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What are the rules for travel between Switzerland and France this autumn?

If you're planning a trip over the border this autumn, here is what you need to know on the current rules on travel and health passes in France and Switzerland.

Published: 20 October 2021 16:16 CEST
The Alps between France and Switzerland
If you're crossing the Alps, here is what you need to know. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

What are the rules for entering Switzerland from France?

The rules for entry from France, as an EU/EFTA country, are more relaxed than those from so-called ‘third countries’, i.e. outside the bloc. 

People entering Switzerland from France who have been fully vaccinated in the past 12 months or who have contracted the virus and recovered in the past six months will be able to enter without further testing or restriction. 

‘Travelcheck’: This tool shows you what you need to enter Switzerland

People who have not been vaccinated or recovered will need to show evidence of a negative PCR test (not older than 72 hours) or a negative rapid antigen test (not older than 48 hours).

Once in Switzerland, you will need to take another test between four and seven days after entry. If the stay is less than four days, the second test is not necessary. 

Please keep in mind that if you are arriving from somewhere outside the EU/EFTA countries, you will not be allowed to enter Switzerland unless you are vaccinated against Covid. 

UPDATE: Switzerland confirms only vaccinated Americans and Brits can enter

All travellers – whether vaccinated, recovered or with a negative test – must also complete the passenger locator form before entering Switzerland.

“This will enable the cantons to carry out random checks to determine whether people who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered and who entered the country with a test have actually taken the second test after four to seven days”, the Federal Council said.

Whoever violates these rules could incur a fine of 200 francs for entry without a test certificate and 100 francs for an incomplete form.

READ MORE: Here is the form you need to enter Switzerland

What about Switzerland’s Covid certificate? 

Since mid-September, anyone visiting a bar, restaurant, event or other location needs to show a valid Covid certificate, which is the name given to Switzerland’s Covid health pass. 

This certificate is not required to enter Switzerland – however it may make things a little easier. 

Issuing Covid certificates is up to health authorities in every canton. The process is similar in each one.

Fortunately, any EU-issued Covid passes – including France’s health pass – are accepted in Switzerland, meaning you will not need to get the Swiss Covid certificate to visit bars, etc. 

More information is available at the following link. 

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

Entering France from Switzerland

France’s traffic light travel system classes all EU and Schengen zone countries (such as Switzerland) as green.

This means that if you are fully vaccinated you just need to show proof of vaccination at the border.

If you’re not vaccinated, you will need a negative Covid test (PCR or antigen) taken within the previous 72 hours.

All arrivals into France also need to complete a declaration stating that they are free of Covid symptoms, in practice this is not often checked, but to avoid possible delays at the border you can find the form HERE.

Once you are in France no further checks or tests are required, even for unvaccinated arrivals.

And the French health pass?

You will, however, need the French pass sanitaire (health pass) to enter a wide range of venues including bars, restaurants, tourist sites, leisure centres and for long-distance train travel.

READ ALSO When and where you need the French health pass

If you were vaccinated in Switzerland than your Swiss QR code is compatible with the French TousAntiCovid app, which is used for the health pass. You can also show proof of vaccination on paper, as long as the certificate has the QR code on it.

The same is true for people vaccinated in any EU or Schengen country, but if you were vaccinated in a non-EU country than you will need to either obtain a French code or, if you were vaccinated in England, Wales or Scotland, upload your NHS pass to the French app.

If you’re not vaccinated you will need a Covid test every 72 hours in order to keep your health pass valid. Covid tests in France are easily accessible via pharmacies, but tourists and unvaccinated residents must pay for their tests.

Remember also that masks are compulsory in all indoor public spaces not covered by the health pass (such as shops) and on all public transport.

The French/Swiss border

Like all Schengen borders, the one between France and Switzerland is pretty relaxed when it comes to security checks.

If you’re flying the checks are stricter, but if you travel by car or train then it’s highly likely that your travel documents will not be checked at the border.

However just because checks are rare doesn’t mean that they never happen and if you’re at the border without the necessary documents you can and will be refused entry. 

Those who do not have the requisite documentation also face stiff fines.  

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TRAVEL NEWS

Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but among many questions that remain is the situation for non-EU nationals who live in the EU or Schengen zone.

Published: 27 April 2024 07:59 CEST
Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is not unlikely) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is basically an enhanced passport check at external EU borders, including a facial scan and fingerprinting.

You can find a full explanation of the new system HERE.

Travellers crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities including that facial scan and fingerprinting.

There are, however, several groups exempt from EES and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

So if you’re a foreigner living in the EU or Schengen zone, here’s what you need to know.

Exempt

One of the stated aims of EES is to tighten up enforcement of over-staying – IE, people who stay longer than 90 days in every 180 without a visa, or those who overstay the limits of their visa.

Obviously these limits do not apply to non-EU nationals who are resident in the EU or Schengen zone, which is why this group is exempt from EES checks. They will instead be required to show their passport and residency permit/visa when crossing a border, just as they do now.

In its explanations of how EES will work, the European Commission is clear – exempt groups include non-EU residents of the Bloc.

A Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

How this will work

How this will work on the ground, however, is a lot less clear.

Most ports/airports/terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It does seem clear that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths. However it is not clear whether these will be available at all airports/ports/terminals or how non-EU residents of the EU will be directed to those services.

There’s also the issue that individual border guards are not always clear on the processes and rules for non-EU residents of the EU – even under the current system it’s relatively commonly for EU residents to have their passports incorrectly stamped or be given incorrect information about passport stamping by border guards.

Brits in particular will remember the immediate post-Brexit period when the processes as described by the EU and national authorities frequently did not match what was happening on the ground.

The Local will continue to try and get answers on these questions. 

READ ALSO What will EES mean for dual nationals

What if I live in the EU but I don’t have a visa/residency permit?

For most non-EU citizens, having either a visa or a residency permit is obligatory in order to be legally resident.

However, there is one exception: UK citizens who were legally resident in the EU prior to the end of the Brexit transition period and who live in one of the “declaratory” countries where getting a post-Brexit residency card was optional, rather than compulsory. Declaratory countries include Germany and Italy.

Although it is legal for people in this situation to live in those countries without a residency permit, authorities already advise people to get one in order to avoid confusion/hassle/delays at the border. Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a residency card than it is now.

Our advice? Things are going to be chaotic enough, getting a residency permit seems likely to save you a considerable amount of hassle.

Delays 

Although residents of the EU do not need to complete EES formalities, they will be affected if the new system causes long queues or delays at the border.

Several countries have expressed worries about this, with the UK-France border a particular cause for concern.

READ ALSO Travellers could face ’14 hours queues’ at UK-France border

Where does it apply?

EES is about external EU/Schengen borders, so does not apply if you are travelling within the Schengen zone – eg taking the train from France to Germany or flying from Spain to Sweden.

Ireland and Cyprus, despite being in the EU, are not in the Schengen zone so will not be using EES, they will continue to stamp passports manually.

Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – countries that are in the Schengen zone but not in the EU – will be using EES.

The full list of countries using EES is: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Therefore a journey between any of the countries listed above will not be covered by EES.

However a journey in or out of any of those countries from a country not listed above will be covered by EES.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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