Health information portal

Any traveller entering Switzerland from a state or area at risk must present a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entry and then be quarantined for ten days as has been the case up to now. However, they can leave after seven days by taking a rapid test or PCR and the result is negative.

Persons entering Switzerland by air from a state or zone that does not present a high risk of infection must also have a negative PCR test.

The updated list of these countries can be found here on the Swiss Confederation website.

If you have to quarantine, you will have to stay at home or in appropriate accommodation for 10 days starting from the date you were last in contact with the contagious person, or from the day after your arrival in Switzerland.

As of February 8 2021, the 10-day quarantine may be shortened if the person is tested after seven days (PCR test or rapid test) and the result is negative. This new rule applies both to Swiss residents who must undergo a quarantine and to any traveller entering Switzerland from a state or area at risk. The latter must present a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entry and then be quarantined for ten days as was the case until now. However, he can leave after seven days by taking a rapid test or PCR and the result is negative.

Persons entering Switzerland by air from a state or zone that does not present a high risk of infection must also have a negative PCR test.

Detailed information on complying with quarantine rules can be downloaded here.

No, if you are coming to Verbier for leisure (and not on business) you do not need to report anywhere when you arrive.

Face coverings must be worn on all public transport (trains and buses). Social distancing and hygiene measures must be complied with. You are also recommended to buy tickets online and avoid busy periods.

You can see what specific measures have been taken by public transport organisations here, on MySwitzerland’s “Clean and Safe” website.

Yes, the current health situation has affected night timetables and the frequency of international services. For further information, you can find Swiss federal railways and TMR timetables here, Post Office bus timetables here and the resort’s shuttle bus timetables here.

Refund terms depend on the transport provider concerned. You can find relevant information and contact details for Swiss federal railways here and for Post Office buses here.

Yes, shuttle buses are planned to run normally during the winter season. You can find the shuttle bus timetables here.

Face coverings must be worn on all public transport, both on trains and buses/shuttle buses. Social distancing and hygiene measures must be complied with. You are also recommended to avoid busy periods.

You can see what specific measures have been taken by public transport organisations, on MySwitzerland’s “Clean and Safe” website, here.

Yes, the whole ski area will be open as usual, depending on weather conditions and how the season unfolds, and subject to any changes decided by the authorities.

The ski area will close on Sunday 18th April 2021.

You can find information on the opening of the pistes here.

Wearing a face covering is compulsory whenever you are queueing and in all facilities, including ski lifts. The health measures and social distancing must be adhered to whenever you are queueing, using any of the facilities and in all buildings.

Hand sanitiser is available in all buildings and in the vicinity of queues. Equipment is regularly disinfected. Markings on the ground will help you maintain social distancing.

Following the announcement of new measures by the Federal Council, the capacity of the lifts was limited to 2/3. Please be patient even if queues form, respect the safety distances and ground markings, and wear an authorized mask.

You can see what specific measures have been taken by ski-lift operators here, on MySwitzerland’s “Clean and Safe” website.

Yes, we strongly advise you to buy your skipasses online.

Covering the mouth and nose is compulsory whenever you are queueing and in all facilities, including ski lifts. Please note that only surgical masks and authorized neck gaiters or fabric masks equipped with a filter are allowed.

For further information, visit the websites of the Swiss Ski Lift Association (in French and German) or the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (available in English).

Ski-lift operators have updated their cancellation terms to make it easier to get pro rata refunds based on the number of days of opening, in the event of the ski area having to close due to the health situation. These cancellation terms will also be valid in the event of partial or complete lockdown in your country of origin.

You can find details of these cancellation terms here. If you have specific questions, you can contact Téléverbier directly via email at customer@televerbier.ch or by telephone on +41 (0)27 775 25 11.

Like other dining establishments, restaurants on the slopes will close on Saturday, December 26 from 10 pm.

On-piste bars and après-ski facilities have been closed for the time being due to health measures decided by the authorities. We are closely tracking these in case they are modified.

