The former Reading and Arsenal man is the second signing of the summer following the deal for Curtis Davies who joined from West Brom.
The 'Special One' Jose Mourinho saw something special in Sidwell when he signed him last summer but since then the midfielder has found his opportunities limited.
But he is now in line for a regular starting place at Villa Park and looks set to fill the void left by the imminent departure of Gareth Barry.
The 25 year old will now join up with the rest of the squad in Switzerland and could even feature in the game against FC Zurich on Saturday.
The signing of Sidwell is important for Villa who are short on numbers with their Intertoto Cup campaign set to start in less than two weeks.
And more new acquisitions could be close as new links continue to emerge all the time.
The most likely arrivals are Paul Robinson from Tottenham and Anton Ferdinand from West Ham.
Sidwell has started the ball rolling but more players of pedigree must follow him to Villa Park if the club are to be a force on all fronts this season.