Coronavirus: FOPH list of risk countries

• Explanation of the list
• FOPH list of risk countries
• Criteria for the list
• How is this different from the SEM list?

Explanation of the list

The federal government maintains a list of countries and areas in which there is an increased risk of infection with the coronavirus. The Federal Office of Public Health FOPH compiles the list on behalf of the federal government according to certain criteria. As the epidemiological situation is constantly changing, the list is updated on a regular basis. As a rule, the list is updated every 14 days.

Have you stayed in a country or area with an increased risk of infection and are now entering Switzerland? On the page Entering Switzerland, you can find out which requirements you have to observe.

FOPH list of risk countries

The newly added countries and areas are written in bold in the respective list.

List valid for arrivals in Switzerland from 22.3.21

Areas of neighbouring countries

Austria:

• Land Burgenland
• Land Kärnten
• Land Niederösterreich
• Land Oberösterreich
• Land Salzburg
• Land Steiermark
• Land Wien

France:

• Région Centre-Val de Loire
• Région Corse
• Région Hauts-de-France
• Région Île de France
• Région Normandie
• Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• Région Occitanie
• Région Pays de la Loire
• Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

Germany:

• Land Thüringen

Italy:

• Regione Abruzzo
• Regione Basilicata
• Regione Campania
• Regione Emilia Romagna
• Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia
• Regione Lazio
• Regione Liguria
• Regione Marche
• Regione Molise
• Regione Puglia
• Regione Toscana
• Regione Umbria
• Regione Veneto

Countries and areas*

• Albania
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Chile
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Estonia
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Israel
• Jordan
• Kosovo (Republic of)
  
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Maldives
• Malta
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
• North Macedonia
• Occupied Palestinian territory
• Peru
• Poland
• Qatar
• Romania
  
• Saint Lucia
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Sweden
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Uruguay

*The following applies for all countries that do not share a border with Switzerland: If a country is on the list, this includes all of its areas, islands and overseas territories – even if they are not listed separately.

List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 11.3.21 and 21.3.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 8.3.21 and 10.3.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 25.2.21 and 7.3.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 22.2.21 and 24.2.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 11.2.21 and 21.2.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 1.2.21 and 10.2.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 21.1.21 and 31.1.21 List valid for arrivals in Switzerland between 15.1.21 and 20.1.21

Older lists can be found in the corresponding version of the “COVID-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures”. Access to all versions of this ordinance can be gained in the classified compilation (listed on the right-hand side in a box).

A reproduction of the list on a world map can be found on our website covid19.admin.ch.

Criteria for the list

Whether a country or area is included on the FOPH list of high-risk countries depends among other things on its 14-day incidence. This incidence represents the number of new infections that have occurred per 100,000 people in the last 14 days. If the incidence in a particular country is at least 60 higher than the incidence in Switzerland, the country is put on the list, because it has a higher risk of infection than Switzerland.

There are also other reasons than the incidence for putting a country on the FOPH list of risk countries. You will find all the criteria in the COVID-19 Ordinance on measures in international passenger transport. One of these reasons is that a more contagious or more dangerous variation of the coronavirus is spreading in the country in question.

Given that the epidemiological situation is constantly changing, the list is adjusted regularly. As a rule it is updated every 14 days. This is done by looking at data from the OWID ourworldindata.org on a specific cut-off date. The list is then updated on the basis of the data on this date. The updated list enters into force a few days later. A country’s incidence may change between the cut-off date and the date of entry into force. In this case the list nevertheless remains valid. The lead time from the announcement to the entry into force of the updated list is at the request of the travel industry, and is designed to give travel agents and travellers a secure basis for planning.

Areas bordering Switzerland can be exempted from inclusion despite the incidence. The reason for this is the close economic, social and cultural ties that exist with neighbouring countries – which are also the reason why greater differentiation is made in these cases by looking at the incidence in individual areas. You will find more information on this on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.

How is this different from the SEM list?

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) also has a list of high-risk countries. In this list the question is what countries you can enter Switzerland from. You will find more information on the SEM website. If you have a Swiss passport or a valid residence permit, you may travel to Switzerland from any country.

If you are permitted to travel to Switzerland, you must check what rules apply to entry. You might have to fill out an entry form for incoming travellers, show proof of a negative test and/or go into quarantine. These measures are independent of the above FOPH list of high-risk countries.