For the time being, it is planned the Médran ski lockers will continue to be in use.

No, there is no fast-track system to avoid queueing. To keep you safe while you are waiting, ski-lift operators have provided ground markings so social distancing can be complied with. In addition, wearing a face covering is compulsory, as is compliance with hygiene regulations.

No, there are no plans for introducing limited operation of ski lifts. All the ski lifts will be open during the winter, depending on weather conditions and how the season unfolds.

Following the announcement of new measures by the Federal Council, the capacity of the lifts was limited to 2/3. Please be patient even if queues form, respect the safety distances and ground markings, and wear an authorized mask.

Yes, hotels will be open. The measures in place are as follows: compliance with social distancing and hand hygiene, control over the number of people in communal areas, regular cleaning of surfaces and objects, and regular ventilation. You can find details of these measures here.

Specific measures may be put in place for hotel restaurants open solely for use by hotel residents, and for breakfasts. For details of these specific measures, we recommend you contact the restaurants/hotels concerned.

Yes, special cases aside, group accommodation and mountain huts will be open. The measures put in place are the same as for hotels: compliance with social distancing and hand hygiene, control over the number of people in communal areas, regular cleaning of surfaces and objects, and regular ventilation. As the number of people is being limited to ensure compliance with social distancing, we recommend you book your bed in advance.

Our hoteliers have all amended their cancellation terms to be more flexible to cope with the evolving health situation. These terms are specific to each hotel, so we recommend that you contact your hotel directly to check.

Terraces of bars and restaurants may reopen from 19 April. between 6am and 11 pm, provided that a strict protection plan can be applied. A distance of 1.5 metres must be guaranteed or a separation installed. Customers must eat seated, in tables of no more than four (except parents with children). The contact details of each person will be collected. Masks must be worn when not consuming. Restaurant toilets can be used, but masks must be worn when moving.

Like other dining establishments, restaurants on the slopes will close on Saturday, December 26 from 10 pm.

You can find a list of restaurants offering a takeaway service or home delivery here.

Yes, food shops are open. The measures are the same for all stores: compulsory face covering, hand disinfection, social distancing and a limited number of people in each store, and contactless payment encouraged.

Following new announcements by the Federal Council and the State of Valais, shops and boutiques will reopen on 1 March 2021. The wearing of masks, social distancing and hand disinfection will remain compulsory, and the number of customers per establishment will therefore remain limited.

Following new announcements by the Federal Council and the State of Valais, shops and boutiques will reopen on 1 March 2021. The wearing of masks, social distancing and hand disinfection will remain compulsory, and the number of customers per establishment will therefore remain limited.

From Monday 19th April 2021, public events will be limited to :
– 50 people and 1/3 of the capacity for indoor events
– 100 people and 1/3 of the capacity for outdoor events

We are closely tracking how these measures evolve, so we can reassess the situation if need be.

As a reminder, no more than 15 people can attend private events inside. In addition, we would remind you of the importance of personal responsibility for limiting the spread of the virus. Contacts must be as limited as possible. Private parties are therefore strongly discouraged.

In accordance with cantonal directives, sports and leisure facilities, including sports and fitness centres, artificial ice rinks and swimming pools are forbidden for adults. The use of facilities and establishments in the fields of culture and sport for the activities of children and adolescents under 20 years of age is still permitted.

The fitness centres and gyms will be able to reopen on 19 April, provided that a strict protection plan can be implemented. Indoors, sports are permitted for groups of up to 15 people. The use of machines in a fitness centre is not considered a group activity, as each person works out separately. Therefore, these areas can accommodate more than 15 clients. All persons present must wear a mask and maintain a distance of 1.5 m. In addition, capacity limitations apply. If the sport activity cannot be performed with a mask, exemptions are possible. However, each person must have sufficient space, i.e. 15 m2 for a quiet, static activity and at least 25 m2 for other sports. The number of people without masks is limited to 15 per room.

