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

The Department of State and the CDC advise 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.

Although services for U.S. citizens are still limited, passport production has resumed.  Visit our website to apply for a U.S. passport or U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad as well as Notarial Services.  Appointments are available at the U.S. Embassy in Bern and the consular agencies in Geneva and Zurich.

Visa services are still suspended.  The travel restrictions from Schengen countries to the United States under Presidential Proclamation 9984 still apply.  U.S. Embassy Bern recommends that individuals who meet one of the categorial exemptions under the PP 9984 (i.e. spouse of U.S. citizen/LPR, parent of U.S. citizen/LPR child, etc.) apply for a B1/B2 visa in order to document that they meet the exemption.  If you are planning to travel to the U.S., please visit the CDC’s Website for Travelers.

Any person entering the consular section 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.

U.S. citizens living outside the country are eligible for the Economic Impact Payment.  To check your eligibility, the status of your payment, or for additional information, please contact the IRS directly: www.irs.gov

Election Day in the U.S. is November 3^rd — just 120 days away.

U.S. Citizens overseas can vote from wherever they are! To register to vote, request an absentee ballot, get information on your state of residence guidelines, please go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.FVAP.gov

An overview of the measures eased and the restrictions still in place can be found on the website of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.  Although many measures have been eased, people should continue to protect themselves and others by washing their hands regularly and observing social distancing.

Masks compulsory on public transport
From Monday, 6 July 2020, persons over the age of 12 will have to wear a mask in trains, trams, and buses, as well as on mountain rail and cableways and on lake and river boats.

Mandatory quarantine for persons arriving in Switzerland
From 6 July 2020, people arriving in Switzerland from certain countries (incl. the USA) will be required to go into a 10-day quarantine (this is not simply a recommendation). The list of countries will be updated continuously.

If you are arriving in Switzerland from one of the countries with a high risk of infection you will be required to:

• Go immediately on arrival to your home or to other suitable accommodation.
• Stay there for 10 days from the day of your arrival without going out. Follow the instructions on quarantine (PDF, 142 kB, 06.07.2020).
• Report your arrival within two days to the responsible cantonal authority.
• Follow the instructions from the authorities.

Entry Restrictions

Switzerland is expected to follow the EU Council recommendations regarding entry requirements of non-EU citizens with the exceptions that the entry ban will begin on 20 July 2020 and include a ban on Serbian citizens.  Switzerland intends to remove Algeria, Australia, Canada, China, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay, as well as the EU states outside the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Ireland, Croatia, Romania and Cyprus) from the list of high-risk countries.

At this time the United States remains on the list of high-risk countries and U.S. citizens will remain subject to the current entry restrictions.
For further information:

• on the current entry restrictions
• on persons with rights of free movement
• on the lifting of restrictions that apply to third countries from 20 July 2020

The measures put in place to address the spread of the coronavirus are subject to change, and we recommend confirming directly with Swiss authorities for the most current information.   For more details please visit the website of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

Hygiene and social distancing rules remain in place.

For more information visit Embassy Bern’s COVID-19 Information for Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

For the most up-to-date information on numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Switzerland visit the website of the Federal Office of Public Health.

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

For information on quarantine requirements and entering Switzerland visit the website of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.
Infoline for people travelling to Switzerland: +41 58 464 44 88