Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Liechtenstein, you are subject to its laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from those in the United States. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you do not have your passport with you. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offense; the legal tolerance for driving is 0.05% blood alcohol content (whereas the legal limit in the United States is 0.08%). Persons violating Liechtenstein laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Liechtenstein are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. If you break local laws in Liechtenstein, your U.S. passport will not help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It is very important to know what is legal and what is not, wherever you go.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, 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. In Liechtenstein, these acts are serious criminal offenses, and offenders will be placed directly in police custody. Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well. 

Arrest notifications in Liechtenstein: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in a foreign country, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the U.S. Embassy in Bern as soon as you are arrested or detained in Liechtenstein.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: If you are going to participate in mountain activities (summer and winter) we strongly urge you to buy mountain search and rescue insurance. 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.

Costs of search and rescue operations are yours and/or your family’s responsibility. Search and rescue insurance coverage is available in Liechtenstein and Switzerland and a membership can be purchased at any Swiss or Liechtenstein post office. The Swiss National Rescue organization (REGA) coordinates search and rescue operations throughout Europe. You may also purchase a membership by visiting their website (an iPhone app is also available.) Search and Rescue coverage must not be confused with your travel insurance. REGA membership will not medevac you back to the United States (this insurance is solely for search and rescue operations within Europe).

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

LGBT RIGHTS: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals enjoy full rights in Liechtenstein. The LGBT community is 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 Liechtenstein you may review the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 and read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Liechtenstein, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. Certain difficulties may be encountered for people with disabilities, and Liechtenstein is in the process of improving its facilities. A new law in Liechtenstein states that all new buildings and restaurants must be made wheelchair accessible. To date, experts estimate that 50 percent of public buildings are now wheelchair accessible.