In response to the COVID-19 pandemic there are special rules for people entering Switzerland. Depending on the type of travel, you might have to fill out an entry form, show proof of a negative test and/or go into quarantine.
These rules apply to all people who are permitted to enter Switzerland. That means they also apply if you are Swiss and returning to Switzerland after being abroad. You will find information on the individual rules and requirements in the relevant sections of this site:
Entry form
The electronic entry form for incoming travellers is available at swissplf.admin.ch. Important: Fill out the form before your entry to Switzerland.
Who has to fill out the entry form?
Almost everyone who enters Switzerland must fill out the entry form. Children can be included on the form of an adult travelling with them. Exception: If you’re entering from a region on the border with Switzerland you don’t need to fill out the entry form. There are further exemptions:
All exemptions to the entry form requirement
- Area on the Swiss border: If you are entering from an area on the Swiss border which has close economic, social and cultural ties with Switzerland, you do not have to fill out an entry form.
- Professional activity: If in the course of your professional activity you transport passengers or goods across the border, you do not have to fill out an entry form for this professional travel.
- Transit: If you are only entering Switzerland for transit purposes and are travelling straight on to another country, you do not have to fill out an entry form.
- Entry by own means of transport: If you are entering Switzerland by your own means of transport, you do not have to fill out an entry form. This exemption only applies if you have not spent time in a country or area with an increased risk of infection within the last 10 days. If you have spent time in a country or area with an increased risk of infection, you have to fill out an entry form for every type of trip.
Filling out and control
Fill out the electronic entry form on a computer or smartphone before or during travel. Once you’ve filled out the form you’ll be emailed a QR code as confirmation. Have this code ready for inspection when you enter Switzerland. If you are controlled you can show the QR code on your smartphone or produce a printed confirmation.
What do you do if you don’t have internet access to fill out the form?
Instead you should fill out the paper version before you board and begin your journey to Switzerland. You can download and print the paper version of the entry form yourself or ask for it from the transport operator staff.
Further information on the entry form
You'll find plenty of information in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). For example you'll find information on what to do if you don’t have a seat number or if there are technical problems, about data protection and about the paper version of the form.
Do you have questions that aren’t answer in the FAQs? You can call the infoline on +41 58 464 44 88 from 6am to 11pm, 7 days a week. You’ll find information on the costs of the call on the Contact information and links page.
Negative test result
When entering Switzerland, you must be able to show proof of a negative coronavirus test in two cases:
- If you enter Switzerland by air. Information in this regard can be found in the section Rules for entering Switzerland by air.
- If you have stayed in a location within the last ten days before entering Switzerland that is included on the FOPH list of risk countries. In this case, you must always be able to show proof of a negative test result, even if you enter Switzerland by bus, rail, car, boat, etc. Information in this regard can be found in the section Rules for entering Switzerland by land or water.
Children under the age of 12 are never required to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test upon entering Switzerland. They are exempt from the test obligation.
Rules for entering Switzerland by air
If you enter Switzerland by air, you must be able to show proof of a negative test at two different times: firstly on boarding the departing flight in the foreign country, and secondly at the Swiss airport (when crossing the Swiss border). Note: The tests accepted, and the exceptions, will be different at the two controls.
1. Boarding control: The airlines systematically check your negative coronavirus test result prior to boarding. The results of the following tests are permissible for this control:
- A PCR test carried out within the last 72 hours
- A rapid antigen test carried out within the last 24 hours
Requirements for the test result on boarding
The document with the negative test result (in digital or paper form) must contain the following information:
- Last name, first name and date of birth of the person tested
- Date and time sample was taken
- Type of test
- Test result
If you are travelling internationally, we recommend that your negative test result is issued in English. However, this is not a legal requirement, other languages are also accepted.
If you are unable to show proof of a negative test result during the control, you are, generally speaking, not permitted to board the aircraft. Exceptions and details can be found here:
Exceptions to the test requirement on boarding
What should you do if you test positive before flying back to Switzerland?
