Where can the COVID certificate be used?
The certificate requirement within Switzerland was lifted on 17 February 2022. For travel outside Switzerland, depending on the measures in place in the country in question, COVID certificates may still be required. For this reason, certificates are still being issued. With the return to a normal situation, the authority to order potential measures is once again held by the cantons.
Switzerland’s EU-compatible COVID certificate is designed to allow access to places where a certificate is required and to facilitate travel. A Swiss COVID does not guarantee that you will be able to enter other countries. Each country decides its own entry requirements and has the authority to adjust them on an ongoing basis according to how the epidemiological situation develops.
Please note that to enter the destination country and to use the COVID certificate in that country, it is not the Swiss rules on validity that matter, but the rules on validity in the destination country. For this reason, each time you travel you should first inform yourself about the entry requirements on the official website of your destination.
Travelling with the COVID certificate: entering other countries and regions
For trips abroad, our checklist shows what needs to be considered before, during and after the trip and provides important information on travelling with the COVID certificate.
The Swiss COVID certificate is compatible with the EU’s Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) and can be used in travel between the countries that are part of the EU’s DCC system. Besides the EU/EFTA states, the following countries and regions are part of the area covered by the DCC:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Brazil
- Cape Verde
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Faroe Islands
- Georgia
- Holy See
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Panama
- Peru
- Philippines
- Republic of Korea
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
A Swiss COVID certificate provides no guarantee of entry to other countries and regions, each of which defines its own entry requirements and has the authority to adapt them on an ongoing basis according to how the epidemiological situation is evolving.
This means that it is still possible that some countries and regions may have different entry regulations from Switzerland. It is also possible that in some states a foreign COVID certificate will have to be converted into a local one before or upon entry. Not only this, but some states do no accept all types of certificate (for example recovery certificates). You should therefore always check the applicable requirements on the official website of the authorities of your destination before you travel.
For travel to EU/EFTA countries the following website provides an initial overview of the measures in place in the individual countries: https://reopen.europa.eu/en/
Or use the new function of the COVID Certificate app to find out whether your COVID certificate will be valid at the moment you enter your destination country. In the detailed view of your COVID certificate use the “Validity for travel” function. Follow the instructions in the app and take note of the tips.
Travelling with the COVID certificate: entering Switzerland
The interactive Travelcheck tool shows you what entry requirements apply in your individual situation. It takes account of the entry requirements set by both the FOPH and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
