India and Switzerland Sign a Pact for 300 Young Professionals a Year From Each Side

Indian young professionals moved closer to a new work route into Switzerland on Monday, when the two countries signed a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and a Young Professionals Agreement at Hyderabad House. The young professionals exchange covers 300 persons annually for each country, which may increase to 500, for temporary employment that builds professional and language skills in the person's own field. The headline jobs number repeated the same day, 10 lakh direct jobs in India in the next 15 years, is an existing aim of the trade pact between India and the European Free Trade Association, which took effect in October last year. For Metaintro readers, the useful part is the work route, so this guide sets out what was signed, the rules Switzerland already applies to young professionals from other countries, and what the jobs aim does and does not promise.

What Did India and Switzerland Sign on Monday?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swiss President Guy Parmelin held delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday, October 5. Parmelin arrived the same day for a three-day State visit at Modi's invitation, his first State visit to India.

The two sides signed five bilateral cooperation instruments covering migration, young professionals, transport, scientific research, and startups.

• Migration and mobility. A memorandum of understanding on a Migration and Mobility Partnership covers regular migration, irregular migration, human exploitation and trafficking.
• Young professionals. An agreement on the exchange of young professionals aims to govern temporary employment in the other country.
• Transport. A memorandum on transportation technologies, mobility systems, and infrastructure was signed.
• Research. A Letter of Intent links the Department of Science and Technology and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
• Start-ups. An Implementation Arrangement covers innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship between the Department of Science and Technology and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Both nations also identified new possibilities for cooperation in military exchanges and defence production and agreed to further deepen cooperation in nuclear energy, Modi said.

With the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and Young Professionals Agreement signed today, many new opportunities will open up in Switzerland for Indian students, researchers, professionals, and youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, according to the ANI report carried by The Tribune.

How Will the Young Professionals Exchange Work?

The agreement on the Exchange of Young Professionals aims to govern the exchange of young professionals taking up temporary employment in the other country to enhance their professional and language skills within their field. It runs both ways, with the quota set for each country, and the agreement will facilitate temporary employment opportunities in India and Switzerland.

The quota is 300 persons annually for each country, which may increase to 500. The deal also sets a timeline of 30/90 days for verification of nationality/residency status, among other provisions.

No start date, age band or maximum length of stay for Indian participants appears in the IANS account of the MEA statement. India also does not yet appear among the eligible countries on the young professionals page of the State Secretariat for Migration, and that page was last modified on 05.07.2026. No application route for Indian nationals is published on that list of eligible countries.

What Rules Does Switzerland Apply to Young Professionals From Partner Countries?

India is not yet on the SEM list of eligible countries, which currently covers Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, San Marino, South Africa, Tunisia, Ukraine and USA, and the rules below are the ones Switzerland applies to those countries. These are the rules for the listed countries only, and India's terms have not been published in the IANS account of the MEA statement.

• Education. Applicants must have completed their education, with at least a bachelor's degree or a two-year apprenticeship. Students from Canada and the US are also admitted.
• Length of stay. A work permit runs for a maximum of 18 months, and several stays are possible as long as their overall duration does not exceed a total of 18 months.
• Age. The standard band is 18-35 years old, with Australia at 20-30 and New Zealand and Russia at 18-30.
• Your own field only. Young professionals are required to work in the profession that they have learned or in the field of their studies, and part-time work or self-employment is not allowed.
• Pay. Salary follows the going rate for the region and sector, as for a job starter. Where a collective employment agreement exists, the salary must be based on it, and otherwise it must comply with cantonal wage guidelines and the recommendations of professional associations.
• Employer cap. If a firm employs more than one trainee, they must not exceed 5% of the firm's entire workforce, and trainees may not be leased out as a matter of principle.

Access is possible for all professions, and for professions that require diploma recognition, the corresponding permit must be enclosed.

The purpose of the stay as a Young Professional is career development, according to the Swiss young professionals page.

How Does the Application Process Work for Existing Partner Countries?

For current partner countries, finding a trainee vacancy is essentially the applicant's responsibility. During the application, applicants are not allowed to stay in Switzerland.

Permits are granted on the basis of a written contract of employment with an integrated training programme, signed by the employer and the trainee. The contract should include at least the job and training plan, the duration of employment, salary, trial period, notice, working hours, holiday, health and accident insurance, and travel expenses, under the current Swiss instructions for young professionals.

The application must contain two originals of the official application form, fully completed and signed, two copies of the employment contract with the training programme, a copy of the vocational diploma or university degree, a current CV, copies of employment certificates where applicable, and a copy of the identity pages of your passport.

The application goes to the competent authority in the country of origin, which forwards it to the Swiss migration office for approval. Listed processing times include 4-5 weeks for Monaco, 4-8 weeks for Argentina, Canada and the USA, and 8 weeks for Ukraine, and citizens of countries such as Canada, Chile and the USA require a visa. After arrival, a trainee must register with the residents' registration office within 14 days, and only then may the trainee begin work. Health insurance in Switzerland is required no later than three months after arrival.

What Rights and Limits Come With a Swiss Trainee Permit for Partner Countries?

For current partner countries, foreign trainees are subject to the same salary and employment conditions as Swiss citizens, and unless the contract specifies otherwise, the Swiss Code of Obligations is applicable. Tax is governed by the relevant communal, cantonal and federal provisions. An information sheet on rights at work is published alongside the official application form and a standard employment agreement.

For current partner countries, a change of job is subject to approval and is granted in exceptional cases only, and the request must include a copy of the resident permit, the trainee's reasons, a copy of the letter of notice or release, and a new employment contract with a training programme.

