SWISS and the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security have updated passenger guidance confirming that the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will become fully mandatory at all Swiss external borders on 10 April 2026. The advice, published on 26 February, ends the transitional period that began in October 2025 at Basel-Mulhouse and Geneva where kiosks operated in ‘shadow’ mode alongside manual stamping.
From 10 April every third-country national entering or leaving Switzerland – including visa-waiver travellers from the UK, US, Canada and Singapore – must have four fingerprints and a facial image captured on first entry. Subsequent crossings will be verified automatically, eliminating passport stamps. The system also calculates the 90/180-day rule in real time and will block overstayers.
Geneva and Zurich airports have added 104 biometric e-gates and redeployed staff to manage queues. Trials show that first-time enrolment now averages 94 seconds per traveller, but officials warn of longer waits during the Easter peak. Carriers that board passengers without valid enrolment face fines of up to CHF 4,000 per person.
![Countdown to 10 April: Switzerland finalises roll-out of EU Entry/Exit System biometric border checks]()
To simplify compliance, VisaHQ provides an end-to-end service that helps travellers and corporate mobility teams navigate Switzerland’s evolving entry rules, from EES registration to forthcoming ETIAS filings. Full details and online support are available at https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/
Business-travel managers should update pre-trip briefings: frequent commuters on weekly London-Zurich rotations risk being refused entry if the rolling limit is breached. Companies can pre-enrol staff at selected consulates or book fast-track lanes for VIPs. Mobility teams must also note that ETIAS authorisations will layer on from Q4 2026 – meaning assignees may need both a biometric EES record and an approved ETIAS.
Swiss authorities emphasise data-protection safeguards: biometric templates are encrypted and stored for three years after the last exit; travellers may request access or correction through the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.
From 10 April every third-country national entering or leaving Switzerland – including visa-waiver travellers from the UK, US, Canada and Singapore – must have four fingerprints and a facial image captured on first entry. Subsequent crossings will be verified automatically, eliminating passport stamps. The system also calculates the 90/180-day rule in real time and will block overstayers.
Geneva and Zurich airports have added 104 biometric e-gates and redeployed staff to manage queues. Trials show that first-time enrolment now averages 94 seconds per traveller, but officials warn of longer waits during the Easter peak. Carriers that board passengers without valid enrolment face fines of up to CHF 4,000 per person.
To simplify compliance, VisaHQ provides an end-to-end service that helps travellers and corporate mobility teams navigate Switzerland’s evolving entry rules, from EES registration to forthcoming ETIAS filings. Full details and online support are available at https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/
Business-travel managers should update pre-trip briefings: frequent commuters on weekly London-Zurich rotations risk being refused entry if the rolling limit is breached. Companies can pre-enrol staff at selected consulates or book fast-track lanes for VIPs. Mobility teams must also note that ETIAS authorisations will layer on from Q4 2026 – meaning assignees may need both a biometric EES record and an approved ETIAS.
Swiss authorities emphasise data-protection safeguards: biometric templates are encrypted and stored for three years after the last exit; travellers may request access or correction through the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.
