Fears of travel chaos as millions of Swiss COVID certificates set to expire

While it may have been relegated to the back pages by the war in Ukraine and the rising price of goods, COVID remains a concern for countries across the world. Despite all Swiss COVID restrictions being scrapped on April 1, members of the government are worried that tourists from Switzerland could be disrupted over the summer, as people's COVID certificates expire.

Swiss holidaymakers left in limbo over expired COVID certificate

Many countries around the world still require a valid COVID vaccination certificate to enter. This poses a problem for holidaymakers from Switzerland as, according to 20 minuten, millions of certificates are set to expire between now and the autumn school holidays, making travel to some nations technically impossible without a second booster.

Most people in Switzerland received their booster jab in late 2021, meaning the 270-day validity is set to pass by October at the latest. This is compounded by the fact that the alpine nation is yet to authorise a second booster jab, throwing the holiday plans of many into jeopardy.

FOPH confirms it will work on a replacement for COVID certificate

National Councillor Fabian Molina called on the government to allow anyone who is travelling abroad to get re-vaccinated if needed. “The past has shown that cantons are not always sufficiently prepared. Something like [the last booster campaign] mustn’t happen again,” he noted.

In a statement, the Federal Office of Public Health said that they could not scrap certificates altogether as, “When travelling, the destination country sets the rules, for example, whether a COVID certificate or a negative test result is required for entry.” They confirmed that if certificates expire or no longer work in future, they will create a new certificate that will allow people from Switzerland to enter other countries.