Press releasePublished on 5 June 2026

Switzerland to contribute slightly more to EU border management than planned

Bern, 05.06.2026 — Switzerland is expected to contribute around CHF 323 million by 2027 to the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI), part of the Schengen states' Integrated Border Management Fund. As this figure is slightly higher than originally planned, the Federal Council referred a dispatch to Parliament on 5 June to this effect. In return, Switzerland will receive additional funding for measures of its own. The BMVI enables countries at the EU's external borders in particular to strengthen their border management and visa procedures.

Switzerland has been participating in the BMVI since 1 August 2024, on the basis of a supplementary agreement with the EU. The BMVI aims to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime in the Schengen area and to better protect the external borders. A further objective is to facilitate legitimate travel. Funding covers measures in the areas of infrastructure, technical equipment, IT systems and cross-border cooperation. The BMVI is a solidarity funding instrument designed to support in particular those countries situated at the EU’s external borders, which bear a heavy burden in protecting and managing them.

The original plan was for Switzerland to contribute a total of CHF 300 million to the fund by end-2027, of which around CHF 160 million has already been transferred. Following the EU's decision to top up the fund by one billion euros, Switzerland's contribution is expected to rise to around CHF 323 million. The Federal Council is asking Parliament to approve the additional funds by means of a supplementary credit for 2026 and to include them in the 2027 budget. Switzerland will in turn receive up to CHF 20 million in additional funding from the BMVI, which can be used among other things to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

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