The German Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) refreshed its travel and safety guidance for Switzerland on 21 September 2026. Although the country remains in the lowest risk category, the bulletin now places stronger emphasis on petty theft at airports and rail stations and recommends that travellers store electronic copies of passports and residence permits. The advisory is important for the roughly 480,000 business trips Germans make to Switzerland each year and for German multinationals operating hubs in Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Companies are urged to brief travelling staff on basic precautions, including the use of automated e-Gates at Zurich and Geneva airports and the need to monitor the status of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES), which can cause queues for third-country nationals. No new entry restrictions are introduced—Schengen rules continue to apply—but the Foreign Office reminds travellers that Swiss authorities conduct random customs inspections on arrival trains from Germany, a topic that gained attention following several recent narcotics seizures. Mobility teams should circulate the updated advisory to employees and ensure that corporate travel insurance policies cover theft of electronic devices, which Swiss police say is the fastest-growing crime category in transport hubs.