All other individual outdoor sports (winter hiking, snowshoeing, ski touring, tobogganing, running, etc.) are still permitted.

Playgrounds will be open with a limit of 15 people from 1 March 2021.

No, clubs with dancing have had to close for the time being due to the measures decided by the authorities. We are closely tracking how measures evolve, so we can reassess the situation if need be.

Terraces of bars may reopen from 19 April. between 6am and 11pm, provided that a strict protection plan can be applied. A distance of 1.5 metres must be guaranteed or a separation installed. Customers must drink seated, in tables of no more than four (exception: parents with children). The contact details of each person will be collected. Masks must be worn when not consuming. Toilets can be used, but masks must be worn when moving.

As a reminder, no more than 15 people can attend private events inside. In addition, we would remind you of the importance of personal responsibility for limiting the spread of the virus. Contacts must be kept to a minimum. Private parties are therefore strongly discouraged.

If you experience symptoms, it is extremely important to self-isolate at home or in your holiday accommodation. You can check if your symptoms mean that you need to see a doctor by visiting this website: www.coronaviruscheck.ch. If necessary, call a doctor, the Federal coronavirus hotline on +41 (0)58 463 00 00 or the Canton of Valais hotline on +41 (0)58 433 01 44. Follow their recommendations, which may be to take a test or undergo additional examinations. In any event, continue to self-isolate until 48 hours after your symptoms have disappeared.

For further information, do not hesitate to visit the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health’s dedicated website here.

If you have to quarantine, you will have to stay at home or in appropriate accommodation for 10 days starting from the date you were last in contact with the contagious person, or from the day after your arrival in Switzerland.

As of February 8 2021, the 10-day quarantine may be shortened if the person is tested after seven days (PCR test or rapid test) and the result is negative. This new rule applies both to Swiss residents who must undergo a quarantine and to any traveller entering Switzerland from a state or area at risk. The latter must present a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entry and then be quarantined for ten days as was the case until now. However, he can leave after seven days by taking a rapid test or PCR and the result is negative.

Persons entering Switzerland by air from a state or zone that does not present a high risk of infection must also have a negative PCR test.

Detailed information on complying with quarantine rules can be downloaded here.

For your usual shopping, you can place orders with a number of shops in the resort: you can find the list here.

All pharmacies in the region currently have a delivery service.

A rapid test centre will be installed in the P3 parking lot of the Périn parking area as of December 21, 2020. Tests will be available every morning from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m (appointments can be made here). However, people over 65 years of age or with symptoms of coronavirus will have to be tested directly at a doctor’s office.

These rapid tests are not free of charge and might be reimbursed by your health insurance company depending on your insurance and country of origin.

PCR tests are also available at the Périn test centre, for those who need to travel or to confirm a positive test in asymptomatic people.

This logo shows that the relevant business displaying it is applying the health measures and safeguarding plan put in place by their sector to fight the coronavirus. Details of these can be found on MySwitzerland’s dedicated website, here.

We recommend you visit the HotellerieSuisse Mask-wearing webpage, which covers the main questions and answers about conferences and events, staff, wellness & fitness areas, public spaces, restaurants and games (e.g. billiards and darts).

Verbier Tourisme recommends you acquire free of charge the Clean & Safe label, a Switzerland Tourism initiative. Once you have registered, you will be able to use the Clean & Safe logo and sticker to advertise your membership at the entrance to your premises and in your communication material. More about www.clean-and-safe.ch.

Consider subscribing to Verbier Tourisme’s preventive health charter here.

Verbier Tourisme has ordered branded masks, opting for a quality model which can be sold and/or distributed free. Cost price payable by the partner. See prototype here.
Interested partners should state the number of masks required, using this address: partenaires@verbiertourisme.ch.

Switzerland Tourism summarizes the current requirements of the various source markets on its Covid-19 webpage dedicated to our tourism partners.

