Cars 4 Rental - Cheap Car Rentals Online Bookings

General Money Health Climate Passport

(back to contents)

Cars 4 Rental Information on Switzerland

General

Area: 41,284 sq km (15,940 sq miles).

Population: 7,164,444 (official estimate 1999).

Population Density: 173.5 per sq km.

Capital: Bern. Population: 122,700 (1999).

GEOGRAPHY: Switzerland is bordered by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria to the east and Italy to the south. It has the highest mountains in Europe, with waterfalls and lakes set amid green pastures. The highest peaks are Dufour Peak, 4634m (15,217ft), on the Italian border; the Dom, 4545m (14,912ft); the Matterhorn, 4478m (14,692ft); and the Jungfrau, 4166m (13,669ft).

Government: Federal Republic since 1848. Head of State and Government: President Joseph Deiss since 2004.

Language: 65 to 70 per cent German in central and eastern areas, 19 per cent French in the west and 8 per cent Italian in the south. Raeto-Romansch is spoken in the southeast by 1 per cent. English is spoken by many. Overlapping cultural influences characterise the country.

Religion: Roman Catholic (43 per cent) and Protestant (47 per cent).

Time: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications:

Telephone

Full IDD is available. Country code: 41. Outgoing international code: 00. Phonecards are available for use in payphones.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900/1800 networks cover the whole country. Single band networks also in Basle, Geneva and Zurich. Operators include Orange (website: www.orange.ch), Sunrise (website: www.sunrise.ch/de) and Swiss GSM (website: www.swisscom.com).

Fax

Facilities are available in all telegraph offices, most major hotels and post offices.

Internet

Internet access is available in phone booths operated by Swisscom. Charges are payable by phonecard or credit card. ISPs include SwissOnline (website: www.swissonline.ch).

Telegram

These can be sent from post offices and most hotels or arranged by dialling 110 on the telephone.

Post

Airmail within Europe takes 3 days. Poste Restante is available at all post offices. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1345-1830. Saturday closing is at 1100 except in major cities.

Press

The high level of interest in local politics throughout Switzerland has led to a large number of regional newspapers. However, the most popular dailies are Blick, Neue Zrcher Zeitung and Tages-Anzeiger Zrich. European and international newspapers in English, including The Herald Tribune and USA Today, are also widely available.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

Back to Top

Money

Currency: Swiss Franc (SFr) = 100 rappen or centimes. Notes are in denominations of SFr1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of SFr5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes.

Eurocheques: Eurocheques are no longer guaranteed and and can not be accepted for encashments but may be useable for payments wihtout the guarantee.

Currency exchange: Personal cheques within the Eurocheque system are accepted. ATMs provide a convenient means of obtaining Swiss Francs. There are Bureaux de Change at train stations and banks.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Pound Sterling, US Dollar, Euro or Swiss Franc cheques are accepted at airports, railway stations and banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currencies.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Swiss Franc against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04
£1.00= 2.20 2.28 2.29 2.32
$1.00= 1.38 1.36 1.26 1.29

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1630.

Back to Top

Health

.

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio No N/A
Malaria No N/A

Other risks: Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, see the Health appendix.

Health care: Health care: Health insurance is essential. Medical facilities in Switzerland are among the best in Europe, but treatment is expensive. Various leaflets giving information on health spas and clinics are available from Switzerland Tourism (see Contact Addresses section).

Back to Top

Climate

The Alps cause many climatic variations throughout Switzerland. In the higher Alpine regions temperatures tend to be low, while the lower land of the northern area has higher temperatures and warm summers.

Required clothing: Warm clothes and rainwear; lightweights for summer.

Back to Top

Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No No
Australian Yes No No
Canadian Yes No No
USA Yes No No
OtherEU 1 No No
Japanese Yes No No

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for three months after intended period of stay required by all except:
(a) 1. nationals of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Spain holding a valid national identity card;
(b) foreigners holding national Identity Cards issued by the governments of Belgium, France or Luxembourg, provided they are resident in one of these countries.

VISAS: Required by all except the following for stays of up to three months:
(a) nationals of countries referred to in the chart above;
(b) nationals of countries in South and North/Central America, including nationals of Caribbean island states (except nationals of Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti and Peru who do need a visa);
(c) nationals of Andorra, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Fiji, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Korea (Rep), Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tuvalu and Vatican City;
(d) nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan (China, PR), Thailand and United Arab Emirates, if in possession of a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa (valid for all Schengen states);
(e) holders of a travel document issued to refugees by the EU with a blue cover and two golden stripes in the top left hand corner and mentioning the agreement of 28 July 1951;
(f) nationals in direct transit travelling within 48 hours providing they hold all valid documents.
Note: If staying for longer than three months, or if total length of time spent in Switzerland exceeds six months within a 12-month period, a residence permit is required. Visitors holding visas or residence permits must register with the police within eight days of arrival in Switzerland.

Types of visa and cost: Tourist; Visitor; Business; Transit. All visas cost £25 for passengers over 18 years of age (children aged under 18 included in a parent’s passport are not required to pay a separate visa fee); £12.50 for unmarried passengers aged under 18 with separate passports. Fees can vary due to exchange rates.

Validity: Three months. Transit visas are issued to nationals wishing to pass through Switzerland or continuing on a connecting flight to another country. Holders of transit visas must continue their journey within 48 hours.

Note: Stateless persons require a transit visa at all times. Nationals of Iraq and Somalia do not require a transit visa if they hold a residence permit for an EU country, Canada, Iceland, Norway or the USA. Nationals of Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Congo (Dem Rep), Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Turkey do not require a transit visa if they hold a visa or residence permit for an EU country, Canada, Iceland, Norway or the USA.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy responsible for place of residence; see Contact Addresses section). UK applicants should note that residents of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Durham, Greater Manchester, Humberside, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Tyne & Wear and Yorkshire must obtain their visas from the Swiss Consulate General in Manchester (see Contact Addresses section).
Visa applications must be made in person; postal applications are not accepted.

Application requirements: Tourist: (a) Passport or travel document valid for at least three months after intended visit accompanied by valid travel documents. (b) One completed application form. (c) One recent, passport-size photo. (d) Fee, payable in cash only. (e) Return/onward ticket. (f) Proof of sufficient funds in the form of a recent bank statement/travellers’ cheques (approximately equivalent to £50 per day). (g) Hotel reservation and/or package tour confirmation. Transit: (a)-(g) and, (h) proof of flight with an airline licensed in Switzerland. (i) Visa(s) for ongoing destination(s). Visitor: (a)-(f) and, (g) Invitation letter from Swiss residents sent directly to the Embassy, accompanied by a copy of the Swiss resident’s Swiss Passport/ID card or Swiss Resident Permit. In special cases a declaration of guarantee completed by the applicant and the resident may be required, which must then be endorsed by the Aliens Police of the resident’s canton. Business: (a)-(g) and, (h) Proof of existing business connections or an invitation from Swiss company or business partner sent directly to the relevant Embassy.

Working days required: Visas may be issued immediately, but travellers are advised to apply at least one week prior to departure and no earlier than three months before proposed travel. Some applications may need to be referred to the Swiss authorities, which can take six to eight weeks for approval.

Temporary residence: Nationals of most European and some other countries do not require a visa if they intend to take up employment or residence in Switzerland; however, before entry they must obtain an Assurance of a Residence Permit from their employer in Switzerland. Students who wish to attend school, college or university for more than three months must apply for a Residence Permit well in advance through their local Embassy or Consulate.

Back to Top

Cars4Rental - Worldwide Car Hire

Cars 4 Rental Information on Switzerland

Car Hire Switzerland