What do I need a pass for?
Pretty much everything. After the current lockdown has been lifted, entry to restaurants, bars, theatres, cultural and sports events, as well as all ski resorts, will require proof of vaccination or recent recovery from Covid as part of Austria’s ‘2G’ rule. Currently, these regulations also apply to children, but there is an ongoing discussion and this may change in time for the ski season.
Download the pass here.
How strict is it?
Very. If you aren’t vaccinated or recovered, or lord forbid you had your second jab more than nine months ago, you will be shunned from society. While theoretically it would still be possible for you to wander around parks, or take some skis and make use of the Austrian Alps, good luck getting around without being permitted to access the ski lifts.
Switzerland
Switzerland this week scrapped its requirement for arrivals from high-risk countries – including the UK – to complete a 10-day quarantine, making ski holidays once again feasible. The country has, in turn, announced a raft of new measures to tackle its rising infection rate, including the extension of its Covid passport scheme and stricter testing requirements for travellers.
Entry rules
You must be vaccinated in order to enter Switzerland, unless you can get an exemption (being a tourist is not one of them). Until 24 January 2022, all vaccinated visitors must still report their arrival to the relevant cantonal office within two days, present a negative PCR test upon entry and another between the fourth and seventh day after arrival. Your vaccine is valid until 12 months from the date of the last dose.
What do I need a green pass for?
It’s not called a ‘green pass’ in Switzerland, rather all Swiss residents are issued a ‘Covid Certificate’ to prove they have been vaccinated, recently recovered, or have tested negative for the virus (valid only for 24 hours at a time).
As a UK visitor, you can’t get one of these certificates but must instead use your NHS Covid Pass (either in digital or letter form), which proves you have either been fully vaccinated or recovered from the virus. Having a negative test won’t get you anywhere.
Certificates/NHS passes are required for everyone over the age of 16, until at least January 2022, for entry into restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, concerts, sports and leisure facilities, casinos, theatres, cinemas, large-scale outdoor events as well as private indoor gatherings of more than 11 people.
How strict is it?
So strict that, unlike in Austria, you won’t even be able to step past the border into Switzerland if you remain unvaccinated, not even with a negative test. Unvaccinated Swiss nationals have a tough time of it too; required to take a PCR every three days or a rapid antigen test every 24 hours in order for their certificate to stay valid.
France
France has tightened its Covid restrictions in the face of growing cases and the emergence of the omicron variant, with nightclubs closed for a month and the use of Covid passes (which show proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or recovery from the virus) extended to restaurants and cafés at outdoor Christmas markets. The population has also been urged to temper social engagements in the run-up to Christmas.
Entry rules
Currently, fully vaccinated travellers from the UK are able to enter the country with a vaccination certificate and ‘sworn declaration’ health form. Non-vaccinated arrivals are only permitted to enter the country for limited reasons (not holidays), and must present a negative PCR or antigen test certificate. Regardless of their vaccination status, all individuals over the age of 12 arriving in France from the UK must take a lateral flow (antigen) test less than 48 hours before travel.