With regard to the quarantine regulations for travelers entering Switzerland, please refer to the official information of the Federal Office of Public Health.

The maximum number of people allowed in an individual chalet is 10 people.

For chalets with several fully independent apartments, the same rule applies for each apartment.

Children of all ages are considered and counted for groups of up to 10 people.

Staff, if they do not stay or live in the same accommodation, are not counted in the maximum number of people.

For chalets managed as hotels (with permission to operate) and comprising for example several bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and common dining room/lounge, these can be booked by two different families who must respect the social distances between them. The measures are the same as for the entire hotel industry, including staff.

The rules are not changed during the Christmas and New Year periods. However, please keep yourself informed of any decisions taken by the competent authorities in the coming weeks.

During the opening period, there is no maximum capacity limit for restaurants. The current rules are as follows:

Face coverings are obligatory in all common spaces, other than for guests sitting and eating at tables (in this case, staff must wear face coverings).

A maximum of four people per table applies, except for those living in the same household, for whom the total may be higher. Babies in a baby chair, on an adult’s knees, in a carry-cot or a push chair are not counted.

People sitting in a group around a table may be from a maximum of two different households.

A distance of 1.5m must be maintained between groups of people sitting at different tables.

During the opening period, stores with a sales area of up to 40 square meters can accommodate a maximum of 3 customers at the same time.

Stores with a sales area of more than 40 square meters that realize at least 2/3 of their turnover with the sale of food are subject to the following rules: 10 square meters per customer, but 5 authorized customers at least.

Stores with a sales area of more than 40 square meters that achieve less than 2/3 of their turnover with the sale of foodstuffs are subject to the following rules:

• Shops with a sales area between 41 and 500 square meters: 10 square meters per customer, but 5 customers allowed at least.
• Shops with a sales area between 501 and 1500 square meters: 15 square meters per customer, but 50 customers allowed at least.
• Shops with a sales area of 1500 square meters or more: 20 square meters per customer, but 100 customers allowed at least.
  

The possibility to continue your activity is accompanied by the obligation to maintain strictly the requirements relating to social distancing and hygiene as well as the rigorous implementation of protection plans.

For any further questions, please contact OCVS at this address: info.covid@ocvs.ch.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please email Malvine Moulin, the local coordination manager in the Verbier Tourisme team, at partenaires@verbiertourisme.ch.

She can inform you about the resources and tools available to local partners in the current Covid-19 situation and will suggest you subscribe to the official newsletter on the health situation and to the weekly information for partners.

Verbier Tourisme recommends you contact your local, cantonal or national professional body, which will be qualified to advise you.

Please refer to the list of main professional bodies that will provide you with the appropriate contacts.

Clean and Safe labels can be obtained from Switzerland Tourism when you join or register online, after confirming your business has a protection plan in place. Once you have registered, you will receive an email about how to place an order for the free sticker.

If you have any further questions, please contact: Switzerland Tourism, tel. +41 (0)44 288 13 21, annika.gruenig@switzerland.com.

We recommend the Canton of Valais’s Short-time working and Coronavirus webpage and HotellerieSuisse’s webpage on short-time working; these summarize certain aspects of this insurance scheme that enables employers to avoid laying off staff.

Please also visit the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs webpage on this subject: Compensation in the event of short-time working FAQs

We recommend the Canton of Valais’s webpage on compensation for loss of earnings, Compensation for loss of earnings Covid-19 and the HotellerieSuisse Compensation for loss of earnings FAQs webpage, which list the main questions and answers on compensation for loss of earnings for the self-employed and people who are in an employer-like situation.

Please also visit the webpage on compensation for loss of earnings published by the Federal Social Insurance Office.

Anyone who has tested positive should quarantine. They should inform all the people they have been in contact with for over 15 minutes (in total and not continuously) and those people they have come in closer distance to than 1.5m, in the 48 hours before the first symptoms appear. Those people should also quarantine and be tested if symptoms appear.

