SwitzerlandLevel 1/4

Level 1/4 — Exercise Normal Precautions, U.S. Department of State, retrieved on 16 October 2026.

• Is the whole country advised against? United States: no · France: no · United Kingdom: no · Switzerland: no (reading of 27 September 2026).
• Contractually, only an FDFA, FOPH or WHO advisory against the trip opens Module A (art. 18.1) — that is not the case today.
• Travel with international medical cover and the 24/7 number (+41 22 ••• •• ••) saved: here the risk is not the advisory, it is the hospital bill.
• We check these sources every morning and e-mail you the day one changes (Alerts button).

Sourcestravel.state.gov · updated 13.08 · read 16.10France Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 15.10DFAE207-country comparison

An area advised against does not rule out the country.

• Official answers: United States: no · France: no · United Kingdom: no · Switzerland: no.
• Keep your country of residence's advisory on booking day and on departure day: that is what your policy's clauses cite.

SourcesFrance Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 15.10Foreign Office · updated 11.08 · read 15.10State Department · updated 13.08 · read 16.10

The rules depend on the passport, not on the destination alone.

• French passport (France Diplomatie): French nationals entering Switzerland need a valid national identity card or passport valid or expired less than five years ago. French nationals with national identity cards issued between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 may use them five years beyond their expiry date, though a valid passport is recommended to avoid issues. For flights to destinations outside the Schengen area, French nationals must present a passport valid for three or six months beyond their return date, depending on the destination country.
• British passport (Foreign Office): British passport holders must ensure their passport was issued less than ten years before arrival and expires at least three months after planned departure from the Schengen area. British citizens may travel visa-free to Switzerland for up to ninety days within any one hundred eighty-day period for tourism, visiting family, business, or short-term study. Overstaying the ninety-day visa-free limit may result in a ban from entering Schengen countries for up to three years.
• American passport: the requirements are on the State Department country page (travel.state.gov).
• Swiss passport: the FDFA refers you to the destination's embassy in Switzerland.
• Pick your passport at the top of Before you go › Entry: the official text that concerns you comes first, with its “In brief” summary.

SourcesFrance Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 15.10Foreign Office · updated 11.08 · read 15.10State Department · updated 13.08 · read 16.10

For a Schengen visa, yes: at least €30,000 of travel medical insurance (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, art. 15).

• Many other countries ask for it on entry or for a visa, case by case: check Before you go › Entry, with your passport.
• Subscribe: the named certificate arrives by e-mail on payment, with your name, dates and limits (EUR 1.5M medical expenses, unlimited evacuation and repatriation) — the ones consulates check.
• Attach it to the visa file; if in doubt about the format, write to us.

SourcesRegulation (EC) 810/2009, art. 15General conditions, policy 20 00 479

VIP Pack — €990 for twelve months, unlimited trips.

• EUR 1.5M emergency medical expenses, unlimited medical evacuation and repatriation, search and rescue EUR 50,000, cancellation or change EUR 5,000.
• One 24/7 number, +41 22 ••• •• ••: Maximum sends its direct payment guarantee to the hospital (art. 2.12).
• Network of 45,000 providers (art. 6.9); evacuation is decided, organised and paid by Maximum's medical team if the local facility is not enough (art. 6.2.2).
• Around Bern, the nearest hospital read from OpenStreetMap: Salem-Spital · 0.4 km · +41 31 337 60 00 · 24/7 emergency room.
• Named certificate by e-mail on payment, no medical questionnaire.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479OpenStreetMap · read 13.10

Six steps, in this order.

• 1. Call +41 22 ••• •• •• before paying anything, or have the front desk call: it is the condition for full cover (otherwise: reduced or refused benefits).
• 2. Ask for a hospital in the Maximum network (art. 6.9) — the nearest: Salem-Spital · 0.4 km · +41 31 337 60 00 · 24/7 emergency room.
• 3. See a doctor the same day and leave with the certificate: without an on-the-spot finding, nothing is covered (art. 33).
• 4. Admitted for more than 24 h? The front desk calls Maximum: direct payment guarantee, no deposit (art. 2.12).
• 5. Book no ambulance or flight yourself (art. 6.2.2).
• 6. Once home, file within 30 days (art. 35.7).
• Local emergency services: police 117 · ambulance 1414 / 144 · fire 118.

