Has anyone traveled back to Switzerland from the US recently with a rapid antigen test. Do Swiss authorities mean exactly up to 24 hours previously or Dan it be day before. Covid tests here are in extreme short supply and it’s difficult to find a pharmacy open late enough on a weekend to qualify for 24 hours as opposed to just the day before. Thinking of doing morning of flight, but always nervous especially with lab delays and electronic results sometimes getting messed up. Thanks.
Hello There,
24 hours before you enter Switzerland. Or get a PCR, then it’s 72 hours before you enter Switzerland.
Before entering Switzerland means the estimated time of arrival in Switzerland. A LA - Zurich flight is estimated to take approximately 11 hours. So your 24 hours becomes 13 hours before departure.
Go for the PCR.
For those coming TO Switzerland, it's 72 hours (PCR) or 24 hours (antigen) prior to boarding , not prior to arrival.
This is from the BAG website as published at this moment on this day:
(emphasis mine)
If for some reason the airline lets you on with an expired test or no test and the Swiss check on arrival, then the 72 and 24 hrs shift to within the time of arrival, not the time of boarding:
* Everything subject to change at any minute.
Read the paragraph below about on arrival! Only the Swiss would have 2 rules!
It is a bit odd. Airlines and rail/bus carriers aren't supposed to let you board without the test. Yet if you do, and you're checked on arrival, how exactly could you have obtained a legit, approved test while in transit on your plane, train or bus??
Edit - The German version of the rule about testing before boarding only translates as being related to airline or bus. Rail doesn't enter into it.
We did our antigen test about 4 hours before the flight. Took 20 minutes to get the results. PCR test results take a lot longer, and were difficult to get on New Year's Eve/Day, especially because we had a Snow Event, which closed many testing places.
I just came back on the 30th from the US. The whole thing still seems to be in question.
I took the rapid antigen test 8 hours before the first leg of our journey. Went to the airport to find that flight was canceled. Got another flight that left 15 minutes before the test expired. I then got to Chicago, and was allowed to check in to flight that departed 12 hours after the original covid test expired, but since I got on the first flight before it expired. The Swiss Air gate agent let me on the flight.
While I was waiting at O'Hare I filled out the online entrance form. This form would not recognize my original departure city, but since Swiss said I could get on the plane, I went ahead and checked the box that my test was within 24 hours.
My second day back I got an email from the canton of Zürich that I needed to upload my original Covid test. (Thank goodness I had not thrown it away.) It has now been three days, but I have not heard if the Canton has accepted the test or not. My children who made it back a day before me. (That is an entirely different story!!) have already heard from the Canton that their test is good.
Just waiting now to see what happens.
Edited: In addition to the person that talked about PCR vs the rapid test. You are correct, but that is not always possible in the US. Where I was staying the appointment times for a PCR test was three weeks at a cost of $450. Plus it would take three - four days to get results back. The rapid test was readily available and only cost $55.
Also still waiting for feedback on the uploaded test but then that was only yesterday.
At the time when I was in the US the only acceptable test for return was a PCR test, an antigen test was at that time not allowed. They changed that when I got back........
There are so many cases I doubt you will get any feedback.
In my canton they didn't even ask to upload it but it was already omicron festival so they were focusing only on actually positive people and not travelers which most of the times are negative anyway.
Arrived home on the 31st at ZRH and had followed all the rules and filled out all the forms. We haven't received any contact asking for us to upload a test. Will report back if we do.
Strange! Arrived Jan 2nd, got the request to upload the test Jan 3rd and just now got the ‚all ok‘. Maybe it is different in your Kanton/they can‘t be bothered?
Also arrived on the 2nd and haven't received any notification. Even checked my spam folder.
The Kanton was quite prompt in reminding me about today's booster appointment.
The Bernese are known for being a bit slow. Maybe I'll get a message in February.
Arrived back on the 28th, so far no request from SZ for my test results.
(Given all we went through to get them, almost a let down. )
One thing for sure: I won't travel again while the test requirement is in place. The whole time I was gone I was on tenterhooks, worried about the chance of a positive test. Not being able to return to CH as scheduled would have been a disaster,
I arrived in ZRH yesterday afternoon and I just received an SMS asking me to upload my test result. The request came from contact tracking Kt Zürich, but it is clearly related to my trip, not to any close contact with a positive.
I arrived back on December 17th. Got a text message on Dec 21st that I needed to upload my 4 day post arrival test results. Got an antigen test and uploaded and all was well. Was a bit of a PITA because of my work schedule, I ended up going to the airport to get the test but everything worked fine.
The requirement to provide proof of testing upon return appears to be entirely dependent on your Canton. Seems some take this very seriously, others can't be bothered. My recent experience with travelling to same destination, same flights, same testing, same forms, but one of us residing in VD and other in ZH. The ZH resident was chased up by the ZH authorities within 2 days of returning, requiring proof etc., followed up with all clear a few days later. The VD authorities seem to have other things to do and don't give a flip, two weeks later, nothing.