Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

Travel: Switzerland proposes end to Covid entry rules

The Swiss government’s proposal to end Covid measures includes the scrapping of the entry form and testing rules. Here’s what you need to know.

Published: 2 February 2022 16:42 CET
A Swiss airlines plane takes off while another can be seen on the tarmac in Switzerland
Arriving in Switzerland is set to be easier under new rules being proposed by the Swiss government. Image: Pixabay.

NOTE: Switzerland updated its travel rules on February 17th, removing all Covid-related restrictions. Click here for more information. 

The Swiss government on Wednesday afternoon announced the relaxation of some Covid measures, along with a plan to end most remaining measures by the start of March. 

The specific measures that have been relaxed – as well as the future plans – are laid out at the following link. 

READ MORE: Switzerland announces plans to relax all Covid measures

The Swiss government has also proposed further changes to travel rules, which will also be decided on by the cantons as part of the consultation process. 

This includes removing all Covid-related entry rules in place in the country. 

The requirement for people who are unvaccinated or not recovered from the virus to be tested on arrival would be dropped. 

The requirement to provide contact details in Switzerland’s entry form would also be dropped. 

Tourists would no longer need to get and show Covid certificates, as these would not be in use in Switzerland. If they remain in use, i.e. for larger events as laid out in path two above, then tourists would still be required to show certificates at these events. 

The Swiss government did however say that the overall Covid certificate would not be scrapped even if it was no longer required domestically as this may need to be shown abroad, i.e. for travel or entry to certain venues. 

The consultation is set to end on February 9th, with the changes to be put in place from February 17th onwards. 

Stay tuned to The Local for more information when it becomes available. 

Click here for the official government press release. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

TRAVEL NEWS

What’s the environmental fee Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss airlines will charge you?

German airline group Lufthansa, which includes national flyers Austrian and Swiss airlines have said it will add an environmental charge to passenger fares in Europe to cover the cost of increasing EU climate regulations.

Published: 26 June 2024 13:30 CEST
What's the environmental fee Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss airlines will charge you?

How much will the cost be?

The extra cost will be added to all flights sold and operated by the group departing from EU countries as well as Britain, Norway and Switzerland, the group said in a statement.

It will apply to flights from January next year and, depending on the route and fare, will vary from €1 to €72.

What’s the justification for the cost?

“The airline group will not be able to bear the successively increasing additional costs resulting from regulatory requirements in the coming years on its own,” said Lufthansa.

The group — whose airlines include Lufthansa, Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlines — said it is facing extra costs from EU regulations related to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The aviation sector is among the toughest to decarbonise and SAF — a biofuel that produces lower carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel  — is seen as a crucial ingredient to hitting emissions targets but is currently more expensive to produce.

In March, Airlines for Europe, which represents the continent’s largest airline groups including Lufthansa, complained that production of the fuel in Europe is minimal and lags far behind projects launched in the United States.

Lufthansa said it also faces extra costs from changes to the EU’s emissions trading system, and other regulatory measures.

The group aims to halve its net carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 2019, and to go carbon neutral by 2050.

What is the EU legislation?

The EU legislation requires airlines to gradually increase use of the fuel on routes departing EU airports.

Carriers will need to include two percent of SAF in their fuel mix from next year, rising to six percent in 2030 and then soaring to 70 percent from 2050.

What’s the sate of Lufthansa group’s finances?

After having to be bailed out by the German government during the coronavirus pandemic, Lufthansa racked up healthy profits in 2022 and 2023 as travel demand roared back.

But it was hard hit by a series of strikes at the start of this year, reporting a hefty first-quarter loss.

SHOW COMMENTS