Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While traveling in Switzerland you are subject to its laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. You are expected to carry an I.D. and/or a passport while you are in Switzerland. Persons violating Swiss laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Switzerland are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. In Switzerland you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you or if you take pictures of certain buildings.

Driving under the influence could lead to heavy fines and/or a ban from driving or in some cases, land you immediately in jail. Swiss law only allows up to 0.05% blood alcohol content (whereas the legal limit in the United States is 0.08%). Driving speeds in Switzerland are also much lower than in the rest of Europe and vary from area to area. Travelers are advised to carefully observe the posted speed limits.

Traffic fines are costly and vary according to where the infraction occurs and by how much one exceeds the speed limit. Fines assessed within the city limits are higher than those assessed on a highway or autobahn. Please refer to the Swiss Authorities page for current information on traffic regulation and fines in Switzerland.

Drug possession carries heavy fines and prison terms in Switzerland; these can vary depending on the amount and type of narcotics carried. Any attempt to cross an international border carrying drugs (for instance transiting Switzerland via Zurich airport) automatically constitutes trafficking charges. These charges can also carry heavy penalties. If you break local laws in Switzerland, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

There are also some things that might be legal in Switzerland, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws. Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in Switzerland, you may be breaking local law as well.

Arrest Notifications in Switzerland: Swiss authorities are not required to inform the U.S. Embassy about arrests of U.S. citizens; however, they are required by law to offer and provide the opportunity to the U.S. citizen to contact the U.S. Embassy. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the U.S. Embassy as soon as you are arrested or detained in Switzerland.

Switzerland is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires arrestees be immediately heard before an independent magistrate to determine if they will be held for investigative detention. Individuals “highly suspected” of a crime are generally placed under police detention until such time that their case can be heard by the magistrate.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: We strongly urge you to buy mountain search and rescue insurance if you are going to participate in mountain activities (summer and winter). Alpine hazards, such as avalanches and snow drifts, landslides and flooding, glacial crevasses, falling rocks, sun exposure, and sudden weather changes, exist throughout the year. You should stay on designated paths, follow the advice given by local authorities and guides, take note of weather forecasts and conditions, if possible, be in a team of two, and inform someone of your plans. You or your family is responsible for the costs of search and rescue operations. Swiss post offices offer inexpensive search and rescue insurance for purchase. You can get more information from the Swiss National Tourist Office, at most tourist information offices or with the Swiss Air Rescue Organization. Such insurance has proved useful; an uninsured rescue can easily cost $25,000.

Switzerland’s customs authorities encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, located at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information call (212) 354-4480 or email.

Swiss banking: U.S. citizens residing in Switzerland (i.e., those relocating for work or for family reunification) should be aware that numerous banking institutions do not accept U.S. citizens and their spouses as clients. The U.S. Embassy in Bern will provide links on its website in the near future directing U.S citizens to information about banks willing to accept U.S. citizen clients

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBT events in Switzerland. (LGBT individuals enjoy full rights in Switzerland. LGBT individuals are protected by anti-discrimination laws, and there are no legal or governmental impediments to the organization of LGBT events. For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Switzerland you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on LGBT travel, please read our Information for LGBT Travelers page.

ACCESSIBILITY: Individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation different from what you find in the United States. Most cantons have already implemented some provisions for persons with disabilities, but there is no country-wide standard. Experts estimate that only 30 percent of public buildings are wheelchair accessible.