Everyone entering Switzerland must present an entry form. If you are not vaccinated or recovered, you must also show proof of a negative test.
- Information on the entry form
- Which COVID-19 vaccines allow entry to Switzerland?
- Can I enter with a foreign certificate?
- I am vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19. What should I bear in mind?
- I am not vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19. What should I bear in mind?
- Contact details of the cantonal authorities
- Entering with children
- Additional information for people arriving in Switzerland
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Notice for foreign nationals
You may not be allowed to enter Switzerland. Before you travel, you should check the following:
- Am I even allowed to travel to Switzerland? You’ll find the answer to this question on the website of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) as the SEM is responsible for Switzerland’s entry requirements.
- Only if entry is permitted: what rules are there? You’ll find the answer to this on the FOPH website as the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is responsible for health-related measures at the border. Please also note the section Additional information for incoming persons.
Anyone who has a Swiss passport or a valid Swiss residence permit can enter Switzerland at any time. All travellers must take note of the health-related measures at the Swiss border.
The interactive travel check tool shows you what measures apply to you.
Here you’ll find a simplified overview of the current health-related measures at the border:
Information on the entry form
Everyone entering Switzerland must present a completed entry form. Individual exemptions apply, e.g. for cross-border commuters. You can find a list of all exemptions in one of the expandable boxes below.
Please note: The entry form can be completed at the earliest 48h before entry.
What to do:
Fill out the electronic entry form on a computer or smartphone before you travel. As soon as you have filled out the form, you’ll be emailed a QR code as confirmation. Keep this code handy for inspection when you arrive in Switzerland. During these checks, you can show the QR code on your smartphone or a printed confirmation. If you have not filled out the entry form despite the obligation to do so, the controlling authority can punish you with a CHF 100 fine. The same applies if you provide false information on the form.
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. Please keep this for 14 days.
Exemptions from obligation to complete an entry form
The following individuals are exempt from the obligation to complete an entry form:
- People who transport goods or passengers across the border in the course of their work;
- People transiting through Switzerland without a stopover;
- All cross-border commuters travelling into Switzerland; or
- People traveling into Switzerland from areas bordering the country with which there are close economic, social or cultural ties. The following countries, areas and regions are considered “border areas”:
- Regions in Germany: State of Baden-Württemberg, State of Bavaria
- Regions in France: Region of Grand-Est, Region of Burgundy / Franche Comté, Region of Auvergne / Rhône-Alpes
- Regions in Italy: Region of Piedmont, Region of Aosta Valley, Region of Lombardy, Region of Trentino / South Tyrol
- Regions in Austria: State of Tyrol, State of Vorarlberg
- Regions in Liechtenstein: Entire Principality
Information for passenger transport companies
International rail, bus and ship transport and aviation companies will ensure that:
- the passengers being carried record their contact data electronically or in hard copy on the contact cards provided by the FOPH. Hard-copy contact data should be delivered to the FOPH on request within 24 hours;
- the recorded passenger data are kept for 14 days and then destroyed;
- they are able to provide – within 48 hours of being requested to do so by the FOPH – lists of all planned cross-border rail, bus and ship journeys and flights;
- they transmit the recorded contact data via the platform for passenger transport companies provided by the FOPH.
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 and about data protection.
Which COVID-19 vaccines allow entry to Switzerland?
People who have received one of the following vaccines can enter Switzerland:
- Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2 / Comirnaty® / Tozinameran)
- Moderna (mRNA-1273 / Spikevax / COVID-19 vaccine Moderna)
- AstraZeneca (AZD1222 Vaxzevria®/ Covishield™)
- Janssen / Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
- Sinopharm / BIBP (SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell))
- Sinovac (CoronaVac)
People who have been vaccinated with two different vaccines are considered to be fully vaccinated if:
- the vaccines used have been approved by the authorities in Switzerland (Swissmedic) and the EU (EMA) or are on the WHO emergency use list and
- they were administered in accordance with the regulations or recommendations of the state in which the vaccination took place.
Vaccination must be documented in the form of a recognised certificate or other proof of vaccination. In addition to your last name, first name and date of birth, the proof of vaccination must also include the date of vaccination and the vaccine used.
Please note: not all vaccines that allow entry to Switzerland also entitle you to enter places with a COVID certificate requirement in Switzerland (e.g. restaurants). If you received the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines and are travelling to Switzerland as a tourist, you cannot apply for a Swiss COVID certificate. However, there are some exceptions. You can find out under what conditions you can obtain a certificate on the page Where and how to get a COVID certificate and how long it is valid.