From 08.02.21 a person will be able to leave quarantine earlier than expected with the approval of the competent cantonal authority by doing a PCR test or a rapid test from the 7th day of quarantine with a negative result. It is up to them to cover the costs. In addition, until the end of the intended quarantine (day 10), they must systematically wear a face mask and maintain a distance of 1.5 m with other persons, except when in their own house or accommodation.

We recommend you look at the HotellerieSuisse webpage headed Everything you need to know about quarantined staff members, where key questions and answers are covered.

We recommend you visit the HotellerieSuisse FAQs webpage about management of seasonal contracts.

Businesses that cannot open for any period of time but whose seasonal workers are already on-site without being able to work can contact Verbier Tourisme by emailing partenaires@verbiertourisme.ch. We will try to put them in touch with other businesses and/or associations that might be temporarily short-staffed (e.g. home-delivery services).

Several answers about apprenticeships are provided on the HotellerieSuisse Information for businesses that train their staff webpage.

Verbier Tourisme recommends the Ritzy* programme, which organises continuing education and training courses and virtual forums for the hotel, restaurant and tourism sector in the Canton of Valais. The classes and virtual forums are being provided free of charge, on an exceptional basis, for all member businesses in the hospitality sector (i.e., the hotels, restaurants, cabin rental and camping sites, etc. that pay the annual subscription) during the Covid-19 period.

You will find further important information and answers on the official site of the Canton of Valais, vs.ch/coronavirus, and Promotion Santé Valais FAQs page.

For all further questions or suggestions about this partners FAQ, please contact us at this address: partenaires@verbiertourisme.ch.

To find answers to this question about people from other countries, we recommend you visit the Federal Office of Public Health’s webpage: Coronavirus: Mandatory quarantine for persons arriving in Switzerland, where the list of countries and areas at high risk of infection is available.

If you have to quarantine, you will have to stay at home or in appropriate accommodation for 10 days starting from the day after your arrival in Switzerland.

As of February 8 2021, the 10-day quarantine may be shortened if the person is tested after seven days (PCR test or rapid test) and the result is negative. This new rule applies both to Swiss residents who must undergo a quarantine and to any traveller entering Switzerland from a state or area at risk. The latter must present a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entry and then be quarantined for ten days as was the case until now. However, he can leave after seven days by taking a rapid test or PCR and the result is negative.

It is up to them to cover the costs. In addition, until the end of the intended quarantine (day 10), they must systematically wear a face mask and maintain a distance of 1.5 m with other persons, except when in their own house or accommodation.

Regarding current measures at national level, please visit the Federal Office of Public Health website: ofsp-coronavirus.ch.

As for current measures at cantonal level, please refer to the Canton of Valais’s website: vs.ch/coronavirus.

Please note that cantonal authorities may take additional measures to combat the pandemic in line with their particular situation. Whichever of the measures (national or cantonal) is stricter will prevail in each case.

If you show symptoms, we recommend you go to the Federal Office of Public Health’s Coronavirus: Disease, symptoms, treatment webpage and follow the official guidance.

If you fall ill, we recommend you consult the region’s doctors and pharmacies.

Téléverbier has amended its refund conditions in the light of the COVID-19 situation. Please see their Pandemic general terms and conditions for further information.

If you are on social networks, you can join communities like Verbier Community.

The verbier.ch website is full of all kinds of useful information. We particularly recommend these pages: To do, Useful Info, What’s on, Food & drink, Ski area and Shops and services, and would be happy to answer any questions you may have: phone us on +41 27 775 38 88 or email us at info@verbier.ch.

You will find further important information and answers on the official site of the Canton of Valais, vs.ch/coronavirus, and Promotion Santé Valais FAQs page.

For all further questions or suggestions about this seasonal workers FAQ, please contact us at this address: partenaires@verbiertourisme.ch.