SourcesSpecial conditions 01.26General conditions, policy 20 00 479

Local emergency services: police 117 · ambulance 1414 / 144 · fire 118

• Maximum, 24/7, before any payment: +41 22 ••• •• ••.
• France — Ambassade de France (1.1 km) · +41 31 3592111
• Switzerland — Swiss Mission in Geneva (129.0 km)
• United Kingdom — Ambassade du Royaume-Uni (0.9 km)
• United States — Résidence des Etats-Unis d'Amérique (1.1 km)
• Save these numbers before leaving; in immediate danger, call local emergency services first, then Maximum.

SourcesEmergencyNumberAPI · Wikidata · read 08.10OpenStreetMap · read 13.10

At today's level 1/4, card by card:

• Amex Platinum — No area exclusion at this level — but three written limits: deductible and prior approval, 90-day cap, advance under conditions.
• Visa — No express area exclusion — but a €156,000 cap, 90 days, and the war/instability exclusion in the background.
• Mastercard — No exclusion in play at this level — but a €155,000 cap and 90 covered days.
• Three lines to read in your notice: the duration (often 90 days per trip), the settlement (reimbursement afterwards or direct payment of the hospital) and the area exclusion at level 4/4.

SourcesAmex Platinum France T&Cs, 01.2025 — general exclusion n° 11BNP Paribas Visa Infinite notice (policy PT7), 04.2025 — comFortuneo World Elite Mastercard notice, 01.2026 — art. 5.5 '

A health plan reimburses at home; here, the hospital asks for a payment guarantee before admission.

• Health plan — A health plan treats you at home. Here the hospital asks for a guarantee before admission — not a later reimbursement.
• Travel policy — No area exclusion at this level — compare cap, deductible and covered duration.
• A travel policy often has a territorial clause at level 4/4 and a 90-day limit per trip.
• Have your IPID number or the PDF of the terms and ask an expert to call you back: the answer is in the document, not in the brochure.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479

Around Bern: 36 hospitals and clinics, 14 with a 24/7 emergency room, 39 pharmacies, 40 doctors' practices (OpenStreetMap, hospital list read on 14.10.2026).

• Type your city, hotel or beach: the map re-centres, 24/7 emergency rooms come first.
• Each row gives the phone when the source publishes it, the nearest street, directions and the Google Maps listing.
• The PDF briefing repeats the same places, numbered on a printable map.
• No customer reviews: OpenStreetMap has none, and we invent none.

SourcesOpenStreetMap (ODbL) · read 13.10

The sourced detail is under Medical network › Health: vaccines, diseases present, altitude, outbreaks.

• CDC (Travelers' Health), depending on the trip: Routine vaccines, COVID-19, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Monkeypox, Rabies.
• See a doctor or a travel clinic 8 weeks before departure (Foreign Office).
• Carry your medicines in their packaging, with a prescription using international non-proprietary names (France Diplomatie).

SourcesCDC Travelers' Health · read 10.10France Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 15.10OMS · read 15.10Foreign Office · updated 11.08 · read 15.10

4.5 physicians per 1,000 people (2022) versus 4.5 in Switzerland.

• 4.4 hospital beds per 1,000 people versus 4.4 in Switzerland (World Bank).
• Medical density comparable to Switzerland: the local network handles most cases; repatriation remains a question of convalescence and cost. Health spending of 11,784 USD per person (Switzerland: 11,784): expensive care, settled directly by the insurer with the payment guarantee.
• When the local facility is not enough, Maximum's medical team decides the evacuation to a suitable centre, and pays for it (art. 6.2.2).

SourcesWorld Bank · read 10.10General conditions, policy 20 00 479

0.6 homicides per 100,000 people (2023) versus 0.6 in Switzerland and 1.3 in France.

• 2.2 road deaths per 100,000 people versus 2.2 in Switzerland (World Bank, WHO).
• The homicide rate is in the same range as Switzerland or France. On the road, a level close to Switzerland's; road crashes are the leading cause of death of healthy travellers (CDC) — seat belt, no night driving, a driver or a taxi from a rank.

