Given the current circumstances and in order to follow the recommended measures of social distancing, please contact us to schedule your appointment in advance.

All consular services will continue to be available.

The year 2020 was an unusual year for all of us. Please find the letter from the Ambassador, Dr. Linus von Castelmur to the Swiss community in the Republic of Korea.

Letter to the Swiss community. (PDF, 499.1 kB, English)

Traveling to Switzerland

From 20 July 2020, the Republic of Korea has been removed from the list of high-risk countries. Normal entry requirements apply to any persons entering Switzerland directly from the Republic of Korea.

Flight to Switzerland

Several airlines are flying directly to Europe. Please note that there are no direct flights to Switzerland from South Korea.

Please find the list of countries subject to normal requirements for entering Switzerland.

List of countries subject to normal requirements for entering Switzerland

For additional information, please consult the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration SEM.

Quarantine

People arriving in Swtizerland from certain countries and areas will be required to go into quarantine (entry into force 06.07.2020 00h00 CET)

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH > Mandatory quarantine

Negative PCR Test result issued within 72 hours of arrival is required to enter Switzerland by air (entry into force 8.2.2021 00h00 CET)

All persons arriving by air even from a country that is not considered high risk must be able to show a negative PCR test result before boarding the plane.  The test result must be issued either in English or in a Swiss national language.

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH > Coronavirus

Electronic Entry Form to be completed before arrival (entry into force 08.02.2021 00h00 CET)

Fill out the form before your entry to Switzerland.

Electronic Entry Form

FAQ regarding Electronic Entry Form

Traveling to the Republic of Korea

Visa waiver agreement (entry into force 13.04.2020 00h00 CET)

Korean authorities have informed us that the visa waiver agreement that allowed visa-free entry to the Republic of Korea for Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens will no longer be in force effective 13 April 00h00 CET. As a consequence, Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens will need a visa to enter the Republic of Korea.

New regulations regarding re-entry Permits to Korea for long-term visa holders of Korea (entry into force 1.6.2020 00h00 CET)

Please visit the following websites to be updated:

Immigration

Hikorea

Special entry procedures adopted by the government of the Republic of Korea (entry into force 12.06.2020 00h00 CET)

• At the immigration, Travelers with symptoms will be tested.
• If positive, isolation and treatment at a hospital or treatment center
• If negative, self-quarantine for 14 days at home or facility for short-term travelers
• Travelers without symptoms will be tested.
• Long term (living in Korea): self-quarantine for 14 days, testing within 24hours
• Short term (not living in Korea): testing at the entry point right after their arrival or at a government-designated facility within 24hours, quarantine at the government-designated facility
• If positive, admitted to hospital or treatment center.

All in-bound travelers are required to download the Self-Quarantine Safety and Protection App on their smartphone. In case travelers violate the self-quarantine order and leave the designated location without justifiable reasons, they may be subject to fine or deportation.

A negative COVID-19 test (PCR) result is required for all foreigners entering the ROK (entry into force 8.1.2021 KST for airports and 15.1.2021 KST for ports)

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that all foreign nationals must present a negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result to enter the country, starting from January 8th, 12:00 am, for airports, and January 15th, 12:00 am, for ports. This measure is part of the government’s response to the emergence of a mutated COVID-19 strain. The details are as below:

• The certificate must be issued within 72 hours of departure.
• This measure also applies to holders of A1 (diplomatic), A2 (official) and A3 (treaties) visas.
• Infants and children under the age of 6 (as of the entry date) are exempted from submitting a test result certificate.
• For a list of designated hospitals and medical institutions, please check with the Korean embassy from the country of departure. 
• The original test certificate (copies are not accepted) in English or in Korean must mention the negative PCR result. If the test certificate is not issued in English or Korean, a certified translation must be submitted.
• The certificate must be carried on the traveler’s person and presented before boarding the plane. Non-compliance will result in boarding being denied.
• The mandatory two-week quarantine for all inbound travelers is still effective.
• The above measure is not related to visa issuance.
• Passengers transiting in Korea without entry are not required to show their test result certificate when boarding an aircraft and they are allowed to transit in Korea without the certificate.

If you travel abroad, please register the dates of your trip on Travel Admin.

Embassy services

Mandatory COVID-19 tests for foreign workers

For the last couple of weeks, several executive orders on mandatory testing for foreign workers issued by provincial governments and metropolitan cities (Gyeonggi-do, Jeollanam-do, Seoul, …) have lately stirred controversies and created confusion in foreign communities living in South Korea.

After the coordinated démarches by Embassies, foreign Chambers of Commerce and universities, last Friday the Ministry of Health and MOFA sent a letter to all local governments requesting them to respect human rights and the principles of non-discrimination and to review and correct their decisions if needed. In reaction to this request, Seoul Metropolitan Government was the first entity to announce over the weekend that it has revised its administrative order. In Seoul, tests are now recommended and not mandatory anymore. It is likely that other local governments will follow suite and will also review their decisions. Therefore, for the time being, we recommend Swiss citizens living in these provinces and cities to wait and to undergo a PCR test only in the case of a perceived health risk at their workplace or wider living environment.

The Embassy will continue to follow the situation closely and keep you updated.

Vaccination for the Swiss Abroad

Swiss Community > Covid-19 vaccination

Life Certificates

The Swiss Compensation Office in Geneva (SAK / CSC / CSC) accepts - due to the current situation, delays in postal traffic and difficulties in contacting the competent authorities - life certificates with copy of passport/identity card by e-mail to the following address: sedmaster@zas.admin.ch. These can be confirmed by the insured by means of their signature. (No official stamp). This applies to until the end of April 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Please follow the prevention recommendations from the local Korean authorities, especially the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and download the Emergency Ready App available on IoS and Android.

For additional information in a Swiss national language or in English, the following homepages might be useful :

Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)  > New coronavirus (de,fr,it)

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Safetravel.ch, also contains addresses of institutes for travel medicine.

Communication of 29.01.2020 (PDF, 401.0 kB, English)  

Communication of 25.02.2020 (PDF, 390.2 kB, English)

Communication of 28.02.2020  (PDF, 379.0 kB, English)

Communication of 16.03.2020 (PDF, 327.2 kB, English)

Measures Federal Council – airlines, 17.03.2020 (PDF, 530.2 kB, English)

Recommendations for Swiss tourists, 19.03.2020 (PDF, 519.2 kB, English)

Communication of 30.03.2020 (PDF, 412.0 kB, English)

Implemented measures, 30.03.2020  (PDF, 475.7 kB, English)

New re-entry permit visa, 25.05.2020 (PDF, 464.4 kB, English)

Update on re-entry permit, 08.06.2020 (PDF, 575.8 kB, English)

Multilingual Medical Certificate, 25.06.2020 (PDF, 387.2 kB, English)

Warning to future students and interns in Korea

The Embassy was informed by some students and interns that they were victims of fraud while trying to rent a studio or flat in Seoul. Therefore, if you rent an apartment, please do not make any advance payments. Payments should only be made when you move into the rented property. Otherwise, you may be caught by fraudsters and lose your money.