Category: Zermatt News

The Swiss Federal government has revoked almost all Covid related regulations as of Thursday February 17th. Entry into Switzerland is back to normal for many nationalities.

Entry requirements for EU citizens and residents: Neither the entry form nor a negative test nor a vaccination certificate are required.

Entry requirements for non-EU citizens: from many countries (eg the UK and USA) you still need a double vaccination certificate.

To check use the tool on the interactive official Swiss Travelcheck website which will inform you what requirements you need to fulfil in order to enter Switzerland, based on your individual data.

Once in Switzerland, you no longer need a certificate to enter restaurants, bars and clubs. Nor do you need to wear a mask in shops and other public places. The only requirement is that you need to wear a mask in public transport such a trains, buses and enclosed mountain lifts.

As of January 22nd, for fully vaccinated persons a negative Covid test is no longer required to enter Switzerland. The validity of vaccination certificates has been reduced to 270 days, meaning that your second jab or booster jab must not be more than 270 days ago.

Only travellers by air or long distance bus need to fill out a Swiss Passenger Locator Form.

A very useful tool is the interactive official Swiss Travelcheck website which will inform you if you will be allowed to enter Switzerland and what requirements you need to fulfil, based on your individual data.

If you do not have an EU or UK vaccination certificate, which are necessary to enter restaurants etc., please see this post on Applying for a Swiss Covid Certificate.

Maske wearing and vaccination certificate regulations in Zermatt and Cervinia

You need to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces, and it is recommended that you do so also in the main street and wherever it is crowded. Shops and services are open normally every day until 19:00 – 20:00.  All restaurants are open normally but food and drink may only be consumed while seated and you need to wear a mask whenever you are on your feet inside. From age 16 upward you need to show your double vaccination (or healed status) pass / certificate, together with I.D. to be allowed entry inside (but not for outdoor terraces). A Covid pass only showing a recent negative test is no longer sufficient. On the Italian side this applies to kids from the age of 12 upwards, and you will need to show your certificate / pass and I.D. to use the lift system.

In Zermatt you are required to wear a mask on all enclosed mountain lifts and stations and wherever a minimum social distance of 1.5 metres cannot be kept. In Cervinia a mask is required on all lifts, the mask needs to be of the FFP2 kind for enclosed lifts. The mountain lifts are operating normally, with the number of passengers in the big capacity cable cars limited to 2/3 of maximum numbers.

In settings where it is not possible to eat or drink while seated, such as at bars and discos, admission will be limited to vaccinated or recovered persons who also present a negative test result (2G+). People who within the last four months have been fully vaccinated, received a booster or recovered from COVID-19 do not have to take a further test.

For detailed information on Coronavirus measures please read this page on the Zermatt tourist office’s website.

Only EU, UK and CH Covid vaccination certificates and apps are valid in Switzerland. For information on converting non-EU certificates for use in Switzerland, please scroll down this page to the section on ‘applying for a Swiss Covid certificate’ or click here.

Very good news:

• Pre-Departure test to Switzerland: As of Monday December 20th, for all travellers aged 16 and over, rapid antigen tests taken within the previous 24 hours will be accepted for entering Switzerland. A negative PCR not older than 72 hours is also acceptable.
• Day 4-7 test in Switzerland: This second test is no longer necessary for vaccinated tourists staying in Switzerland.

Remember that you still need to fill out the Swiss Entry Form online in the 48 hours before you travel.  To double-check entry requirements for your personal case, do use the very useful official Swiss Travelcheck web tool, it is interactive and it will give you precise information about what you require depending on the data you input.

For further information about international Covid certificates and other requirements for entering restaurants etc. once you are in Switzerland, please scroll down this page.

Swiss Covid vaccination certificate requirements and mask wearing rules

When in Switzerland, if you want to enter the indoor areas of restaurants, bars and leisure facilities you will need a Covid certificate if aged 16 or over. You will also need a certificate if you want to use the Italian ski lifts in Cervinia, this also applies to kids from the age of 12 upwards.

In Zermatt you are required to wear a mask on all enclosed lifts and stations and wherever a minimum social distance of 1.5 metres can not be kept. In Cervinia a mask is required on all lifts, the mask needs to be of the FFP2 kind for enclosed lifts.

No certificate is required for eating at outdoor terraces, in shops or public transport, or on ski lifts in Switzerland. However, you will need to wear a face mask in all enclosed public spaces.

The certificate has to prove double vaccination and is valid directly after the date of your second vaccination (except for Janssen where validity starts 22 days after the single dose), or recovery from Covid (no more than 180 days ago).

For all holders of either the EU or Swiss certificate, both the paper or the app are valid, together with ID. The UK NHS app (version after November 1st with updated QR code) is also valid.

If you have a foreign certificate from a country different to the above (e.g. North America, South East Asia, Australia etc.), you will need to convert it into a Swiss certificate. This will work for all vaccinations recognized in Switzerland, which are the same as those approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) .

Here is the list of accepted vaccinations:

Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen/Johnson&Johnson, AstraZeneca and all licensees thereof such as Covishield. Additionally, the following Chinese vaccines will enable you to get a Swiss certificate for up to 30 days: (Vero Cell) (Sinopharm/BIBP) or CoronaVac (Sinovac).

In order to request your Swiss Covid Certificate you will need to complete an application on the Swiss Covid Certificate website

The processing time of an application can take up to 5 working days and the application is subject to a fee of CHF 30.- for visitors to Switzerland.

Swiss border Covid entry regulations in a nutshell:

If you are double vaccinated then normal entry rules apply.

All travellers must fill out a Swiss Passenger Locator Form.

A useful tool is the official Swiss Travelcheck website which will inform you of requirements based on your set of particulars.

For non-Schengen citizens, here is an overview of visa requirements by country (PDF).

Please note:
Persons under the age of 18 who have not been vaccinated because of their age and who are travelling with an adult (parents, siblings, grandparents or other caregivers) who has been fully vaccinated are permitted to enter Switzerland.