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28.10.2020 People arriving in Switzerland from certain countries and areas are required to go into quarantine. The list of these countries and areas will be updated on 29 October 2020. A negative test does not exempt you from the mandatory quarantine requirement.
France:
*The following applies for all countries that do not share a border with Switzerland: If a country is on the list, this includes all of its areas, islands and overseas territories – even if they are not listed separately However, various people are exempt from the quarantine requirement in Switzerland. You will find a list of all the exemptions in Article 4 of the Covid-19 Ordinance on International Transport Measures. They include, for example:
18.10.2020 Confederation imposes tougher measures to combat coronavirusFrom Monday, 19 October spontaneous gatherings of more than 15 persons are not permitted in public. A mask must be worn in publicly accessible indoor areas, including in all railway stations and airports, and at bus and tram stops. Moreover, there are now new rules for private events of more than 15 persons, and in restaurants, bars and clubs food and drink may only be consumed sitting down. Following consultations with the cantons, the Federal Council has adapted the Special Situation COVID-19 Ordinance accordingly. This now also includes a recommendation to work from home. The rapid rise in coronavirus cases in the last few days is a cause for great concern. The number of cases is on the increase in all age groups and across all cantons. The number of persons admitted to hospital is also rising. The new national measures agreed by the federal government and the cantons aim to better protect the public’s health and to prevent the health system from becoming overwhelmed in the coming weeks and months. The intention is also to considerably curb the number of new cases so that the cantons can continue to contract trace effectively. Despite the restrictions, it is hoped that the economy can continue to function and people can live their lives with as little disruption as possible. Masks now mandatory in the whole of SwitzerlandThe requirement for persons over the age of 12 to wear a mask on public transport has been in place since 6 July. From Monday 19 October this will be extended to railway stations including platforms, airports and other publicly accessible public transport areas. As before, persons who are unable to wear a mask for medical reasons are exempt from the requirement. Masks are now also compulsory in publicly accessible indoor spaces including all shops, shopping centres, banks, post offices, museums, libraries, cinemas, theatres, concert venues, indoor areas of zoos and botanical gardens, restaurants, bars, discos, casinos, hotels (with the exception of guests’ rooms), entrance areas and changing rooms in swimming pools, sports facilities and gyms, doctor’s surgeries, hospitals and places of worship, advisory centres and neighbourhood centres. Masks must also be worn in publicly accessible areas of administrative buildings. Face masks must also be worn in all schools and higher education establishments, in child-care facilities and in the training areas of sport and fitness centres if part of the centre’s precautionary measures. Rules for private eventsMany people become infected with the coronavirus when families and friends gather. Gatherings should be avoided were possible. At private events attended by over 15 people, food and drink may only be consumed while seated. Anyone standing up must wear a mask. Furthermore, hygiene rules must be observed at all times and contact details must be recorded. For private events of more than 100 people there must be a set of precautionary measures (as for public events) and may only be held in publicly accessible venues. Gatherings of more than 15 not permitted in publicSpontaneous gatherings of more than 15 persons are not permitted in public spaces such as town squares, streets, paths and parks. The aim is to prevent private events moving outdoors. Organised outdoor events such as political and civil society demonstrations are permitted provided precautionary measures are observed. Seating requirement in bars, clubs and restaurantsIn restaurants, bars and clubs, food and drink may only be consumed while seated, both indoors and out. Working from home recommendedThe Federal Council has added a paragraph on working from home to the Special Situation COVID-19 Ordinance. Employers are now required to observe the recommendation by the Federal Office of Public Health for employees to work from home. This will prevent large numbers of people coming together, particularly at peak times, and reduce close contact in the workplace. It will also reduce the risk of a whole work team having to go into quarantine if one member becomes infected with COVID-19. Since 19 June, the cantons have played the lead role in combating the COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland. The Confederation still expects the cantons to conduct widespread testing, implement a sound system of contract tracing and employ targeted measures to help fight the epidemic. Further information: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/das-bag/aktuell/news/news-18-10-2020.html
09.10.2020 No longer on the list from 12 October 2020: Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Namibia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. The newly added countries and areas are written in bold. List valid upon arriving in Switzerland from 12.10.2020
Germany:
France:
Italy:
Austria:
Countries and areas
30.09.2020 Entering SwitzerlandInfoline for people travelling to Switzerland: +41 58 464 44 88 (6am–11pm) Mandatory quarantine for persons arriving in SwitzerlandSince 6 July 2020, anyone entering Switzerland from a country or area with a high risk of infection has been legally mandated to go into quarantine for ten days. You will find the list of these countries and further information on the page Mandatory quarantine for persons arriving in Switzerland. Collection of contact details upon arriving in SwitzerlandIn some cases, the contact details of travellers will be collected upon their arrival in Switzerland. The collection of contact details affects all airline passengers as well as coach passengers from countries with an increased risk of infection. There are two reasons for the collection of contact details: on the one hand, this guarantees traceability in the event that there were infectious passengers on board and a transmission of the new coronavirus is possible. On the other, the contact details are used by the cantonal authorities in order to monitor compliance with mandatory quarantine through spot checks. Contact details of the responsible cantonal authoritiesContact your local cantonal authority within two days of your arrival.
