Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Bern (March 16, 2020)

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Bern, Switzerland and Liechtenstein (March 16, 2020)

Location: Switzerland and Lichtenstein

Event: Effective March 16, 2020, U.S. Embassy Bern has suspended routine consular services.  The embassy will also be closed on March 17 and resume limited operations on March 18.  Emergency American Citizens Services, including emergency passport issuance, continue to be available. Please visit our website for additional information or to schedule an appointment.

The U.S. Consular Agencies in Geneva and Zurich will remain closed effective immediately until further notice.

The CDC has issued a Travel Notice Warning – Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel to Switzerland and the State Department has issued a Global Level 3 Travel Advisory recommending that U.S. citizens reconsider international travel.

On March 16, 2020, the Swiss Federal Government declared the situation in Switzerland as “extraordinary” under the Epidemiology Act and announced new measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.  A detailed  list of measures is available on the Embassy’s COVID-19 webpage

For information on the March 11, 2020 Presidential Proclamation on travel from and transiting through Europe, see the Department of State’s Frequently Asked Questions page. For information related to arriving in the United States, refer to the Department of Homeland Security’s website for details.

On March 14, the Department of State authorized the departure from any diplomatic or consular post in the world of U.S. personnel and family members who have been medically determined to be at higher risk of a poor outcome if exposed to COVID-19.

Many travelers in Switzerland reported unexpected flight cancellations and limited flight availability.  If your travel has been disrupted, please work with your airline to rebook your travel.

Actions to Take:

Assistance: