Advertisement

Travel For Members

What are the current rules on travelling from Switzerland to neighbouring countries?

The Local Switzerland
The Local Switzerland - [email protected]
What are the current rules on travelling from Switzerland to neighbouring countries?
Sandy beaches of Italy and France are now within reach. ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP

Travel regulations to and from Switzerland change based on the epidemiological situation both at home and abroad. These are the most recent entry rules for Austria, France, Italy, and Germany as of May 31st.

Advertisement

Austria

All travellers must register online at the earliest 72 hours before entering the country.

Up to May 19th, arrivals from Switzerland had to show evidence of a negative test taken less than 72 hours before  travel. They were also subject to quarantine for 10 days on arrival, though people could leave quarantine from the fifth day with a negative test.

However, from May 19th Austria has relaxed entry rules for people arriving from Switzerland. 

No test or quarantine is needed if you can present either a vaccine certificate or proof of recovery from coronavirus. In this regard, these rules are similar to the ones Switzerland introduced on May 31st.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What are the latest quarantine rules for arrivals in Switzerland?

Advertisement

These are the exact conditions:

  • Inoculation with BioNtech/Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson&Johnson, AstraZeneca, or Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Start of validity: 22 days after the first inoculation.
  • End of validity: three months after the first inoculation if partially vaccinated (received the first of two prescribed doses).
  • Nine months after the only inoculation, as is the case with single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
  • Those who have recovered from Covid must show a certificate of recovery  in the six months before travel, or or a positive test for COVID-19 antibodies, not older than 3 months.
  • Only certificates issued in English or German by a medical professional or public authority will be accepted.

If you are nor vaccinated or recovered from Covid, you will still new to show negative test to enter Austria and quarantine while you are there.

Germany

Germany, which had previously required tests and quarantines of all travellers, has also eased the entry measures.

“Proof of vaccination or recovery is deemed equivalent to a negative test result. Additionally, it can exempt you from the obligation to quarantine on entry”, according to official government site.

In the absence of either proof, negative test result are quarantine upon arrival are required.

However a quick shopping trip or stays across the border for no longer that 24 hours are possible without quarantine and testing.

READ MORE: Switzerland: What are the rules for cross-border shopping in neighbouring countries?

Advertisement

France

No quarantine or test are required if you live within 30 kilometres from the French border or intend to stay in the country less than 24 hours. This concerns mostly people who go shopping to France, as well as cross-border workers.

But if you don’t live within the 30-kilometre radius of the border and are not a border worker, you need a negative PCR Covid test as well as a declaration on your honour that you are symptom-free and have not been in contact with any coronavirus cases.

Italy

Switzerland’s southern neighbour also had strict entry rules in place, requiring foreign visitors – including those from Switzerland — to undergo a five-day quarantine and two coronavirus tests.

Now these regulations have been relaxed somewhat.

While a negative test is still required, the quarantine obligation has been scrapped.

Also, people traveling to Italy must fill out a form called Digital Passenger Locator Form (dPLF) before entering the country. The dPLF replaces the self-declaration form.

These rules also apply to shopping trips to Italy, but don’t extend to cross-border workers.

 

 

 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also