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TRAVEL NEWS

Rule change: Swiss Covid certificate no longer free for US/UK visitors

A change in Covid rules means US, UK and Indian arrivals must pay for a Covid certificate in Switzerland as of Monday.

Published: 11 October 2021 17:29 CEST
Switzerland's Covid certificate app. Photo: FOPH
Switzerland's Covid certificate app. Photo: FOPH

Please note: From November 1st, Brits visiting Switzerland will be allowed to use their NHS app wherever the Covid certificate is required. Therefore, while it will still cost CHF30 for Brits (along with Americans, Indians and other visitors), they will not need to do so as they can show their NHS pass (in digital or paper form). More information is available here.  

From Monday, October 11th, people coming to Switzerland from non-EU /EFTA countries — including from the US, India and the UK — will have to pay to convert their evidence of vaccination to a Swiss Covid certificate.

Visitors can expect to pay 30 francs for this service.

For those coming from EU/EFTA countries – or who have a Covid certificate/passport from one of these countries – they will not need to convert it when they arrive in Switzerland. 

This is because EU/EFTA passes can be used throughout Switzerland wherever the Covid certificate is required and therefore does not need to be ‘converted’. 

Swiss tourism officials and ski resort operators are concerned that non-European tourists will be put off by the financial and logistical obstacles.

“These tourists are essential for ski resorts”, according to Markus Berger, spokesperson for Switzerland Tourism.

“With the 30-franc fee, we have a hurdle that other countries don’t have”, Berger said.

While neighbouring France and Germany also require certificate conversion, this procedure is free of charge there.

“The reason why this service is free in France is obvious”, Berger said, adding that the French “set it up and made it available very quickly, offering it free of charge as an active tourism promotion measure. Unfortunately, there is no such awareness in Switzerland”.

The tourism industry is lobbying federal authorities in Bern in an effort to rescind the 30-franc rule.

Exactly where the certificate will be needed on Switzerland’s slopes remains to be seen. 

Specific information on how to get Switzerland’s Covid certificate for arrivals from all countries can be found at the following link. 

Canton-by-canton: How visitors can get Switzerland’s Covid certificate

Member comments

  2. The federal application process just went live within the last 12 hours. I applied for mine and it was a relatively simple process, though there was a bit of confusion when it asked for “Last Dose”. The app was looking for 1 or 2, depending on how many doses you had. We will see if the screenshots from my hotel app and airline reservations will be enough, they mentioned 5 working days for approval.

    1. Well I already got my certificate, it even loads in the app when importing the pdf as I never provided a transfer code. My wife however was not so lucky, her CDC vaccination card has two dates… the larger of which is the expiration date of the specific batch she received. Unfortunately they read this as the date the dose was received, even though the expiration date is a future date. I called the Federal health office who could only provide technical support and thus I emailed the canton (Zurich) yesterday. I have yet to receive a response, though I’ll call in a few days of necessary.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Why is Switzerland going to collect a database of flight passengers?

Twenty years after the US began sharing a database of those flying in and out of the country in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Switzerland is set to follow suit - but not without some outside pressure. 

Published: 16 May 2024 15:51 CEST
Why is Switzerland going to collect a database of flight passengers?

Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems are databases that operate by flagging and tracking individuals who may pose a security risk. 

The data includes the name, destination, means of payment, and type of baggage for each passenger arriving or leaving a country via its airports. 

Until now, Switzerland has not participated in a PNR system in a way that allows data to be freely accessible to partners such as the EU and the US. 

Indeed, for years, it has been possible to circumvent the EU’s PNR systems by flying into Switzerland and crossing a land border with the EU. 

Now, however, Switzerland is being forced to comply. 

The United States has threatened Switzerland’s place in their Visa Waiver Program unless they share data. 

Similarly, the EU has applied significant diplomatic pressure to join their efforts – and considerable progress has already occurred, with agreements signed. 

Other countries have also signalled that Swiss carriers may withdraw their landing rights or impose heavy fines if Switzerland does not begin participating in a compliant PNR system. 

Changes in effect 2026

On Wednesday, Justice Minister Beat Jans announced at a press conference that a PNR program that worked in collaboration with other countries would come into effect in 2026. 

The reason given for the length of time it would take to go into effect was that a legal basis for the move does not yet exist in Swiss law—a dispatch on proposed legislation has only just been sent to the Federal Council.

Once passed by the Federal Council and then by the Council of States, the federal police will be responsible for tracking passengers via a new group – the Passenger Information Unit (PIU). 

The PIU will examine passenger manifests a day before and immediately before flights taking off or landing and compare them to shared lists of individuals involved in terrorism, organised crime, or who have committed violent crimes. 

If there is a match, information will be forwarded to authorities at the relevant airport.  

Privacy concerns 

Understandably, for the privacy-conscious Swiss, concerns have been raised. 

Both the right-wing SVP, the Greens and the SPD have voiced doubts about the security and privacy of passenger data. 

In response, the government has announced that all passenger data except for that relates to those linked to terrorist groups will be deleted after six months. 

To further ease concerns, Switzerland’s PNR system will be constantly monitored by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.

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