Can I enter with a foreign certificate?
Yes. The certificates from EU/EFTA countries and those issued by third countries that are connected to the EU system can also be used to enter Switzerland. You can therefore enter Switzerland with certificates from the following countries:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Faroe Islands
- Holy See
- Israel
- Monaco
- Morocco
- North Macedonia
- Panama
- San Marino
- Turkey
- Ukraine
I am vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19. What should I bear in mind?
If you are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 within the last 6 months, you only need to show an entry form and your COVID certificate on arrival in Switzerland. You are exempt from the test requirement. You’ll find everything you need to know in the section Information on the entry form.
I am not vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19. What should I bear in mind?
If you are not fully vaccinated or unable to prove that you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months, the test requirement applies in addition to the requirement to fill out an entry form. You will be asked to provide proof of a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test twice:
- On entry: Get a PCR test (not older than 72 hours) or rapid antigen test (not older than 48 hours) at your departure location. You will need to present the test result together with the completed entry form on arrival.
- 4-7 days after arrival: A few days after your arrival, you will need to get another PCR test or rapid antigen test in Switzerland. This test result must be reported to the canton within 2 days in the form of a COVID test certificate or positive test result. You’ll find the contact details in the section Contact details of the cantonal authorities.
Are you staying in Switzerland for fewer than four days? Then you don’t need to take a second test and only need to show a negative test result when entering the country.
Exemptions from obligation to be tested
The following individuals are exempt from the obligation to be tested on entering and 4-7 days after entering:
- People who are younger than 16 years;
- People who transport passengers or goods across the border in the course of their work;
- People who perform an activity in Switzerland that is absolutely necessary for maintaining the functioning of institutional beneficiaries within the meaning of Article 2(1) of the Host State Act of 22 June 2007 and can prove this with a confirmation from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA);
- People who perform an activity in Switzerland that is absolutely necessary for maintaining Switzerland’s diplomatic and consular relations and can prove this with a confirmation from the FDFA;
- People transiting through Switzerland without a stopover;
- People entering the country as cross-border commuters;
- People entering Switzerland for important medical reasons that cannot be postponed;
- People who are unable to take a Sars-CoV-2 test for medical reasons and can prove this with a medical certificate; or
- People traveling into Switzerland from areas bordering the country with which there are close economic, social or cultural ties. The following countries, areas and regions are considered “border areas”:
- Regions in Germany: State of Baden-Württemberg, State of Bavaria
- Regions in France: Region of Grand-Est, Region of Burgundy / Franche Comté, Region of Auvergne / Rhône-Alpes
- Regions in Italy: Region of Piedmont, Region of Aosta Valley, Region of Lombardy, Region of Trentino / South Tyrol
- Regions in Austria: State of Tyrol, State of Vorarlberg
- Regions in Liechtenstein: Entire Principality
Information for passenger transport companies on the obligation to be tested
Airlines and bus companies offering long-distance journeys must inform passengers of the obligation to be tested before departure. Passengers may only be transported with a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result. Individuals without a negative test result must be denied boarding. The individuals listed above are exempt from the obligation to be tested.
Contact details of the cantonal authorities
Contact the competent cantonal authority within 2 days to report the result of the test you had 4-7 days after arriving in Switzerland in the form of a COVID test certificate or positive test result.
| 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 |
| Bern | Online application form |
| Fribourg | Homepage (In German) |
| Geneva | Online application form |
| Glarus | Online application form (in German) |
| Graubünden | |
| Jura |
|
| Lucerne | Homepage (In German) |
| Neuchâtel | Homepage (In French) |
| Nidwalden | Homepage (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 | Online application form (In Italian and in English) |
| Uri | Homepage (In German) |
| Valais | Homepage (In German) |
| Vaud |
Homepage (In French) |
| Zug | Online application form (In German) |
| Zurich | Homepage (In German) |
| Principality of Liechtenstein | Homepage (in German) |
Entering with children
If you are entering Switzerland with children or adolescents, please note the following:
- The entry form obligation also applies to children and adolescents of all ages. They can be included in the entry form of an adult travelling with them.
- Children under the age of 16 are never required to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test on entering Switzerland. They are exempt from the test requirement on entry and the test requirement within 4-7 days of arrival.
Additional information for people arriving in Switzerland
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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Answers to frequently asked questions about travel can be found here.
Last modification 22.10.2021
Contact
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Infoline for people travelling to Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 464 44 88
