[updated 27.05.2021]

Situation in the United Kingdom

We strongly advise that you check on the UK government website for the latest on the situation before travelling to the UK.

General situation

Please find information on the situation in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales via the respective links.

Please find up-to-date information as well as information on how to protect yourself on the UK government’s dedicated coronavirus website and on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Travel

The UK government currently advises against all but essential travel to many countries, including Switzerland; please find more information on the UK government’s website.

All international arrivals in England are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within three days prior to departure. The COVID-19 test must comply with certain standards. Please find more information on mandatory COVID-19 testing on the relevant website.

Persons entering the UK from Switzerland are required to self-isolate for ten days upon arrival, unless they qualify for an exemption. Before travelling to England, they have to book a package with two tests that have to be taken on day 2 and day 8 of their quarantine. Travellers self-isolating in England may choose to opt in to the Test to Release Scheme allowing them to end their self-isolation period after five days if tested negative. Please find more information on the Test to Release for international travel webpage.

Travellers are required to fill in the ‘passenger locator form’ before entering the UK, providing their contact details.

Persons who have been in a country where travel to the UK is banned at any point in the previous ten days have to book and stay in a quarantine hotel, see guidance.

For more information, please visit this UK government website or the websites of the Scottish, Northern Irish or Welsh Devolved Administrations.

Situation in Switzerland

General situation

Please visit the webpage of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) for the latest information and advice on the situation in Switzerland. Please find more information on Coronavirus and on how to protect yourself on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Travel

The UK is considered a high-risk country with entry restrictions. For all third-country citizens travelling directly from a high-risk country, entry restrictions apply when they enter Switzerland for example for a holiday, visit or other reason; persons who do not have rights of free movement are only permitted to enter Switzerland from a high-risk country for stays of less than 90 days in cases of special necessity. See also «Rules for UK citizens (Brexit)».

Persons who enter Switzerland from the UK have to present a negative COVID-19 test result and have to fill in a passenger locator form before entering Switzerland.

Travellers who enter Switzerland from the UK have to go into quarantine for 10 days upon arrival. They have to report their arrival to the relevant cantonal authority within two days. Travellers also have the possibility to take a second COVID-19 test after seven days of quarantine, which if negative, might release them from quarantine.

We kindly ask you to read the relevant Q&A of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) carefully to find out about the entry restrictions and the exceptions that apply. In case of urgent inquiries that are not answered by the Q&A, travellers may contact SEM directly (by email or – in the case of emergency – the helpline).

For more information on the test or quarantine requirement please visit the website of the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH and consult the relevant Q&A. For urgent inquiries that are not answered by the Q&A, travellers may contact the competent helpline.