Spain–Switzerland relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two countries. Both countries are members of the Council of Europe.[1]
Bilateral relations are excellent and there is no contentious dispute between the two countries but, on the contrary, a constructive political dialogue and good cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
Especially as a result of Spanish emigration to Switzerland of 1960s and 1970s and of a new rebound as of 2010, at the end of 2014, according to the census of nationals of the Consulates General of Spain in Switzerland 115,718 Spaniards (+4,096 compared to 2013), among which there are about 34,500 that, for personal and family reasons, they enjoy dual nationality in fact.
This large community is perfectly integrated in the country and, although inferior in number to that existing in Swiss territory in the 1970s (which reached 200,000 people), it is among the first 7 or 8 foreign minorities resident in the Confederation.
According to the official Swiss census, at the end of December 2014 there were 81,868 Spaniards in Switzerland (+3,711 compared to 2013), of which 26.5% were born in Switzerland. These figures do not include people with dual citizenship. Conversely, at the end of 2014 there were 24,474 (+232 compared to 2013) Swiss citizens in Spain, of whom 13,670 had dual citizenship.
In 2009, the political consultations held annually at the level of Minister of Foreign Affairs were institutionalized.[2]
Spain and Switzerland are partners of the first magnitude:
Trade between Spain and Switzerland, as recorded in the trade balance when it is drawn from the data ofcustoms, which is unavoidable because neither the Bank of Spain nor the Swiss National Bank publish balance-of-payments data broken down by countries, traditionally reflecting an imbalance against Spain that materializes at a coverage rate of around 60%.[3]
According to Spanish and European sources, in recent years the bilateral trade balance has evolved in a very positive way for Spain: from a deficit coverage index it has been passed to a trade balance with a surplus and in 2014 the coverage rate reached 126% Swiss sources place this rate at 100%.[4]