In these situations, you are also allowed to board the aircraft without a negative test result:
- If you have Swiss citizenship or hold a residence permit issued by Switzerland and you have no possibility of getting tested abroad. In this case, you must complete the self-declaration truthfully and, in doing so, confirm that you had no possibility to get tested within a reasonable time or at reasonable expense. If the information you provide is not true, you risk criminal proceedings under the Epidemics Act. You will find the self-declaration at the end of the website under the tab Documents. Please note: The self-declaration only enables you to fly without showing proof of a negative test result. As soon as you are in Switzerland, you must get tested for the coronavirus as quickly as possible. Both a PCR and a rapid antigen test are permissible for this purpose. Should this test be positive, you must immediately go into isolation.
- If you need to be transported to Switzerland urgently on medical grounds and you can provide a medical certificate to prove this.
- If you are only entering Switzerland for transit purposes and do not leave the airport.
- If you have been infected with the coronavirus within the last three months before entering Switzerland and are healthy again. In this case, the relevant medical certificate is required.
- If you are unable to have a nose and throat swab on medical grounds. In this case, the relevant medical certificate is required.
If you test positive for the coronavirus, you will not be allowed to fly. You will have to remain where you are and adhere to the rules that apply in that place to people who are infected. For example, you may have to go into isolation in the host country for a certain time and will therefore not be allowed to travel. You have to pay the costs arising in a situation of this sort yourself – unless you have travel insurance covering these costs or there are corresponding arrangements in the host country. Exception: If you only test positive because you have recently had Covid-19, you may still take the intended flight. However, you must have a medical certificate proving that you have been infected with the coronavirus in the last three months and are cured.
Repatriation: You may fly back if you are Swiss and need urgent treatment in Switzerland. In this case, however, you will be flown back in an aircraft that is specially equipped for transporting people who have contracted Covid-19.
2. Swiss border control: Border control authorities in the airport’s transit zone check the negative test result on a random basis. For this control, a result brought from the following test is permissible:
- A PCR test carried out within the last 72 hours
If you don’t have a negative PCR test result (for example because you had a rapid antigen test for boarding), you must be tested in Switzerland immediately. Report to the cantonal authority responsible and in consultation with the authority have a PCR or rapid antigen test as quickly as possible. If this test is positive, you must immediately go into isolation. You’ll find contact information for the cantonal authorities on the ch.ch website (in German, French or Italian).
Exceptions: Certain individuals are not required to show proof of a negative test result at the Swiss border. Information in this regard can be found under the heading Exemptions from the testing and quarantine requirement.
Why is a rapid antigen test taken in Switzerland permissible but this is not the case for a rapid antigen test taken abroad? The reason for this is that we are familiar with the quality standard for the test in Switzerland and know that it is sufficiently reliable. For rapid antigen tests taken abroad, the quality standard is often unknown.
Rules for entering Switzerland by land or water
If you have stayed in a location within the last ten days before entering Switzerland that is included on the FOPH list of risk countries, you not only have to go into quarantine, but must also be able to show proof of a negative coronavirus test (regardless of the means of transport you use).
Customs at the Swiss border check the negative test result of those entering Switzerland on a random basis. For this control, a result from the following test is permissible:
- A PCR test carried out within the last 72 hours
If you don’t have a negative PCR test result, you must be tested in Switzerland immediately. Report to the cantonal authority responsible and in consultation with the authority have a PCR or rapid antigen test as quickly as possible. If this test is positive, you must immediately go into isolation. You’ll find contact information for the cantonal authorities on the ch.ch website (in German, French or Italian).
Exceptions: Certain individuals are not required to show proof of a negative test result at the Swiss border. Information in this regard can be found under the heading Exemptions from the testing and quarantine requirement.
Quarantine for persons arriving in Switzerland
Check the FOPH list of high-risk countries: Were you in one of the states or areas on the list at any point in the 10 days before entry into Switzerland? If you were, you are legally obliged to go into quarantine. In this case:
Follow the instructions under What to do after entering Switzerland and report your arrival to the cantonal authority. Despite having filled out the entry form you need to report your arrival to the canton.
The mandatory quarantine requirement is governed by the list valid at the moment of entry into Switzerland. The mandatory quarantine requirement also applies to children.
Exceptions: Certain people are exempt from the quarantine requirement. You'll find details in the Exemptions from the Testing and Quarantine Requirement section.
