Swiss executives shuttling between Zurich, Milan, Munich and Lyon will have to keep their passports within easy reach for longer than expected. On 7 July the EU Council formally authorised Germany, France, Italy and Austria to prolong the ‘temporary’ land-border controls they re-introduced with Switzerland in 2024. Bern, which must consent to any Schengen derogation, confirmed its agreement on 8 July. The new authorisation runs for up to 18 months, meaning spot-checks could remain in place until late 2027 or early 2028. For road travellers the decision translates into continued document inspections at the major crossings in Basel/Weil-am-Rhein, Geneva/Ferney, Chiasso/Brogeda and St-Margrethen/Lustenau. According to the Federal Customs Administration, average queues for private cars already peak at 25 minutes, while freight operators rely on priority lanes to keep supply chains moving. Random checks on secondary roads will also continue, so private motorists risk unplanned stops well inside Swiss territory. EU interior ministers justified the extension by citing a 40 % rise in asylum applications lodged in Switzerland by migrants who transited the Central Mediterranean route. Brussels’ revised Schengen Border Code, in force since 2024, allows member states to maintain internal controls in six-month blocks when “exceptional circumstances” threaten public order. Critics counter that the rolling renewals undermine the very idea of passport-free travel and erode Switzerland’s role as a logistics hub at the heart of Europe’s single market. For corporates the biggest headache is scheduling. Cross-border commuters—an estimated 350,000 people every day—face longer journeys, and companies that count on just-in-time deliveries out of Lombardy or Baden-Württemberg must pad lead times. Mobility managers are urging travellers to add at least 45 minutes on peak days and to keep hard copies of employment letters or customer appointments to hand. HR teams should meanwhile brief international assignees on the continued checks, especially those who still confuse Switzerland’s Schengen membership with EU membership. Looking ahead, Swiss diplomats say they will push for a coordinated ‘exit strategy’ when the current approval expires. But with several other Schengen countries—Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the Netherlands—also running domestic controls, few in Bern expect a swift return to the pre-2015 status quo.
Source: VisasUpdate
