Coronavirus : restrictions for travelers from Switzerland
The consular activities of the Swiss Embassy in Tel Aviv will remain in a reduced form.
In order to reduce the risk of an infection, consular services at the counter will, until further notice, only be provided in urgent cases and exclusively when an appointment has been agreed upon in advance. As previously, the Embassy can be reached over the telephone. Please send your written inquiries to: telaviv@eda.admin.ch.
Switzerland
On 18 March 2020, the Swiss Federal Council decided, that entry at the Schengen external borders is generally prohibited with few exceptions. Switzerland follows the practice of the other Schengen states. Until 15th June 2020, Switzerland will also no longer issue Schengen visas. National visas will also only be issued in exceptional cases, for example to family members of Swiss citizens with a right of presence in Switzerland who require a visa and to specialists from the health sector.
For additional information, please consult the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration SEM.
Israel
On March 18th 2020, the Government of Israel imposed a complete entry ban on all foreign nationals and people without residence in Israel
All non-Israeli citizens or residents will be prevented from entering Israel, even if they have proven the ability to stay in home quarantine. Exceptions will be made for those whose lives are based in Israel.
All Israeli citizens and residents (Israeli ID required) returning to Israel from any country must enter a 14-day quarantine in a designated hotel or facility immediately upon their return.
Travellers from Switzerland who entered Israel before March 6th 2020 8:00am are requested to return to Switzerland as soon as possible. In the meantime, they must act in accordance with the directives of the Ministry of Health - in addition, please register on the Travel Admin app of the FDFA:
- If you do not feel well and/or develop symptoms of the virus (fever, cough, runny nose, head and chest pains), you are requested to immediately contact the MADA (Magen David Adom) services at the phone number 101.
- Do not leave your accommodation unless it is absolutely necessary (to buy groceries, medication, essential goods), do not go outside for leisure.
- Maintain a high level of hygiene and avoid hand shaking.
- Avoid crowds.
- Document the course of your travel in Israel.
Other measures have also been issued. For more details on travel restrictions and quarantine procedures, please refer to the website of the Ministry of Health of the State of Israel.
The Israeli Ministry of Health Hotline +972 (0)8-6241010 is available between 08:00 through 21:00 (Israel time) for questions about the novel coronavirus.
Israel Airports Authority provides useful information on flights still operating from and to Israel.
General advice
We also recommend that all Swiss nationals in Israel follow the recommendations of the Federal Office of Public Health (Switzerland), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the FDFA travel advice “Focus Corona Virus (2019-nCOV)”:
Federal Office of Public Health (Switzerland)
World Health Organization (WHO)
FDFA Travel Advice, Focus Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), in German, French, Italian
For urgent questions, please contact the FDFA Helpline (Tel. +41 800 24-7-365 / +41 58 465 33 33).
