Switzerland prepares to introduce biometric ID cards

Switzerland is planning to introduce a new chip-enabled biometric identity card by the end of 2026. The country is introducing the new document to align with European Union regulation, which mandates that all member states issue biometric ID cards from 2021. Although Switzerland is not an EU member, the country is required to introduce a chip-enabled ID card no later than one year after the revised Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) comes into force.