An extension, up to a maximum of 18 months, is subject to approval and granted only on justifiable grounds, and the employer or the trainee must apply in writing about two months before expiry of the current permit. Partner-country applicants also may not enter Switzerland before receiving approval.

What Does the Migration and Mobility Partnership Change for Travel and Study?

Under the new framework, eligible applicants can receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years, with stays of up to six months on each visit. Renewable one-year permits will also be available for students.

Both sides also commit to addressing irregular migration, human exploitation, and trafficking in line with national laws, alongside closer cooperation on regular migration.

Switzerland has signed migration partnership memorandums with other countries before, and these are normally formalised in a memorandum of understanding. Earlier partners include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Tunisia, Sri Lanka in August 2018, and Georgia and North Macedonia in 2022. The content of each one is flexible and will vary from one country to the next, with traditional themes such as readmission, return assistance, visa policy and the prevention of human trafficking.

Where Does the 10 Lakh Jobs Figure Come From?

The figure comes from the India and EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, known as TEPA, which was signed on 10 March 2024 at New Delhi and took effect in October last year. EFTA groups Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, which each made their own services commitments under the pact, and it is one of three economic blocks in Europe, the other two being the EU and the UK.

Under Article 7.1, the EFTA States shall aim to increase foreign direct investment from their investors into India by USD 50 billion within 10 years from the entry into force of the Agreement, and an additional USD 50 billion in the succeeding 5 years, amounting to a total of USD 100 billion over 15 years. Alongside it, they shall aim to facilitate the generation of 1 million direct jobs in India resulting from those investment flows. The commitment explicitly excludes foreign portfolio investment.

On Monday, Modi repeated the aim, saying that with the pact, we will realise 100 billion dollars investment and 10 lakh direct jobs in India in the next 15 years. The wording is shall aim. These jobs are a 15-year target tied to future investment, not vacancies that exist today.

Parmelin is scheduled to attend the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7, which marks the first anniversary of TEPA, and he is travelling with senior officials and business leaders. Modi called the summit a significant platform to transform the promise of our trade and investment partnership into concrete outcomes.

Which Sectors Is India Seeking Swiss Investment For?

Modi named biotech, life sciences, banking, insurance, food processing, and sustainability as sectors where India will attract new Swiss investment. On the export side, he said this will increase exports of agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods to Switzerland.

The trade pact also facilitates technology collaboration and access to world leading technologies in precision engineering, health sciences, renewable energy, Innovation and Research & Development, and it would accelerate the creation of a large number of direct jobs, including better facilities for vocational and technical training, against a target of 1 million direct jobs in the next 15 years. Among EFTA members, the MEA said Switzerland is India's largest trade and investment partner, and Norway ranked second as a trading partner in a September 2025 release.

What Does TEPA Offer Indian Professionals in Services?

Switzerland made services commitments in 128 sub-sectors, against India's 105. The pact enables Mutual Recognition Agreements in professional services such as nursing, chartered accountancy, and architecture.

Access also improves for digital delivery of services, commercial presence, and greater certainty for entry and temporary stay of key personnel. The pact points to opportunities in IT, business services, cultural and recreational services, education, and audio-visual services.

What Was Agreed on Research, Start-ups and Transport?

The research Letter of Intent aims to promote long-term cooperation between the Indian and Swiss research communities by supporting exploratory scientific collaboration and building partnerships for future joint research. The start-up arrangement will run the Indo-Swiss Academia-Industry Training (AIT India) programme for early-stage startups through bilateral exchanges, workshops, capability building and networking.

New joint research projects are planned in priority areas such as health, clean energy, and space. The transport memorandum focuses on areas such as electric vehicles, ropeways, tunnels, and the circular economy.

What This Means for Indian Professionals, and What Should You Do Next?

Our take is that the Young Professionals Agreement is the real news for job seekers, and the jobs figure is not. A quota of 300 persons a year, which may increase to 500, is a limited number, so it makes sense to prepare early and line up an employer first. The 10 lakh direct jobs aim is not new, and it is tied to EFTA investment of USD 50 billion within 10 years from the entry into force of the Agreement, and an additional USD 50 billion in the succeeding 5 years.

Here is what we would do now.

• Watch the Swiss list. Check the Swiss young professionals page for India to be added, and the instructions for young professionals for an Indian application office and age band.
• Get your papers ready. Under the rules for current partner countries, applicants need at least a bachelor's degree or a two-year apprenticeship, plus, among other documents, a current CV, a copy of the vocational diploma or university degree, copies of employment certificates where applicable and a copy of the passport identity pages, and for a profession that needs diploma recognition, the corresponding permit. Write the CV with the steps in The Ultimate Resume Guide: Craft a Resume That Works.
• Start the employer search. For current partner countries, finding the vacancy is essentially the applicant's responsibility, and the job must be in the profession learned or the field of study. Approach employers in that field directly, with a letter built from How to Write a Cover Letter (With Examples).
• Budget for the full stay. For current partner countries, pay is set at the going rate for the region and sector, as for a job starter, and anyone taking up residence must buy Swiss health insurance within three months of arrival.
• Regulated professionals, watch the recognition deals. Nurses, chartered accountants and architects should follow the Mutual Recognition Agreements the pact enables.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many Indians can work in Switzerland under the new young professionals agreement?

A: The exchange covers 300 persons annually for each country, which may increase to 500, for temporary jobs that build professional and language skills.

Q: Are the 10 lakh TEPA jobs open now?

A: No. The trade pact says EFTA States shall aim to facilitate the generation of 1 million direct jobs in India from investment over 15 years, so it is a target, not a list of vacancies.

Q: What is the age limit for Swiss young professionals permits?

A: For current partner countries the usual band is 18-35 years old, with some countries at 18-30 or 20-30, and India is not yet on the SEM list of eligible countries.

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