The Impact of Brexit on the hiring of British nationality staff in Switzerland

In a note sent to the active ski schools in the Valais county in Switzerland, Peter Kalbermatten, the chief of service at the “Canton du Valais”, expresses the impact of Brexit on the hiring staff of British nationality.

The information is pretty straight forward, as in the short terme, the note announces that it will be impossible for British ski instructors to get hired in Switzerland.

The termes of the document also state “they must be persons from non-EU/EFTA states in which the activity in question has a long tradition.” ; a vague political way of describing how difficult it will be for non-EU/EFTA states to work in the Valais county in Switzerland even if a futur agreement could be negotiated…

It appears that UK skiers and snowboarders won’t be doing much next season in terms of teaching in Switzerland...

Please find the English translation below and the original document, in French, through the following link :

Impact of Brexit on the hiring of British nationality staff in Switzerland

“Dear,

The entry into force of Brexit on January 1, 2021, implies major changes in the hiring of British nationals.

Below are some changes to consider for your industry:

As of January 1, 2021, British nationals can no longer avail themselves of the agreement on the free movement of persons.

They are therefore subject to the law on foreigners and integration (LEI), its ordinance (OASA) and its directives (LEI directives). This implies that the hiring of British nationals is strictly reserved for highly qualified persons and must meet the strict requirements of the applicable law.

Thus, according to the LEI guidelines, the hiring of snow sports teachers can only be done for qualified teachers, as long as there is an exchange agreement between a partner in the country of origin and a Swiss institution. In addition, they must be persons from non-EU / EFTA states in which the activity in question has a long tradition.

As a result, you will no longer be able to hire UK nationals as ski instructors.

The recruitment of ski instructors will have to be done at Swiss level or within the countries of the European Union.”