COVID-19 Relaxation of entry requirements from 26.06.2021

On 23 June 2021, the Federal Council decided to lift the entry restrictions for persons from third countries, provided they can present a vaccination against Covid-19. For these persons, the regular entry requirements will apply again from 26 June 2021.

As vaccinated are considered persons who have been vaccinated with a vaccine that:

• has been approved by Switzerland and has been fully vaccinated in accordance with the recommendations of the Federal Office for Public Health;
• has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for the European Union and has been fully vaccinated in accordance with the requirements or recommendations of the country in which the vaccination was carried out; or
• has been approved by the «WHO Emergency use listing» and has been fully vaccinated according to the specifications or recommendations of the country in which the vaccination was carried out.

Entry restrictions continue to apply to foreign nationals who are not vaccinated and do not benefit of free movement, entering from risk countries or regions and who are not exempted according to the Covid-19 Regulation 3.

To see what rules apply to your own particular situation when entering Switzerland, consult the online Travelcheck.

Further information can be found on the websites of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Beware of visa scams

Please be aware that visa  scams exist Fraudulent companies offer websites that claim to offer assistance in obtaining a visa and charge a fee for providing information. Only the Embassy's website is authoritative, and only the Embassy has the authority to decide whether to issue a visa. The Embassy provides you with free visa application forms and informs on procedures without any charges.

The fees for a Swiss visa are paid in cash only at the counter of the Embassy and the visa applicant must appear in person.

For more information: Swiss Crime Prevention

Entry measures

In order to contain the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) issues regulations for entry into Switzerland and defines the countries and regions with a high risk of infection. The information is updated on the website of the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH and its page on entering Switzerland (testing and quarantine).

For entry into Switzerland by air, the following provisions apply:

• Entry form
• PCR test (molecular biology test for SARS-CoV-2, carried out at the latest 72 hours before departure).

Please note that only the airline decides on the admission of passengers on board and that the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs cannot give any instructions.

The Embassy does not issue Laissez-passer with regard to PCR tests, even if an airline requests for it.

Detailed information can be found on the French page.