Last updated on 6 July 2021
Travelling to Switzerland may be a far fetch dream for now as the world is on temporary travel lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your travel plans may have taken a back seat but you might be wondering, "Can I travel to Switzerland now?". If you're planning to travel to Switzerland for your future getaways, here's everything you need to know about the COVID-19 situation in Switzerland.
What is the COVID-19 situation in Switzerland now?
As of July 2021, Switzerland is steadily transitioning to the recovery phase and reporting an average of 200-300 cases daily. The government is expected to receive 8.1 million Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by end of July 2021, and this will lead to more vulnerable groups and adult population being vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine.
Can I travel to Switzerland now?
The short answer is, yes for fully vaccinated travellers. Switzerland is reopening their borders to vaccinated overseas travellers starting from 28 June 2021. As part of the country's tourism recovery efforts, Switzerland is joining other European Union countries in reopening their borders - just in time for the summer holidays.
Which countries are allowed to travel to Switzerland?
According to Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration SEM, international travellers from low-risk Schengen states, European Union countries, as well as third countries and regions are allowed to travel to Switzerland.
As of July 2021, here's a list of countries and regions that are eligible to travel to Switzerland.
Schengen states: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden,Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
EU and smaller European countries and third countries and regions: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Macao, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America, and Vatican or Holy See.
All countries and regions that are not listed above are considered high risk. For the latest update on your country's status, refer to this list.
What are the travel and quarantine requirements in Switzerland?
If you're travelling from countries or areas withoutvariants of concern
- Fill out the Entry Form. Once completed, a QR code will be sent to your email and you need to present it for inspection. If you skip this step, you may be get a CHF100 fine.
- Test requirement is needed for people who have not been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. You need to present proof of negative COVID-19 test result.
- No quarantine requirement
- Contact data required for travellers entering by aircraft
If you're travelling from countries or area withvariants of concerns
- Fill out the Entry Form. Once completed, a QR code will be sent to youremail and you need to present it for inspection. If you skip this step, you may be get a CHF100 fine.
- Test requirement is needed for people who have not been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. You need to present proof of negative COVID-19 test result.
- 10-day quarantine required for people who have not been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. Upon arrival, you need to stay in your accommodation without going out, and report your arrival to cantonal authority within two days. If you fail to comply, you may get a CHF10,000 fine.
- Contact data required for travellers entering by aircraft
Click here for more information about entry requirements to Switzerland.
What is the latest update on COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland?
According to Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health FOPH, more than 3 million residents have been fully vaccinated as of July 2021 (the country's population is 8.5 million). Switzerland has began inoculating children from 12-15 years old with Pfizer vaccine. By July 2021, Switzerland will receive 8.1 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines - and this allows the vulnerable groups and adult population to have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
It may be a while before we can travel safely to Switzerland again, but as long as we band together against the COVID-19 pandemic, better days will be here before you know it.