More Infos from the Swiss Government about Covid-19
Dear Compatriots,
Slowly but surely we seem to be able to re-emerge from our houses. Coronavirus (COVID-19) will be with us for a long time to come, but restrictions are being eased one by one and, just as winter arrives, we will soon be able to breathe fresh air again!
As you will know, the Australian Government has announced a three step approach to ease most of the basic restrictions by July 2020. Each state and territory will decide for itself when and how to implement these recommendations, so there might be different rules and regulations depending on where you are.
In Switzerland, regulations are also easing-off, children are going back to school, shops are opening and even borders to Germany and Austria are slowly being opened – just in time for the summer holidays in Europe.
The Consulate General still recommends that Swiss tourists return to Switzerland. It you know of any travellers still in Australia please tell them to use the available commercial flights as soon as possible. Lately the Consulate General is also receiving more and more queries from Swiss people living in Australia about the possibilities of trips to Switzerland. There are no restrictions, i.e. quarantine or similar, for Swiss travellers arriving in Switzerland. For more details please see the homepage of the Federal Office of Public Health (link provided blelow) where you can find all the necessary information.
However, please be aware that Australian citizens and permanent residents cannot travel overseas due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at this time. Dual nationals, or foreign nationals with permanent residency status in Australia, need to secure an exemption from the Australian Border Force (ABF) Commissioner before they can leave Australia. Individuals with a valid reason can apply online for an exemption on the following Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/departmental-forms/online-forms/covid19-enquiry-form where all the relevant information can be found. Please note that the final decision for this exemption lies with the Australian authorities and that the Consulate General is not in a position to interfere with the process.
Please follow all the latest developments and recommendations and comply with local regulations. For your information I list different links to Australian authorities as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs:
· www.australia.gov.au
· Australian Department of Health
· Australian Department of Home Affairs
· WHO
· FOPH
· FDFA Focus new Coronavirus
The Consular Section of the Consulate General is available for any request, for any emergency that may arise and for any matter you may want to discuss. Please contact us by calling weekdays during working hours (02 8383 4000) or by writing an e-mail anytime (sydney@eda.admin.ch) in order to make an appointment. Non-urgent consular requests will be dealt with in due course, but may take a bit longer than in the past. We thank you for your understanding and patience.
We wish you and your family all the best, stay safe and keep healthy!
Kind regards, Bernadette Hunkeler Brown, Consul General and the team of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney
sydney@eda.admin.ch. or. . ww.eda.admin.ch/sydney
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