25.09.2020 Mandatory quarantine for persons arriving in SwitzerlandList of countries and areasThe countries and areas with a high risk of infection are set down in the Covid-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures If a country is on the list, this includes all of its areas, islands and overseas territories – even if they are not listed separately. Switzerland’s neighbouring countries are exempted from this regulation. In the case of these countries, it is not the entire country that is listed, but rather regions. Further information in this regard can be found on the page Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). No longer on the list from 28 September 2020: Kosovo, San Marino. The newly added countries and areas are written in bold. List valid upon arriving in Switzerland from 28.9.2020
France:
Italy:
Austria:
Countries and areas
What to do after entering Switzerland
Anyone who fails to comply with the quarantine requirement or the duty to report to the authorities is committing an offence under the Epidemics Act (in German), which can be punished by a fine of up to CHF 10,000. The document ‘Instructions on quarantine’ can be found in various languages on our website Downloads in various languages. Information on quarantineAnyone who may have become infected with the new coronavirus must go into quarantine. If they fall ill they should avoid all contact with other people in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The quarantined person should stay at home or in some other suitable accommodation and not leave for any reason. Who has to go into quarantine and how long must they stay there? What should you do if you are in quarantine and live with other people? This and other information can be found in the document Instructions on quarantine (PDF, 182 kB, 12.09.2020). ChildrenChildren entering Switzerland from a country or area mentioned on the list must also spend 10 days in quarantine.
11.09.2020 Mandatory quarantine: list of countries and areasThe countries and areas with a high risk of infection are set down in the Covid-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures. This list is regularly updated. No longer on the list from 14 September 2020: Ecuador, Faroe Islands, Guatemala, South Africa. The newly added countries and areas are written in bold. Information regarding Spain: the Canary Islands will be included on the list from 14 September, meaning that the whole of Spain is now on the list. List valid upon arriving in Switzerland from 14.9.2020 List of countries and areas with a high risk of infection List of countries and areas with a high risk of infection
List of areas of neighbouring countries with a high risk of infection Areas in France:
Areas in Austria:
At its meeting on 11 September, the Federal Council decided on the quarantine rules for persons entering Switzerland from neighbouring countries: only those regions of neighbouring countries where the infection rate is over the limit will be added to the list of countries and areas with an increased rate of infection, not the entire country. Border regions may be exempted from inclusion on the list. In so doing, the Federal Council is responding to the rapid rise in infection numbers, while still taking account of the close interaction between Switzerland and neighbouring regions. The revised ordinance will come into force on 14 September. At the same time, the list of risk areas will be updated. Since 6 July, anyone entering Switzerland from a country or area with a high risk of infection has been required to go into quarantine for ten days. This Federal Council measure aims to prevent the import of the coronavirus into Switzerland and its spread within the country as far as possible. The Federal Council is now taking a region-based approach to neighbouring countries. Only specific regions of neighbouring countries will be included in the list of countries and areas with an increased risk of infection, in line with the practice in various other countries. Exemptions for border regions Since June, the number of new infections in Switzerland has been rising steadily. While 98 cases were reported in the first week of June, at the end of August the figure was 1844, i.e. 18-times higher. In France, the number of cases is increasing even more rapidly and the number of new infections over two weeks in almost all regions of France is considerably higher than the limit value of 60 per 100,000 persons (14-day incidence). In certain Austrian states, a rise in cases in excess of the threshold has also been recorded, as it has in several Swiss cantons. Taking a regional approach means that persons returning to Switzerland from risk areas will be required to go into quarantine, but not persons returning from regions on the Swiss border. In implementing this measure, the Federal Council is continuing to rely on members of the public to act responsibly. They should avoid travelling to risk areas if at all possible, or spend time in quarantine if they have travelled to these regions. Cross-border commuters are already exempted from the quarantine requirement. The majority of cantons have expressed their support for this approach. However, some cantons are concerned that the new exemptions for the border regions will lead to increased costs and may lead to lower levels of compliance with the quarantine rules. Exemptions from the quarantine requirement Also exempted from the quarantine requirement are persons who are required to travel without delay to a risk area for professional or medical reasons. The persons concerned must not remain abroad for more than five days, and precautionary measures must be planned and taken. In addition, the Federal Council has revised the calculation rules for quarantine in the COVID-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures. This will allow the cantons to take account of time spent in a country where there is not a high risk of infection before entering Switzerland, and to reduce the length of time spent in quarantine in Switzerland accordingly. Coronavirus tests: Federal government reduces tariffs Further information: Ordonnance sur les mesures destinées à lutter contre le coronavirus dans le domaine du transport international de voyageurs (PDF, 399 kB) _______________________________________________________________________ 07.09.2020 Mandatory quarantine: updated list of countries and areas No longer on the list since 7 September 2020: Belgium, El Salvador, Eswatini (Swazsiland), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Oman. The newly added countries and areas are written in bold.
