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Antigen testing for travel now free in Switzerland

Anyone who needs to take an antigen test for the purposes of travel will now have the costs covered by the Swiss government.

Published: 8 July 2021 11:40 CEST
Antigen testing for travel now free in Switzerland
Antigen tests will now be free in Switzerland for the purposes of travel. Photo: YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP

The Swiss government has confirmed it will cover the costs of antigen tests which are taken for the purpose of travel. 

Prior to the change, travellers would have to take the tests at their own expense, which could cost them anywhere from CHF20 to CHF90. 

While the Swiss government has been covering the costs of tests for some time, this did not include tests taken for the purpose of travel. 

Countries and airlines frequently require negative tests as a condition of travel or entry, even if a person is fully vaccinated or has recovered from the virus. 

While the change was made on June 26th, Swiss media reports that testing sites and pharmacies across the country have continued to charge. 

If you have paid for a test since this time, you can approach the testing site for a refund. 

The refund will be given if you have proof of purchase, although Swiss news outlet Le Matin reports that testing sites may be able to charge a fee if they provided an additional service on top of the test, such as providing health advice or information about the requirements at destinations. 

Martine Ruggli, president of PharmaSuisse, said mistakes may have been made by pharmacies who were not aware the rules had changed. 

“We communicated this on June 24 to all member pharmacies of our company. The test and its certificate are free. This is a recent decision, so we are in a transitional situation where everyone has not yet applied the measure”

Unlike antigen tests, PCR tests – which are sometimes a requirement of entry – will not be covered by the government and therefore will need to be taken at the traveller’s expense. 

Member comments

  1. I am confused about this decision, as in Zurich antigen tests (rapid tests) have been free for a while, also for the purpose of traveling. Or better, nowhere it said that you weren’t entitled to get a free test depending on the reason. The Federal directive clearly said that tests were free even without symptoms, and nothing else.

    1. Indeed, it’s a very weird article. I have got several antigen tests for travelling for free…

  2. At the Zurich Airport the testing has never been offered for free for travel. I hope the antigen test will be free there now.

    1. The testing center at Zurich airport is an exception, they clearly say in their website that they don’t bill to insurance companies. Any other testing center in Zurich (including pharmacies) did the rapid tests for free (that is, billing the insurance company).

  3. I agree with the comments here. In Zurich the antigen tests for travel have been free for a while now. I think this can be explained at the cantonal level – the cantons all do it differently. Sometimes I’ve noticed the the Local articles are written based on the Geneva situation and don’t always reflect the situation in other cantons. One thing we need to learn in Switzerland is that when it comes to handling a global health emergency and all the rest that goes with it, the cantonal approach doesn’t work that well. I hope Bern takes better central control ready for the next pandemic which they say will come – just a question of when if not this confusion will continue to annoy us

  4. I assume if you are a US leisure traveler that and the antigen test for the purpose of boarding a depatriur flight would not be free….correct?

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The government is working on the assumption that the system will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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