Entry and asylum in Switzerland

In view of the current emergency situation, Ukrainian citizens and Ukrainian resident permit holders can enter Switzerland without a biometric travel document or a visa since 28 February 2022. They can stay on Swiss territory without a visa up to 90 days. During the 90-day stay, there is generally no entitlement to social welfare support and health insurance cover. In principle, it is not possible to work without a visa. Those who wish to continue their stay in Switzerland after the 90 days without applying for protection and who fulfil the conditions for legal residence can apply for a visa at the cantonal migration office.

For additional information, please visit the dedicated page of the Swiss migration authorities: Questions and answers for refugees from Ukraine, or send an email to [email protected].

The Swiss Refugee Council has also put in place a hotline to answer your questions. You can reach it at the following number +41 31 370 75 90 or send them a message via this contact form.

You can also select the dedicated webpage of your Canton of residence in the following document to obtain more specific information provided by local competent authorities.

On 11 March 2022, the Swiss authorities activated a specific temporary protection status, the protection status S, for refugees from Ukraine. The persons concerned receive an S permit which is granted for one-year (renewable) without having to go through the standard asylum procedure. Protection status S will be maintained until at least 4 March 2027.

You are usually eligible for protection status S if you are:

• Ukrainian citizens who were resident in Ukraine before 24 February 2022;
• non-Ukrainian nationals and stateless persons who had international or national protection status in Ukraine before 24 February 2022;
• non-Ukrainian nationals and stateless persons seeking protection who were resident in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, can prove it, and cannot return to their home countries in safety and on a permanent basis.

‼️However, please note that as of 1 November 2025 there are important changes. These changes will apply to all applications that are reviewed after 1 November 2025, even if you submitted your application earlier.

This change will not affect people who were already granted protection status S in Switzerland. It also does not apply to newly arriving family members (spouse/registered partner and minor children) of S-permit holders.

The new legislation is more restrictive. Status S will be denied for applicants from regions in Ukraine considered safe.

If your last place of residence was in the regions of Volyn, Rivne, Lviv, Ternopil, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi, you will not be considered eligible for protection status S. Your return is generally considered reasonable, and you will be issued a removal order. Only in certain exceptional cases you may be granted temporary admission to Switzerland (F permit).

If you think this decision is not correct, you have the right to appeal to the Federal Administrative Court. Please be aware of the very tight deadline for filing such an appeal. If you wish to appeal, we recommend that you contact a legal representative immediately.

Even if you are not eligible for protection status S, you still have the right to apply for asylum through the regular asylum procedure. The chances that your application for asylum will be successful are, however, very low.

The Swiss authorities will continue to monitor the security situation in Ukraine and will update the list of regions considered safe if necessary.

Since 1 January 2024, all registrations for new arrivals take place in Bern. More information is available at RegisterMe help / Допомога / Помощь and the online application form at RegisterMe.

If you arrive in Switzerland with a large group of people (more than 30) or with groups of vulnerable people (i.e. unaccompanied children, people with disabilities), you should contact the authorities a few days before your arrival at a federal asylum centre by sending an email to [email protected]. This will enable the authorities to organise registration and sufficient accommodation for the group.

If you already have private accommodation, you can alternatively book an appointment through this online platform. If you wish to remain in your current private accommodation after the registration process, you should fill in the Confirmation of Private Accommodation form and bring it with you on the day of your appointment at the federal asylum centre. If you have questions, you can contact [email protected].

When you apply for protection status S, you will have to fill out a form. You will be given the possibility to mention whether you have reasons for seeking protection in addition to the general threats of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Should this be the case, we strongly advise you to contact the legal aid service at the centre and discuss with them whether to apply for asylum.

It is also very important that you already inform the Swiss authorities during the registration process, if you have any specific needs. This could include health issues (illness or disability), if you feel you need psycho-social support, or if you have experienced violence or abuse on your journey to Switzerland.

After registration at the federal asylum center, beneficiaries of the status S are assigned to a canton and accommodated free of charge in a cantonal center or with private hosts organized by the Swiss Refugee Council. Please find more information in the SEM Factsheet on Accommodation. If you do not have private accommodation, you can expect to be accommodated in the federal asylum center for an initial period of at least 7 days.

Once you are granted protection status S, you will be informed about your Canton allocation. If you wish to change your assigned canton, you should contact the SEM in writing within 30 days using the Application to Change Canton – Status S form, stating your reasons. Send your request to this address: State Secretariat for Migration SEM, Taskforce Kantonswechsel Ukraine, Quellenweg 6, 3003 Bern-Wabern. Indicate both the assigned and requested canton of residence and list all persons to be included in the change of canton.

Non-Ukrainian nationals seeking protection who held a valid residence permit for Ukraine until the outbreak of hostilities are granted protection status S under certain conditions. If third-country nationals who do not belong to the above-mentioned categories apply for protection in Switzerland, a standard asylum procedure is followed. This ensures that all persons who need protection receive it. If your application for protection status S is rejected, but you cannot safely return to your country of origin, you can also lodge an asylum application. Your application will then be examined through the standard asylum procedure.

N.B. Protection status S is not granted to persons who already resided in Switzerland at the time of the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Those who wish to remain in Switzerland with their family, beyond their current residence permit, will have to regularize their stay in application of the ordinary Swiss legislation (application for a renewal of residence permit or standard asylum procedure). Be aware that spouses or registered partners of EU/EFTA nationals or nationals of UK, Canada, US, New Zealand or Australia, may not be granted protection status S, if Swiss authorities conclude that they can establish themselves safely in the partner’s home country. Protection status S will also not be granted to those who have already obtained a protection status in another European country.

More information in Ukrainian and Russian is available at Інформація для осіб з України, що потребують захисту.

If you need legal advice on the above, contact RBS Bern ([email protected]) during the procedure to obtain protection status S or contact one of the free legal aid services available in your Canton of residence or contact a cantonal bar association.

Ukrainian citizens can travel in the Schengen area without biometric travel document or visa for up to 90 days.

Cantonal migration authorities can issue free public transport tickets to refugees who need to complete administrative procedures (including travel to a federal asylum centre).

Please note that UNHCR is not in a position to resettle or relocate you and your family from Switzerland to any other country.

Regarding travel to Ukraine, the State Secretariat for Migration may withdraw, or not renew, the status S if you leave Switzerland for Ukraine for more than 15 days during any 6-month period.  Exceptions can be made for those who can prove that their stay was in preparation for their definitive return to Ukraine or for imperative reasons such as visiting a sick close relative. Protection status S can also be revoked if you live in a third country for more than two months and have moved your centre of vital interest there.

Under Swiss national law, family reunification for S status holders is possible with spouses/registered partners and children (under 18 years old).

These family members can join beneficiaries of S status in Switzerland, where they will receive protection status S themselves upon arrival.

For an overview of the right to family reunification for beneficiaries of other status, please see: Residence status.

If you do not know where your family is you can also contact the Swiss Red Cross Tracing Service. They have a hotline for the Ukraine situation: +41 58 400 43 80 or they can be contacted by email: [email protected].

Dogs, cats, and ferrets brought by their owners may enter Switzerland and currently have to meet all import conditions. All information can be found in the webpage of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Travelling with pets.

If you need a veterinary service in the canton in which you are currently located, you can consult the List of Cantonal Veterinaries. An interactive map is also available in English and in Ukrainian.

For additional queries, please consult the following digital help platform: Swiss Help For Ukrainian Pets.