Important: a negative test result does not exempt you from the mandatory quarantine requirement or shorten the quarantine period. This is because a negative test result does not rule out an infection with the new coronavirus. You will find the biological explanation for this on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page. The mandatory quarantine requirement does not apply to transit passengers who have spent less than 24 hours in a country or area with an increased risk of infection. Further exceptions are set down in Article 4 of the Covid-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures. Anyone who fails to comply with the quarantine requirement or the duty to report to the authorities is committing an offence under the Epidemics Act (in German), which can be punished by a fine of up to CHF 10,000. _______________________________________________________________________ 18.08.2020 Mandatory quarantine: updated list of countries and areas The countries and areas with a high risk of infection are set down in the Covid-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures. This list is regularly updated. Removed from the list on 20 August 2020: Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Singapore The newly added countries and areas are written in bold. List valid upon arriving in Switzerland from 20 August 2020 List valid upon arriving in Switzerland between 8 August 2020 and 19 August 2020 List valid upon arriving in Switzerland between 23 July 2020 and 7 August 2020 List valid upon arriving in Switzerland between 6 July 2020 and 22 July 2020 Source: https://www.bag.admin.ch/......... https://reopen.europa.eu/en/map/CHE _____________________________________________________________ 14.08.2020 Travelling to Switzerland All travellers entering Switzerland from countries or regions that are defined as Covid risk areas will have to quarantine for 10 days. The Federal Office of Public Health keeps a list of countries concerned, which is updated regularly. As of 8.8.20, Luxembourg, Romania and Spain (with the exception of the Balearic and Canary Islands) are defined as Covid risk areas. Travelling from Switzerland or returning to Switzerland Currently, the following countries are exempt from the general advice against non-urgent travel abroad: countries in the Schengen area, United Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Monaco, New Zealand, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Urugay, Vatican/Holy See. If you re-enter Switzerland having at any point in the past 14 days spent time in a state or area defined as a Covid risk area, you must immediately go to your home or to other suitable accommodation, where you must stay for 10 days from the day of your arrival. Also, you have to report your arrival to the responsible cantonal authority within two days, and follow its instructions. The list of countries and territories with increased covid-infection risks is defined and regularly updated in a Federal Act. Following the EU council recommendations, entry restrictions are lifted for a selection of third countries. It currently concerns: Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunesia, and Urugay, and the EU states outside the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Ireland, Croatia, Romania, and Cyprus). China is also expected to be removed from the list in line with the EU recommendations, provided it guarantees reciprocal rights of entry to people travelling from Switzerland. An updated list of States and areas with an increased risk of infection is available at www.bag.admin.ch Rules and Exceptions Links to national sources www.bag.admin.ch https://reopen.europa.eu/en/map/CHE |
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30.06.2020
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Travel ban to Switzerland from Italy, Germany, France and Austria End date: not available Further information: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pa... |
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29.06.2020 As of 27 June, Swiss public transport has returned to standard timetables, with the recommendation for passengers to wear face masks at peak times. On 15 June, borders with EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and the UK were opened, and the fines imposed on people doing cross-border shopping lifted. Travel between Switzerland and a country that is not part of the Schengen Area is still not allowed. Provided they can prove their status with official documentation, the following categories are exempted from the provision:
As of 15 June, all border crossing points are open; both private and commercial transport is allowed. Goods drivers are allowed to operate to, from and through Switzerland if they have a bill of lading. More information can be found here. Source: Swiss government
04.04.2020 On 1 April, the Swiss Federal Department of Justice notified the extension of border controls until 24 April. The prolongation involves borders with all Schengen states except land and air borders with France, Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany, which have been prolonged separately. Borders with the Principality of Liechtenstein are also exempted from the provision. Therefore the current duration of border controls is as follows:
Source: Swiss Federal Department of Justice and European Commission
28.03.2020 Entry by road on the Swiss territory from Italy, France, Germany, and Austria is limited to Swiss citizens, Swiss residents and people entering for professional reasons. Only major border crossings are open for movements of persons. International freight transport is not affected by these measures, and all border crossing points are open for freight movements. Green lanes are also in place at some border crossings for import, export and transit of medical products, foodstuff, fuel supplies, and post. List of border crossings equipped with green lanes for freight transport is available here. Sources: ASTAG and Federal Customs Administration |