SourcesWorld Bank (UNODC, WHO) · read 10.10UCDP

The nearest representations, by passport (OpenStreetMap):

• France — Ambassade de France (1.1 km) · +41 31 3592111
• Switzerland — Swiss Mission in Geneva (129.0 km)
• United Kingdom — Ambassade du Royaume-Uni (0.9 km)
• United States — Résidence des Etats-Unis d'Amérique (1.1 km)
• Register before leaving: France: Ariane · Switzerland: Travel Admin · United Kingdom: Foreign Office alerts · United States: STEP.
• Two minutes, and in a crisis your country's authorities can reach you and count you in an evacuation.
• Pick your passport at the top of Contacts: your embassy comes first.

SourcesOpenStreetMap · read 13.10DFAE

No region is advised against by the official readings checked (Global Affairs Canada, Foreign Office and France Diplomatie): the national advice applies everywhere.

• Your point (Bern): country-wide vigilance.
• Maximum does not exclude these areas: the VIP Pack covers care and repatriation there (sanctions, embargoes and a country already at war at departure remain enforceable).

SourcesGlobal Affairs Canada · updated 15.10 · read 16.10Foreign Office · updated 11.08 · read 15.10France Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 15.10

Local laws apply to every traveller; here is what the official texts say.

• You must abide by all local laws, as penalties for drug possession, use, or trafficking are severe and can result in jail sentences or heavy fines.
• It is illegal to wear clothing or masks that partially or completely cover your face in public places, with potential fines for non-compliance.
• Canadian citizens aged 18 or older can drive with their Canadian license for up to 12 months, after which it must be exchanged for a Swiss license.
• A vignette is mandatory for driving on Swiss highways and can be purchased at border crossings, tourist offices, petrol stations, post offices, or online.
• Carrying CHF 10,000 or more in cash may subject you to customs checks upon entering or leaving Switzerland.

SourcesGlobal Affairs Canada · updated 15.10 · read 16.10Foreign Office · updated 11.08 · read 15.10

Every foreign ministry runs a 24/7 emergency line for its nationals.

• France — Crisis and Support Centre — French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs: +33 1 53 59 11 00. 24/7 emergency line, standard rate. First contact abroad: the French embassy or consulate.
• Switzerland — FDFA Helpline: +41 58 465 33 33 · +41 800 24 7 365. 24/7, 365 days a year — helpline@eda.admin.ch. Beware of scam calls spoofing these numbers.
• United Kingdom — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: +44 20 7008 5000. 24 hours, for British nationals.
• United States — Overseas Citizens Services — U.S. Department of State: +1 202 501 4444 · +1 888 407 4747. From abroad; the second number from the U.S. and Canada.
• On site, Ambassade de France: +41 31 3592111.

Sourcesdiplomatie.gouv.fr · updated 15.09 · read 15.10eda.admin.ch

Emergency phrases, to show if pronunciation fails:

• Help! → Hilfe!
• Call an ambulance! → Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen!
• I need a doctor. → Ich brauche einen Arzt.
• Where is the nearest hospital? → Wo ist das nächste Krankenhaus?
• Call the police! → Rufen Sie die Polizei!

SourcesMaximum Insurance

Keep the entry stamp, the invoices, the prescriptions and the medical report.

• File within 30 days (art. 35.7) from your client area, with the documents; the official forms are pre-filled.
• Costs advanced on site are reimbursed against receipts.
• Fever, persistent diarrhoea or a rash in the following weeks? See a doctor and say where you have been.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479

Cancellation or change up to EUR 20,000, special risk EUR 5,000 per person, crisis management and security, optional Kidnap & Ransom.

• Special risk (Module A): political event, attack, epidemic, natural disaster — opens when the FDFA, the FOPH or WHO advise against the trip (art. 18.1).
• Epidemic: assistance must be requested within 7 days of the WHO or FDFA qualification (art. 36.2).
• Crisis management and security: trip registration, monitoring, extraction, evacuation in case of riot, war, terrorism or disaster; Kidnap & Ransom subject to eligibility (art. 18.4).
• €2,290 a year, unlimited trips.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479