News overview COVID-19

Many Swiss nationals travelling abroad ask the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA for recommendations and advice on their journey. A list of questions and answers.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact, especially in developing countries. In the context of its international cooperation efforts, the FDFA has responded swiftly and effectively to the challenges posed by COVID-19.

COVID-19 has an impact on our lives in Switzerland and abroad. The FDFA summarises the most important information regarding life abroad in its news ticker.

Switzerland maintains long-standing bilateral relations with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. They are also important regional partners through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Switzerland is assisting the Indian government in its fight against COVID-19: a cargo plane organised by Swiss Humanitarian Aid left for New Delhi with medical supplies on 6 May 2021.

In a guest article for the NZZ, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis takes a personal look back at an extraordinary year under the pandemic.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis is visiting Iraq, Oman and Lebanon from 3–8 April. There he will meet with various representatives to discuss the priorities set out in the Federal Council's MENA Strategy and will be updated on the humanitarian situation there.

Federal Councillor Ignazio praised Tele Ticino for the sense of responsibility of Swiss citizens. This will continue to be needed to defeat the virus.

Twelve representatives of Switzerland's cantons, communes and cities sit in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, launched on 25 January 2021, has the potential to create long-term prospects for children and youth affected by humanitarian crises.

In an interview with Weltwoche, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about the current corona crisis, the European dossier and Switzerland's foreign policy strategy.

In an interview with RSI, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about the current COVID 19 crisis and the importance of Switzerland's federalist system.

The 75th session of the UN General Assembly opens on 15 September. For Switzerland, maintaining dialogue between states is more important than ever.

Swiss Humanitarian Aid donates almost three million masks. The relief efforts were handed over to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

In an interview with Sonntagsblick, Ignazio Cassis talks about COVID-19, the urge to be active and about why good relationships should be protected.

For underage children travelling abroad with only one parent or without a legal guardian, it is recommended to write a declaration of consent.

At the fourth Syria conference co-chaired by the UN and the EU, Switzerland pledged CHF 61 million to support people in need in Syria.

The FDFA supports the ETH Zurich in the production of affordable ventilators in the Ukraine.

From 16 to 26 June 2020, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will be meeting with representatives of Switzerland's neighbouring countries. The cooperation on COVID-19 will also be important for the future.

For displaced people, it is often impossible to follow hygiene and social distancing measures. The FDFA is actively involved in helping to reduce these risks for refugees.

The economic and social situation of Venzuela has been deteriorating for several years. COVID-19 aggravates the situation. Switzerland has organised a transport for 100 tonnes of relief supplies.

In keeping with its humanitarian tradition, Switzerland is contributing CHF 12 million to help the Yemeni people.

Support to build adequate healthcare systems and a concerted, supportive response have proven successful in the fight against malaria. For Olivier Praz of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the lessons learned can provide inputs for the fight against COVID–19.

The Director of the Consular Directorate of the FDFA, Ambassador Johannes Matyassy, speaks about the work of the representations during the corona crisis, which will become even more important in the coming period for the care of blocked Swiss travellers for whom no possibility of return travel could be found.

The SDC is running awareness campaigns and promoting the use of handwashing stations in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussions on how to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income countries have gained considerable momentum in recent months. Remittances from migrants and wider diaspora communities to their countries of origin are a key issue in this respect. Switzerland is therefore launching an appeal to keep remittance channels open and give the poorest communities continued access to these vital sources of income.

In an interview with the Swiss television station RTS, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about Switzerland's cooperation with neighbouring countries in the fight against COVID-19.

In an interview with "Schaffhauser Nachrichten", Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about how Switzerland is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the difficult path back to normality. He also said that various foreign policy issues needed to be assessed.

Reacting quickly, but with a long-term perspective: this is how the Swiss ambassador to Nepal, Elisabeth von Capeller, sees the role of development cooperation - especially in the fight against COVID-19.

As part of Switzerland's international cooperation activities, the HSD took quick, effective action to tackle head-on the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things by providing CHF 1 million in rapid response funding

The FDFA Helpline is handling a large number of enquiries concerning possibilities for travel abroad in the near future and current restrictions at the borders with neighbouring countries. -> Interview with Hans-Peter Heiniger, head of the FDFA Helpline.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an especially severe impact on developing countries. Switzerland is responding quickly and effectively through its international cooperation in the spirit of solidarity.

#flyinghome: The FDFA organised 35 return flights and brought some 4200 Swiss travellers back to Switzerland from all continents

The UN has declared 24 April as the International Day of Multilateralism. Switzerland is also actively engaged in the multilateral response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes World Bank efforts. .

#flyinghome - the FDFA brings travellers back to Switzerland with its repatriation action. Pictures and videos show the situation before the return flight to Switzerland.

In its repatriation operation, the FDFA can count on experienced partners in the form of the airlines Swiss, Edelweiss and Helvetic, which are breaking new ground with these special flights.

The global COVID-19 pandemic is now affecting the day-to-day work of everyone at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)

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