visa free travel in any 180-day period allowed within the Schengen area.

Read the UK government's overview of the SMA.

Setting up a law firm in Switzerland

Federal requirements

UK law firms can:

• open a branch office in Switzerland using any corporate form, including the limited liability partnership (LLP) structure 
• freely employ or associate with locally qualified lawyers who intend to provide legal advisory services

UK law firms can also provide litigation services in Switzerland. However, if your firm is planning to employ or associate with locally qualified lawyers who will represent clients in court, you need to bear in mind the following provisions under the Federal Act on the Freedom of Movement for Lawyers (FAFML):

• article 6 states that qualified lawyers in Switzerland who intend to represent clients in court must be inscribed in their cantonal register of attorneys
• article 8 explains that, to join the register of attorneys, one of the conditions is to “practise law independently” and “only be employed by persons who are themselves inscribed in one of the cantonal registers of attorneys” (qualified in Switzerland)

If your UK law firm is seeking to employ locally qualified lawyers, you will need to incorporate as a Swiss company limited by shares. This will ensure you comply with Swiss federal law.

UK lawyers who register to practise on a permanent basis and requalify via the RPQ have the right to:

• join one of the cantonal registers of attorneys
• freely employ or associate with locally qualified Swiss lawyers who intend to exercise their rights of audience 

Cantonal requirements

Foreign law firms in Switzerland should also bear in mind the specific rules introduced by different cantons (member states of the federal government).

In Geneva and Zurich, for example, foreign lawyers (including UK lawyers) seeking to gain authorisation to act for clients in court need to comply with the rules set out below.

Geneva: representing clients in court

You'll need authorisation to appear in court for each particular case in Geneva.

The Security and Economic Department may authorise a lawyer of a non-member state of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to assist a party before the township courts.

You’ll need to present a certificate from the competent authority for the country in which you’re practising regularly. This:

• should state that you're authorised to practise before courts of the same nature as the relevant Geneva court
• is subject to guarantees of good reputation

Where appropriate, you may be asked to demonstrate your French language skills. Proof of reciprocity may be required.

Find out more from the Geneva Bar Association.

Get more information on living and working in Geneva.

Zurich: representing clients in court 

Lawyers from non-EU/EFTA countries and foreign nationals without a licence who want to act as professional representative in civil and criminal trials must complete the bar exam of the Zurich canton.

Admission requires:

• a law degree with licence or master's degree from a Swiss university or equivalent university diploma of a country that has agreed reciprocal recognition with Switzerland
• at least 12 months' practice within the Zurich judicature
• residence or professional practice in the canton of Zurich

Zurich: partnering with local lawyers

In Zurich, foreign lawyers (including UK lawyers) looking to partner with locally qualified lawyers need to follow the rules below.

For a lawyer to be eligible for membership of the Zurich Bar Association (ZAV), all the other lawyers in the law firm must:

• have a business address in Switzerland, and
• be members of the ZAV or of another cantonal association which is a member of the Swiss Bar Association (SBA) 

If a foreign lawyer wants to partner with a local lawyer who is a member of the ZAV, either the foreign lawyer has to register with the ZAV (or any other cantonal bar in Switzerland) or the local lawyer has to give up their membership.

Foreign lawyers can become members of the ZAV if they:

• have a business domicile in Zurich or are employed by a Zurich law firm, and
• are registered in the list, as per article 28 of FAFML, or in a cantonal attorneys' register