The Swiss Federal Council approved the adoption of new EU rules on Advance Passenger Information (API), which will impact the management of asylum and irregular migration. As a Schengen-associated state, Switzerland will implement these rules to better track incoming passengers from third countries and prevent illegal entry.
The API regulation standardises the collection and transmission of passenger data, helping authorities identify travelers who may attempt irregular entry or pose security risks. Airlines must collect and transmit passenger data to Swiss authorities for all flights from non-Schengen countries, enabling faster checks at borders and more effective asylum and immigration control.
A national supervisory authority will monitor compliance, and penalties for airlines failing to submit data will increase. Switzerland plans to draft the necessary legislative changes by November 2026, with the EU developing the technical API system by end of 2028.
Full use of the EU API system will be mandatory from 2031, strengthening Switzerland’s ability to manage asylum requests and irregular migration.