Hi. This post ist because we are getting an increasing number of questions about traveling to Switzerland for tourism soon. Unfortunately, the situation is complicated and some users give wrong answers. This post serves to make the rules clear.

Will the change before my travel date?

The government is discussing plans with stakeholders to easen both quarantine and border rules. The proposal, which will be decided upon on the 23rd of June, suggests that per the 28th of June,

• Vaccinated travelers from non-Schengen countries will be allowed to come to Switzerland

• Travelers from Schengen countries do not have to quarantine

• The FOPH list of risk countries will only concern those with variants of concern. Those who have not been vaccinated and not recovered from a covid infection will have to quarantine.

Assume the following rules will only be valid until the end of June and easened up by then. However, we cannot guarantee this. We'd suggest, if you can, you hold off with making concrete travel plans until the end of June.

Can I travel to Switzerland?

Whether you are allowed to enter Switzerland depends whether the country you start your travels from is on the SEM list of risk countries which you can find here.

The list of non-risk countries, from where travel is allowed, includes the Schengen area, Ireland, minor European countries, and some Australasian countries with an effective Zero Covid-strategy.

The list of risk countries, from where travel is not allowed, includes the US and the UK.

Anyone whose travels originate from a risk country are banned from entering Switzerland at this point in time.

Exceptions:

Swiss citizens and residents as well as EU citizens and residents are generally excepted. Their immediate family members are exempt in some cases (see the entry for special necessity in the link). The website above will give you more information about exceptions.

Travel for work reasons is also generally permitted, but do consult the above website.

There appears to be a rule that once you've been in a safe country (read: Schengen area) for some days, you will be allowed into Switzerland. While the FAQ linked below mentions this possibility, it is not mentioned how long that time has to be. other users indicate that the consulates told them 10 days would be sufficient.

Also consult this SEM website, a FAQ for traveling during these times.

Do I have to quarantine?

The FOPH list of risk countries can be found here. Anyone unvaccinated arriving from those countries, including Swiss and EU citizens and residents, has to quarantine. Exceptions generally only cover short work trips as well as transfer passengers. Please refer to the link for exceptions and procedures if you'd have to quarantine.

See also this handy flowchart from the FOPH.

This list is generally updated every two weeks or so. FOPH risk countries are those that have a higher incidence than Switzerland, generally speaking, with exceptions for border areas.

Note: A country can be on the SEM list but not on the FOPH list. In that case, non-Swiss/EU citizens/residents are NOT allowed to enter Switzerland, but anyone coming from there does not have to quarantine. This is the cas for the US right now: US Citizens are banned from entering Switzerland, but those coming from the US who are not banned do not have to quarantine.

On the other hand, a country or region can be on the FOPH list but not on the SEM list. For example, residents of Paris are allowed to come visit Switzerland but DO have to Quarantine.

Are there excemptions if I'm vaccinated?

At this point, there are no exceptions for entry to Switzerland. There are, however, exceptions to the quarantine.

Starting May 31st, fully vaccinated or recovered travelers do not have to quarantine unless they come from a country with worrying new mutations. Likewise, travelers below 16 don't have to quarantine. This exception applies for 6 months [likely to increase to 12 motnhs soon] after receiving vaccinations or recovering from Covid.

According to the press release, qualifying vaccines include those allowed in Switzerland (Moderna, Pfizer/Biontech, Johnson & Johnson) as well as those allowed in the EU (Astrazeneca, CureVac, Sanofi). According to the ordinance, vaccines on the WHO Emergency Use Listing are also allowed - at this point, that adds Sinovac and Serum Institute of India to the list.

It also looks like fully vaccinated or recovered travelers do not have to present a negative test in order to be allowed to travel to Switzerland for 6 months [likely to increase to 12 motnhs soon] after the infection / vaccination. However, those coming from certain countries willl have to present a negative test even if vaccinated so be sure to check the BAG homepage linked above before your travels.

Do I have to have a test before flying?

Test rules can change depending on where you fly from. The newest proposal suggests that may change on short notice, as countries with a high incidence and/or dangerous mutations may have additional requirements. We recommend you check with your airline a few days before you fly. In the past, Switzerland has given reasonable notice before enacting new test regimes for travellers.

Note: Vaccinated travelers from countries with worrying mutations will have to present a negative test. For this reason, you are advised to check the test requirements a few days before your travels even if vaccinated.

New: Is transit through Switzerland allowed?

Under certain conditions. As per the government, entry "Is it still be possible to travel through Switzerland?", transit is possible under the following conditions:

From Schengen to non-Schengen: possible

From Schengen to Schengen: possible

From non-schengen to non-Schengen: Only possible if you do not leave the transit zone. That is, you cannot enter Switzerland.

From a non-Schengen country on the SEM risk list (e.g. the US, the UK) to a Schengen country (read: EU plus) is only possible if:

• You are a citizen of the EU

• You are a resident of the destination country (not sure what happens if you are a resident of a different Schengen country)

• You hold a type-D Visa for the destination country

• You are fully vaccinated and have a direct flight onwards. That is to say, you cannot fly USA-Zurich-Rome-Greece. You can, however, fly USA-Zurich-Greece.

Note that all the regular travel requirements apply. i.e. you may need a visa or travel visa.

I hope this clarifies a lot of issues. Feel free to ask questions below, I will try to answer them if I can.