Whether you are a Swiss or foreign national, you probably have two pieces of official identification: your passport and ID card. Which one shoud you use for travel?
The answer to this question depends on where you are travelling to and, by the same token, where are you arriving from when you enter Switzerland.
It also depends on your nationality — that is, whether you are Swiss, a citizen of the European Union or EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), or a so called “third country” (non-EU/EFTA).
Basically, the same rules apply to Swiss and EU/EFTA nationals, so let’s start with them.
Schengen area
Switzerland, along with the EU and EFTA states, is a member of the ‘borderless’ Schengen zone, which means that if you are a citizen of most of these countries, and travel to, from, or between these nations, you normally won’t need to show your identity documents at all.
In this case, you needn’t carry your passport, but do have an ID card with you, issued by the government of one of these states. You likely won’t be asked to show it when crossing Schengen’s internal borders, but you’ll need to prove your identity when boarding a flight out of Switzerland to an EU country.
On occasions Switzerland’s neighbours France, Germany and Austria have stepped up border checks at land borders, so it’s worth having your ID card with you.
However, be aware that not all EU member states are automatically part of the Schengen area.
Ireland and Cyprus are not, so you should carry your passport with you when travelling there (an ID card may suffice, but for countries that are not part of Schengen it is better to carry both forms of identification).
Also, keep in mind that many European countries do not belong to the European Union, so you should travel there with a passport.
One of them is the UK, where you not only need your passport, but also a visa waver.
This is the list of countries in Europe that are not in the EU, and where you will need your passport, and possibly even a tourist visa.
Albania
Belarus
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Moldova
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Russia
Serbia
Ukraine
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What about other third countries?
If you are a Swiss citizen travelling to North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, or elsewhere in the world, you will definitely need to have your passport (and, in some cases, a visa too), as the mere ID card will not suffice.
On the other hand, when coming back to Switzerland from outside the EU/EFTA nations, it should be enough to present your Swiss or EU/EFTA identification card at the border check.
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What’s the deal with dual nationals?
If you are travelling to your country of origin, it makes sense to use that nation’s passport or ID when arriving there (and in the case of the United States, it is actually mandatory to do so).
However, it is better to use your Swiss ID when returning to Switzerland.
It may not make much of a difference if your other citizenship is from a EU or EFTA state, as you can enter Switzerland hassle-free with that country’s ID.
But if your second citizenship is a third country, then you should definitely use your Swiss ID when arriving in Switzerland.
Otherwise, depending on your other passport, you may need a visa to enter Switzerland, and even if you don’t, you may be questioned about the purpose of your visit, the length of your stay, etc.
So it is better to systematically enter Switzerland with your Swiss or EU/EFTA ID.
READ ALSO: What dual nationals in Switzerland should know when travelling
