December 17, 2021

Only vaccinated and recovered people will be able to access restaurants, cultural, sports and leisure facilities as well as events under the new rules.

Masks are mandatory and people must have an assigned seat.

Nightclubs and bars without assigned seats will be reserved for vaccinated and recovered people who may also have a recent negative test.

The government has also agreed to bear the costs of testing for the purposes of the Covid certificate.

There is an obligation for people to work from home if they can.

Ski resorts breathe a sigh of relief as the closure of bars and restaurants would have had a significant impact.

The same goes for restrictive outdoor events at ski resorts, many of which are scheduled for the Christmas holiday period.

The new measures from December 20 are in place initially until January 24, 2022.

“The new rule reduces the risk of unimmunized people becoming infected, as they are also more likely to transmit the virus and become seriously ill,” a government statement said.

See here for all the details (in English).

Intensive care beds in Switzerland are 82% full and the Federal Office of Public Health said they have never been so full since the start of the pandemic.

Half of the people in intensive care beds have been admitted with Covid-19.

4 out of 5 admissions are to unvaccinated people and the government has stated that “these patients are mostly middle-aged and older unvaccinated people.”

Hospitals have been recommended to postpone elective medical procedures.

Switzerland also achieved its highest seven-day Covid incidence rate per 100,000 people over a 7-day period.

It now stands at 549

Austria currently has 296 confirmed cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people over a 7-day period.

Elsewhere in the Alps, it is 516 in France, 296 in Austria and 215 in Italy.

In the chain of the Pyrenees, it is 1712 in Andorra and 190 in Spain.

Austria has relaxed some restrictions as its cases decline.

Health officials are also concerned about the number of infections with the Omicron variant.

They say it “is expected to increase dramatically as Christmas approaches.”

Latest Swiss Rules

Related stories

With France closed to British skiers and snowboarders, some head to Switzerland during the holiday season.

Entry restrictions have been relaxed slightly for travelers entering Switzerland.

People can now choose between a rapid test within 24 hours of arrival or a PCR test within 72 hours.

From Monday, December 20, people vaccinated or recently recovered from the infection no longer have to undergo another test within four to seven days of entering the country.

Advice from the British government on entering Switzerland:

You can enter Switzerland for any reason for travel if you are fully vaccinated and have a negative PCR test on boarding.

More details are available at the website of the Federal Office of Health.

Travelers who are not fully vaccinated can only enter Switzerland from the UK if they meet certain conditions.

Unvaccinated children and adolescents from the UK under the age of 18 are allowed to enter Switzerland if accompanied by fully vaccinated adults.

All travelers must complete a passenger locator form.

Test requirements

Travelers must be able to produce a negative PCR test (no more than 72 hours) on board an aircraft bound for Switzerland and upon entry. You must take this test in your country of departure. Children under 16 are exempt from testing. There are other limited exceptions to this requirement. A negative COVID-19 test will not allow you to enter Switzerland if you are not eligible (i.e. fully vaccinated or exempt).

Children under 16 are exempt from testing.

Demonstrate your COVID-19 status

Switzerland will accept UK proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination proof issued in Crown Dependencies. However, a screenshot or photo is not enough. Your last dose of vaccine should have been given within 12 months of travel and in the case of Janssen vaccination, at least 22 days before travel.

If you are traveling with a printed PDF vaccination certificate, it must be dated November 1, 2021 to ensure that the certificate can be successfully scanned.

Transit

Travelers entering Switzerland to transit to another destination (e.g. France, Germany or Italy) are required to present a negative PCR test before boarding an aircraft bound for Switzerland and at the destination. entry into Switzerland. Travelers transiting airside in Switzerland are not required to present a negative PCR test before boarding an aircraft bound for Switzerland, but may be required to present negative tests for their subsequent destination.

If you are transiting through Switzerland, you are strongly advised to book your subsequent trip in advance and to have confirmed that you meet the entry requirements for your destination country (you may be required to provide proof of your subsequent trip and your accommodation). If you are transiting by air, you must complete an online form and provide your contact details. You should also consult the travel advice for any country you will be passing through on your way back to the UK. Further information on travel through Switzerland is available from the State Secretariat for Migration.

At PlanetSKI, we do our best to ensure that the information provided here is as complete and up to date as possible. However, please be aware that we assume no responsibility in this regard. The information provided by PlanetSKI should be verified with the official information provided by the authorities. The situation regarding travel warnings and local rules is changing rapidly.

Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI.