Coronavirus: vaccination for Swiss citizens living abroad and cross-border commuters
Bern, 18.08.2021 - Swiss citizens living abroad, their immediate family members and cross-border commuters without compulsory health insurance are to be allowed to get vaccinated in Switzerland. At its meeting on 18 August, the Federal Council launched consultation proceedings on an amendment to the Epidemics Ordinance.
To date, due to the limited availability of vaccine doses, only people resident in Switzerland, cross-border commuters working in the health sector and foreign nationals with compulsory health insurance have been able to get vaccinated in Switzerland. However, now that all people living in Switzerland who wish to be vaccinated have had the opportunity to do so, the Federal Council believes that the vaccine should be made available to other people with close ties to Switzerland. This concerns Swiss citizens living abroad who do not have compulsory health insurance in Switzerland, their immediate family members (partners, children, parents and parents-in-law living in the same household), and cross-border commuters who do not have compulsory health insurance in Switzerland.
The Federal Council is consulting the cantons and the social partners on an amendment to the Epidemics Ordinance. This provides for the Confederation to assume the costs of vaccination for cross-border commuters, since they are regularly in Switzerland and could influence the course of the pandemic here. The Federal Council also intends to allow Swiss citizens without compulsory health insurance in Switzerland living abroad and their immediate family members to be vaccinated in Switzerland. For these individuals, who are not normally resident in Switzerland, it is proposing two variants for consultation. Under the first variant, the costs of vaccination are assumed by the Confederation. The second variant requires these individuals to assume the costs of vaccination themselves.
The Federal Council will announce its decision on 25 August.
Address for enquiries
Federal Office of Public Health
COVID-19 Infoline +41 58 463 00 00
COVID-19 Vaccination Infoline +41 58 377 88 92
Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Department of Home Affairs
http://www.edi.admin.ch
Federal Office of Public Health
http://www.bag.admin.ch
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