The following do not exempt you from the mandatory quarantine requirement or shorten the quarantine period:
- A negative test result. This is because a negative test result does not completely rule out an infection with the coronavirus. You will find the biological explanation for this on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
- A COVID-19 vaccination. This is because while the vaccination provides protection from the disease, it is not yet clear whether it also prevents you from infecting other people.
What to do after entering Switzerland
- Upon arrival, go immediately to your home or to other suitable accommodation (e.g. a hotel or holiday apartment). On the way there, keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres from other people. If you are unable to maintain this distance, we recommend that you wear a mask. Avoid public transport if possible.
- Report your arrival to the cantonal authority responsible within two days.
- For 10 days after your arrival in Switzerland you must stay in your home or other suitable accommodation without going out. Avoid contact with other people and follow the instructions in the document instructions on quarantine (PDF, 350 kB, 15.03.2021). This document is also available in the languages of the migrant population.
- There is the possibility of shortening travel quarantine from day 7 onwards. You’ll find information on the Isolation and Quarantine site.
The cantonal authorities are responsible for monitoring quarantine, and they conduct spot checks. Anyone who fails to comply with the quarantine requirement is committing an offence under the Epidemics Act (in German), which can be punished by a fine of up to CHF 10,000.
Further information on quarantine
You'll find more information on travel quarantine in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). There you’ll find answers to questions on things like continued payment of salary and loss of earnings during quarantine.
Do you still have questions that aren’t answered in the FAQs? You can call the infoline on +41 58 464 44 88 from 6am to 11pm, 7 days a week. You’ll find information on the costs of the call on the Contact information and links page.
Contact details of the cantonal authorities
Contact the competent cantonal authority within two days of your arrival.
| Canton | Contact details |
|---|---|
| Aargau | Online application form (In German) |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | Online application form (In German) |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | Homepage (In German) |
| Basel-Landschaft |
Homepage (In German) |
| Basel-Stadt | Homepage (In German) |
| Bern | Online application form (In German) |
| Fribourg | Homepage (In German) |
| Geneva | Online application form (In French) |
| Glarus | |
| Graubünden | |
| Jura |
|
| Lucerne | Homepage (In German) |
| Neuchâtel | Homepage (In French) |
| Nidwalden | Online application form (In German) |
| Obwalden | |
| St. Gallen | Online application form (In German) |
| Schaffhausen | +41 52 632 70 01 |
| Schwyz | Online application form (In German) |
| Solothurn | Homepage (In German) |
| Thurgau | Online Application Form (In German) |
| Ticino | Homepage (in Italian) |
| Uri | Online application form (In German) |
| Valais | Online application form |
| Vaud |
Homepage (in French) |
| Zug | Online application form (In German) |
| Zurich | Online application form |
| Principality of Liechtenstein | Homepage (in German) |
Exemptions from the testing and quarantine requirement
Various people are exempt from the quarantine requirements in Switzerland and the test requirement at the Swiss border. You will find a list of all the exceptions in Article 8 of the Covid-19 Ordinance on International Transport Measures. They include, for example:
- People travelling on business for an important reason that cannot be postponed.
- People travelling for an important medical reason that cannot be postponed.
- Transit passengers who have spent less than 24 hours in a state or area with an increased risk of infection.
- Transit passengers who enter Switzerland for the purpose of transiting the country.
- People who in the course of their professional activities transport passengers or goods across borders.
The exceptions to the test requirement apply only when you cross the border in Switzerland, but not to the test requirement when you board the aircraft. You will find the exceptions to the requirement on boarding here.
Additional information for incoming tourists
On the Measures and Ordinances page you will see what rules and bans apply on a nationwide basis. In other words, these coronavirus-related measures at the very least apply all over Switzerland; the cantons may have stricter measures. This means you should also find out from the canton to which you are travelling what rules apply there.
Please also observe the distancing and hygiene rules that apply in Switzerland. This is the best way to protect yourself and others from infection with the coronavirus.
Have you started to have symptoms of illness after entering Switzerland? Take them seriously and follow the instruction on the Isolation and Quarantine page.
Last modification 16.04.2021
Contact
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Infoline for people travelling to Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 464 44 88