On September 8, 2021, the Swiss federal government announced that they will significantly extend the situations where a COVID certificate is required. Starting September 13, 2021, a COVID Certificate will be required in Switzerland for entrance to the following:

  • Indoor areas of restaurants, bars, and clubs. Certificates will not be required for outdoor areas of these venues. Clubs will also register your contact information.
  • Indoor events including concerts, theatre, cinema, sporting events, and private events (this includes all indoor co-curricular programs and events at Franklin).
  • Indoor cultural and leisure facilities such as the Tone Athletic Center (TAC) and other fitness centers, Grace and Fowler Libraries, museums, zoos, climbing halls, swimming pools, water parks, spas, billiard halls, and casinos.
  • Indoor sporting and cultural activities such as training sessions or music and theatre rehearsals.

The Franklin Pass confirming a student’s foreign vaccination or recovery document that is used in lieu of a COVID Certificate on the Franklin University Switzerland campus will no longer be valid for any purpose starting October 10, 2021. After October 10, 2021, all individuals in Switzerland must present a COVID Certificate for entrance to certain locations and events as outlined above.

Individuals entering without a COVID certificate will be liable to a CHF 100.- fine. The extension of the certificate requirement is limited to January 24, 2022. The federal government may, however, revoke the provision at any time should our hospitalizations and infection rates improve significantly.

Additionally, starting October 1, 2021, individuals will need to bear the costs of the COVID tests required to obtain a COVID certificate. This includes COVID tests for travel, event attendance, or other personal reasons. Individuals with symptoms and people who cannot be vaccinated for documented health reasons will continue to have COVID tests paid by the Swiss authorities.

The COVID certificate is a way of documenting that you have been vaccinated for COVID-19, recovered from COVID-19, or have a negative COVID-19 test result. The entire Franklin community is strongly encouraged to download the Swiss COVID Certificate App on a smartphone for a convenient way to demonstrate their situation for entry to certain venues and events. Anyone with a QR code for their European Green Pass can use it in Switzerland.  

Individuals can request to have foreign COVID-19 vaccinations validated in Switzerland in order to receive a document with a QR code that can be entered into the COVID Certificate App. 

If an individual was vaccinated outside of Switzerland, it is possible to obtain a Swiss COVID Certificate with a QR code if the vaccination meets the following conditions:

  • You were vaccinated abroad.
  • You are fully vaccinated.
  • You received a vaccine that is approved by the European Medicines Agency
    • Comirnaty® / BNT162b2 / Tozinameran (Pfizer/BioNTech)
    • Spikevax® / mRNA-1273 / COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna)
    • Vaxzevria® / AZD1222 / Covishield™ (AstraZeneca)
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
    • Sinopharm BIBP, Sinovac (Swiss citizens and residents of Switzerland only)

The supporting document (for example the WHO Yellow Card or other certificate) must be in a customary format. It must also be in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish, or be submitted with an officially certified translation in one of these languages. It must include the following details:

  • Last name, first name and date of birth;
  • Location or country where the vaccination was administered;
  • Date of vaccinations;
  • Vaccine used.

You can apply for the COVID certificate using the following online form. The canton where you are resident or staying will issue the certificate. If you are a Swiss citizen or have another official residence permit (i.e. a student residence permit) or permanent domicile in Switzerland, the procedure is free of charge. If you do not meet any of these requirements (for example if you are a tourist), the procedure costs CHF 30.
 
An application usually takes five business days to process, but this can take slightly longer in individual cases.
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) therefore recommends that you apply for a certificate two weeks before your trip to Switzerland. You should also check your e-mail inbox at regular intervals. The relevant agencies may ask you to provide further information and documentation if they have doubts about the authenticity of the submitted documents or have any queries. They can also reject applications if the doubts cannot be resolved. In such cases, you will not be entitled to any refund of your fee.

For your application, you require at least the following information:

  • Information on your nationality or on your residency status in Switzerland (e.g. copy of passport/residence permit)
  • Confirmation of vaccination (e.g. vaccination certificate with details of the holder, administered vaccines, the institution that performed the vaccination, date of last vaccination, number of doses received, existing certificate if applicable)
  • Reason for your stay in Switzerland, how long you are staying and where
  • Proof of arrival in Switzerland (e.g. plane ticket, train ticket, or accommodation booking)

The necessary documents must be submitted in German, French, Italian or English.

If you need help with your application for a COVID-19 certificate, you can call the following infoline: +41 58 469 79 63

Please note the hours of operation: 7am to 8pm (CET), Monday to Sunday

Important COVID Related Apps:

Swiss COVID App – this app is required for all students, faculty, and students to facilitate contact tracing. Your participation will help keep our community healthy and safe.

COVID Certificate App – stores COVID vaccination certificate, COVID recovery certificate, and COVID test results with a QR code.

COVID Check – used to scan a QR code to verify that a document is authentic.

Wearing a mask is more important than ever! It is integral to keeping our community healthy and allowing us to continue the in-person Franklin experience.