Relationship dossier
Spain
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Cooperation under bilateral agreements, with periodic friction over Catalan separatists in Switzerland
Spain toward Switzerland
+35Spain participates in bilateral tax and social security arrangements with Switzerland and has pursued cooperation through European justice and migration frameworks. Spanish officials have also criticized Switzerland’s handling of Catalan separatists residing there.
Switzerland toward Spain
+35Switzerland participates in bilateral tax and social security arrangements with Spain and cooperates through European justice and migration frameworks. Its handling of Catalan separatists residing in Switzerland has been a source of friction with the Spanish government.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is underpinned by practical bilateral agreements on taxation and social security and cooperation in European frameworks. Disagreement over Catalan separatists in Switzerland has periodically complicated ties, but the relationship also includes durable areas of government cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Spain and Switzerland maintain a cooperative relationship supported by bilateral arrangements, including agreements on taxation and social security, alongside practical cooperation in European justice and migration frameworks. Ties have also experienced friction over Switzerland’s handling of Catalan separatists residing there, an issue that has drawn criticism from Spanish officials.
Areas of tension
- Spanish criticism of Switzerland’s handling of Catalan separatists residing in Switzerland.
Key developments
Spain and Switzerland concluded a bilateral agreement on social security.
Spain and Switzerland concluded a bilateral agreement on avoiding double taxation.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral tax and social security arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of recent Spanish-Swiss cooperation on justice, migration and related matters is unclear.