Flag:

Capital: None (de jure) - Bern (de facto) Federal city

Language: German French Italian Romansh

Area: 41285 km²

Population: 8401120

Timezone : UTC/GTM 1

Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)

Code: +41

Electric sockets: 230 V AC, 50Hz. Type J. This socket also works with plug C.

Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

To travel to Switzerland U.S. citizens are required to:

  • Hold a passport valid for at least 6-months at the time of arrival
  • Or an equivalent recognized travel document
  • Passengers may be checked twice upon entering Switzerland by land: once by the customs officers of the country they are leaving and another by the border police of Switzerland.
  • A valid ETIAS visa waiver for Switzerland

U.S. citizens staying in Switzerland for more than 90-days:

  • ETIAS for U.S. citizens is only valid for short-term stays of up to 90 days. If you intend to remain in Portugal longer than 90 days, must obtain the appropriate visa.
  • Unlike other countries, immigration in Switzerland for stays of longer than 90 days is the responsibility of the cantons, not of the Federal government. U.S. citizens require both advance approval from the cantonal authority and a long-stay visa from a Swiss embassy or consulate in order to enter Switzerland. In any case, U.S.citizens staying in Switzerland longer than 90 days should contact the cantonal immigration authority or police within 14 days of arrival.

U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland

Address: Sulgeneckstrasse 19, 3007 Bern, Switzerland

Phone: (+41) 31 357 70 11

Fax: (+41) 31 357 72 80

The following cities have U.S. Consular Agencies: Zurich and Geneva.

Tourist Travel Information about Switzerland

etias switzerlandSwitzerland is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It has borders with France, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Germany. Switzerland has more high mountain peaks than any other country in Europe with 48 about 13,120 feet (4,000 m). Switzerland has four official languages, French, German, Italian, and Romansch.

Switzerland is known for its mountains (The Alps in the south, Jura in the northwest) but it also has a central highland of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes. Switzerland had over 1500 lakes, and 60% of its electricity is produced by hydroelectric power. Switzerland’s landscape ranges from 643 feet above sea level in Ascona to 15,199 feet above sea level in The Dufour Peak. Surprisingly, these spots are only 43 miles apart. Switzerland is also Europe’s top skiing destination.

Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force. Switzerland does not have a president as chief of state. Instead, it is governed by a seven-member council, and council members rotate in one-year terms as federal president.

Interesting facts

  • Switzerland is one of the world’s great exporters of chocolate. Eighteen Swiss chocolate companies made 172,376 tons of chocolate in 2012. The Swiss eat more chocolate than any other nation in the world, 11.3 kg per year
  • Switzerland has more than 1,500 lakes, and one is never more than 10 miles (16 km) from a lake within the country’s borders
  • Emmentaler, or Emmental, cheese is also known as Swiss cheese in the United States because it has large round holes running through it. It originated in the 13th century near Bern. A single Emmental cheese weighs about 120 kg and requires approximately 1500 L of fresh milk for its production
  • In 1891, Karl Elsener invented the Swiss Army Knife after finding out the army’s knives were actually made in Germany. He wanted to create a knife that could have multiple uses and was made in Switzerland. There are over 400 different models of the Swiss Army Knife, and designs today can include an altimeter, barometer, and a computer USB memory card. It has been nicknamed “The World’s Smallest Toolbox.”
  • Albert Einstein came up with his special theory of relativity and the famous formula E=MC2 in Bern, Switzerland, in 1905.

Medical Information for U.S. citizens

Recommended vaccines:

  • Routine Vaccines
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies

Emergencies:

  • 112 is the pan-European emergency number and is always free to call.
  • 112 - General emergency calls
  • 118 - Fire service
  • 117 - Police
  • 144 - Ambulance
  • 1414 - REGA (helicopter rescue service)
  • 140 - Vehicle breakdown service
  • 145 - Toxicological Institute (in case of poisoning)
  • 044 251 51 51 - Toxicological information centre

Related Countries

Austria

US citizens traveling to Austria are expected to apply for an ETIAS Visa Waiver before departure. Learn about the Austria ETIAS requirements.

Liechtenstein

ETIAS for Liechtenstein. US citizens who wish to visit Liechtenstein should apply for an Etias Visa Waiver. Learn more about the requirements for US travellers.

Germany

Any US citizen traveling to Germany will be expected to apply for an Etias Visa Waiver. Learn about Germany entry requirements for US visitors.