Entry requirements to SWITZERLAND
This page reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British Citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Switzerland set and enforce entry rules.
All travellers
You can see what rules apply to you when entering Switzerland using the online Travelcheck service.
It is no longer necessary to provide proof of a negative test or complete an entry form to enter Switzerland.
If you’re fully vaccinated
If you’re fully vaccinated you can enter Switzerland without needing to test or quarantine.
At least 14 days must have passed since your second dose of the vaccine and the vaccine must 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.
Find out if you qualify as fully vaccinated in Switzerland on the website of the Federal Office of Public Health.
Proof of vaccination status
You must present proof that you have been fully vaccinated to enter Switzerland
Switzerland will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 vaccination record and proof of COVID-19 vaccination issued in the Crown Dependencies. However a screenshot or a photo is not sufficient. Further information is available from the State Secretariat for Migration. Your final vaccine dose must have been administered within the last 270 days prior to travel and, in the case of the Janssen vaccination, at least 22 days prior to travel. Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status.
You will be regarded as vaccinated if you have received a vaccine that either:
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is authorised in Switzerland and has been administered in full in accordance with Federal Office of Public Health recommendations; or
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has been authorised by the European Medicines Agency for the European Union and has been administered in full in accordance with the requirements or recommendations of the country in which the vaccination was administered; or
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has been authorised under the WHO Emergency Use Listing and has been administered in full in accordance with the requirements or recommendations of the country in which the vaccination was administered.
This includes the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccines that are available in the UK.
Further information is available on the Federal Office of Public Health and State Secretariat for Migration websites. The Federal Office of Public Health also have a helpline for people travelling to Switzerland (+41 58 464 44 88) which is available every day from 6am to 11pm CET.
If you’re not fully vaccinated
Travellers who are not fully vaccinated are only eligible to enter Switzerland from the UK if they are:
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Swiss or Liechtenstein nationals;
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EU or EFTA nationals;
holders of the following documents:
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a residence permit, i.e. a Swiss residence permit (L / B / C / Ci permits);
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a cross-border permit (G permit);
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an FDFA legitimation card;
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a D visa issued by Switzerland or another Schengen country;
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confirmation of notification for the cross-border provision of services up to 90 days;
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in situations of special necessity, border guards will assess the necessity of the situation.
Travellers who are not fully vaccinated and do not meet one of the exemptions outlined above are not eligible to enter Switzerland. There are limited other exemptions from this requirement. A negative COVID-19 test will not grant your entry to Switzerland if you are not eligible to enter (i.e. exempt).
If you’ve had COVID-19 in the past year
You will be regarded as recovered if:
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you have a UK proof of recovery record;
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you have another form of proof containing, in addition to your surname, first name and date of birth, one of the following details:
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confirmation of infection, including the name and address of the confirming body (test centre, doctor, pharmacy, hospital);
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confirmation that the quarantine order has been lifted or medical confirmation that you have recovered;
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you are also regarded as recovered if you can prove your COVID-19 infection by means of a positive PCR test or a positive rapid antigen test; this proof is valid from the eleventh day after the positive test result and lasts for 180 days.
Children and young people
Unvaccinated children and adolescents arriving from the UK under the age of 18 are allowed to enter Switzerland.
If you’re transiting through Switzerland
Travellers transiting airside in Switzerland are not required to show a negative test before boarding a plane to Switzerland, but may be required to show a negative test result for their onward destination.
When entering Switzerland in order to travel through to another Schengen state, the normal requirements for entering Switzerland apply.
Further information about transiting through Switzerland can be found on the website of the State Secretariat for Migration.
Exemptions
Work and compassionate reasons
Travellers must apply for a ‘laissez passer’ issued by the Swiss Embassy in situations of special necessity before entering Switzerland.
Further advice for people travelling to Switzerland is available from an information line run by the Federal Office of Public Health on +41 58 464 44 88 (4am – 9pm GMT). Assistance is available in English, German, French and Italian.
Check your passport and travel documents before you travel
Passport validity
If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must meet the Schengen area rules.
Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:
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less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)
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valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
We are asking the European Commission to clarify the 10-year rule. Their guidance for Schengen border guards may not be updated until the spring of 2022. Until then, for some Schengen countries your passport may need to be less than 10 years old during your whole visit, and the 3 months at the end of your visit may need to be within 10 years of your passport’s issue date.
Check both the issue date and the expiry date in your passport. If you renewed your passport early, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. This could affect the requirement for your passport to be less than 10 years old.
Contact your travel provider or embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Visas
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training.
If you are travelling to Switzerland and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you will need to meet the Swiss government’s entry requirements. Check the Swiss Embassy webiste to find out what type of visa and/or work permit, if any, you may need.
If you are travelling to work in Switzerland, read the guidance on visas and permits.
If you stay in Switzerland with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.
Passport stamping
Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Switzerland as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.
You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.
You may also need to:
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show a return or onward ticket
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show you have enough money for your stay
If you are resident in Switzerland, read our Living in Switzerland guide for passport stamping information.
Customs regulations
For information and advice about Swiss customs regulations, visit the official website of the Federal Customs Administration.
UK Emergency Travel Documents
UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are accepted for entry, airside transit and exit from Switzerland.