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Original poster

Need to travel to Switzerland - would this be’essential’ and does anyone know current situation?

38 replies

RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 07:34

Just wondering if anyone knows the current situation with travelling to Switzerland?
Ideally driving there through france and Germany but wonder if this would be more complex, covid wise?

My DH inherited a property some time ago in Switzerland which sounds lovely but has been a financial burden to us.
We agreed a sale for it a few months ago with the buyer taking ownership at the beginning of April.
Luckily the new owner is happy to take over some furniture as they are renting it out but we/DH still need to go and clear out the personal items and bring stuff back in the car if possible.

If driving is not possible he could maybe get help from his brother in Germany and store stuff there.

Does anyone know if this would be allowed and what the current deal is with travelling before you go and isolating on arrival?
Fine for him to isolate here at home when he gets back.

Keep hearing on the news what they might put in place with asking reason for travel and making people stay in hotels but confused about what the current deal is.

OP posts:
Finfintytint · 04/02/2021 07:37

Can’t you pay a company to clear the property, put the items in storage and collect them later on in the year?

MsJaneAusten · 04/02/2021 07:38

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland

Butterfly44 · 04/02/2021 07:41

Check the foreign office pages. It's pretty impossible to enter Switzerland right now; even from other borders.

Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 08:35

Oh

Regarding getting a company...
Yes I guess maybe? It’s just we haven’t been there for over a year (were due to go last April and this Feb) at which point it wasn’t on the market so there is sorting to be done.
In terms of handing over the keys I’m not sure about that - I suppose you can use a courier for that?
The contract he can sign here and get it notarised

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Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 08:38

Oh thanks have had a closer look
I don’t think he has residence permit by just owning property.
We’d have to look at whether it’s an exemption from the Swiss’s point of view.
Doesn’t sound like travelling by road from france and Germany would be any easier

Also doesn’t sound like it’s going to be easy/possible for his brother from Germany to go on our behalf 🤦‍♀️

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Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 08:40

This is spectacularly bad timing but i suppose I should be relieved we have a (Swiss) buyer

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Mousehole10 · 04/02/2021 08:41

At the moment People from the UK can only enter Switzerland if they have residency unless they have a specific exemption. Even with an exemption you have to isolate for 10 days there.

BrieAndChilli · 04/02/2021 08:44

Is there not a family member or close friend of the person who’s house it was who would go round and collect up items for you - they could face time and walk around and you could let them know what you want?
Then you could get a house clearance in to dispose of the rest?

Mousehole10 · 04/02/2021 08:45

No he won’t have residency just by owning property. It will be much harder to drive through France and Germany as they both have travel restrictions too.

The best thing to do would be to ask if he could get an exemption for travelling to Switzerland, although he will still need to quarantine once there.

Caspianberg · 04/02/2021 08:45

I think it’s fine.
We also are overseas (Europe), and borders are closing left, right and centre for people on a jolly. But people can easily still come in and out for ‘essentials’.

Pay and get yourself a proper Covid test just before you travel. Many say entry is only with a negative test less than 48hrs old.
Take any house ownership and sale documents with you to show your travelling for business.
You might need to do the same with local test in reverse

Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople · 04/02/2021 08:47

If you aren’t concerned about the items for yourself, you could try explaining the situation to the buyer and ask if they will take £500 (or whatever is a reasonable amount) for inconvenience/cleaning and just take the property as it is and dispose of anything they don’t want.

Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 08:57

No we have personal things there - sorry to be clear he inherited it quite a few years ago and we have been renting it out for holidays and going ourselves once or twice a year. All the relatives are in Germany rather than Switzerland unfortunately

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Weedsnseeds1 · 04/02/2021 09:01

I don't think we are allowed to travel to France, either, except for a few, limited reasons.

Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 09:04

Wow it’s so complicated.
Going and not driving will be a real pain.
At least as he had a German passport he doesn’t think there’ll be any issue with entering Germany

I also guess we have to hope things might be easier mid March but who knows if that is true...

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Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 09:04

Yes so if he were to drive he’d have to get exemptions for each country

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LIZS · 04/02/2021 09:04

I doubt the Swiss will let you in and thought France had already closed to all but freight and its nationals. Some removal companies will pack up and drive over.

Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 09:05

Quarantining once there won’t be an issue if driving as he can bring supplies with him

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SwedishK · 04/02/2021 09:21

The easiest might be to use a removal company local to where you live in the UK. You give them the key and a list of what not to take, they bring everything else back and you sort through it in the UK. I wouldn't risk driving there and getting stuck along the way and then being left with very little time to sort anything out.

StrangerHereMyself · 04/02/2021 09:21

How far away geographically is his brother? And is he in one of the quarantine areas? Unless he’s right up in the North of Germany or in a German region which Switzerland requires to quarantine, it sounds like it would be much easier to ask him to do it and compensate him financially because it’s a really big ask. Send him copies of all the paperwork to demonstrate the need.

Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 11:09

He’s in a rural area of Bavaria
I guess as he’s not the owner he would need a letter from my husband or something.

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Porcupineintherough · 04/02/2021 11:39

If your BiL is in Bavaria he wont be able to travel to Switzerland will he? I thought movement be the Lande was pretty much forbidden at the moment.

Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople · 04/02/2021 12:09

@SwedishK

The easiest might be to use a removal company local to where you live in the UK. You give them the key and a list of what not to take, they bring everything else back and you sort through it in the UK. I wouldn't risk driving there and getting stuck along the way and then being left with very little time to sort anything out.
Yeah, I think this would be best. I’ve had to move house with removal packers and they are good at this sort of thing.
Iamagree · 04/02/2021 12:50

I'd also be wary of the idea your DH bring supplies - did you see the clip of the dutch confiscating sandwiches? Can the Swiss embassy / consulate help you with this? Or the British equivalent in Switzerland?

Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 13:47

I honestly don’t know the situation in Bavaria and travel - I know they are in lockdown so perhaps you’re right that it would be hard for him to go too and maybe harder to argue an exemption if he’s not the actual home owner.
Thank-you for all the thoughts everyone, appreciate the advice.

So tricky,

It would be difficult for him (or his brother) to isolate really wouldn’t it as he’ll gave to get food, thought perhaps the local shop would deliver or something 🤦‍♀️
It’s only a small village

Does anyone think things will change materially before mid March?
I know EU and Swiss are behind us in terms of vaccinations

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Original poster
RuggeryBuggery · 04/02/2021 13:49

I think first thing is to establish a list of what new owners are keeping and try to remember what is there that would need removing. There’s a basement full of stuff 🤦‍♀️
If DH went i suspect a fair bit would go to the tip

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