Subject:

Health Alert – COVID-19 Information for Switzerland and Liechtenstein (June 8, 2020)

Location: 

Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Event:

Latest update for U.S. citizens regarding COVID-19 in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive health and security updates and to ensure the State Department can locate you in an emergency.

Please continue to monitor the Embassy’s COVID-19 information page and local news.  Please share this message with other U.S. citizens currently in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. 

Consular Services:

At this time, we can only offer limited services for U.S. citizens.  Please visit the Embassy’s website for more information on services that we are able to provide and for any updates.

Any person entering the consular section for an emergency appointment will be required to wear a face covering; children under six years old and those unable to wear a covering are exempt from this requirement.  

Current Information: 

As of 6 June, Swiss Authorities have further relaxed restrictive measures.  For a complete list of open/permitted activities please visit the website of the SwissFederal Office of Public Health

A Note on Border Openings and International Travel:

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. Please see the Global Level 4 Health Advisory – Do Not Travel for details.

Swiss authorities have announced that entry restrictions with neighboring countries as well as other Schengen countries are scheduled to be lifted as of June 15.  Please note that the Swiss decision to lift entry restrictions into Switzerland is not necessarily based on a mutual agreement with the other country.

There is currently no date as of when Switzerland will lift the current entry restrictions for U.S. citizens.

Country-Specific Information:

Swiss Authorities have announced that effective June 19^th the situation in Switzerland will be downgraded from an “extraordinary situation” to a “special situation” under the terms of the Epidemics Act.

Hygiene and social distancing rules remain in place.

Entry and Exit Requirements:

Generally, all foreign nationals who wish to enter Switzerland and do not hold a valid residence or work permit will be refused entry.

Exceptions are possible and new categories for cases of special necessity are added regularly. In cases of special necessity, it is possible to enter Switzerland despite the entry ban. For a full list of persons exempted by the entry ban please visit the website of the Swiss Migration Authority (SEM).

Business Travelers

There is the possibility to enter Switzerland for important business appointments which cannot be postponed and have to be in person. At the moment a special entry permit is needed to enter Switzerland for business travel. This application can be sent directly to corona@sem.admin.ch, including for example the following documents: appointment confirmation, copy of passport, travel itinerary, reason for urgency of appointment/visit, and the reason for the need to be present personally.

General opening of the borders to Austria, Germany, and France

The relevant ministries agreed to lift all travel restrictions between their respective countries from 15 June.

Switzerland to lift entry restrictions for all Schengen states

If developments with respect to the pandemic in Switzerland and in the Schengen Area permit,Swiss authorities have announced plans to lift the entry restrictions for travelers from all other Schengen countries as of June 15.  Please note that the Swiss decision to lift entry restrictions into Switzerland is not necessarily based on a mutual agreement with the other country.

Travel restrictions for Third Countries (incl. USA)

There is currently no date as of when Switzerland will lift the current entry restrictions for U.S. citizens.  The Swiss Migration Office stated in a press release on May 27 that Swiss authorities “will decide on lifting entry restrictions for third countries [including the USA] at a later date and in consultation with the Schengen member states.”

Please also note that the Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/travel-advisory-alert-global-level-4-health-advisory-issue.html

For questions on entry requirements and permitted stay please visit the website of the Swiss Migration Authority (SEM)

Flights to the U.S.:

Flights to the United States from Switzerland

International commercial flight options currently exist in Switzerland.

Direct flights: Swiss International Air Lines is currently the only carrier operating direct flights from Switzerland to the United States.  Swiss International Air Lines currently provides regular services to Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), and Chicago (ORD).

These flights can be booked directly through Swiss International Air Lines or most travel arrangers. 

Note that Swiss International Air Lines is asking all passengers to bring their own mouth-nose face covering to wear on board all flights. 

Transit flights: Many countries have closed their national borders. Travelers flying to the U.S. by transiting through a third country should work directly with the airline to confirm that they are allowed to transit.

The Department of State does not endorse any private company and assumes no responsibility or liability for services provided by private companies. Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions affecting travel to the U.S.

For more information visit Embassy Bern’s COVID19 Information Page FAQs.

Local Resources:

For the most up-to-date information on numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Switzerland and Liechtenstein:
Federal Office of Public Health (English)
Federal Office of Public Health (German – most frequently updated)

Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Bern, Switzerland
031 357 70 11 (dialing within Switzerland)
+41 31 357 70 11 (dialing from overseas)
BernACS@state.gov 

State Department – Bureau of Consular Affairs 
+1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada)
+1-202-501-4444 (from other countries)

Swiss Federal Office of Public Health Hotline
+41 58 463 00 00 (staffed 24 hours in German, French, Italian and English)

Switzerland Country Specific Information

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