Switzerland

The short answer

Switzerland is about as safe as travel gets. It had 0.6 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, ranks 3rd of 163 countries on the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary, and has some of Europe's safest roads. The US State Department advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary, at Level 1, warns about avalanches, landslides and sudden weather rather than people.

That is the right emphasis. In Switzerland your risk depends far more on the altitude you go to than on the neighbourhood you stay in. We score it 93, level with Singapore.

The mountains are where people get hurt

Each year, Swiss rescue services fly thousands of missions, mostly for hikers, climbers and skiers. Many accidents are simple slips on steep paths, often in the afternoon when people are tired and storms build. Others involve avalanches, rockfall or falling into crevasses.

The Swiss trail system tells you what you are getting into:

• Yellow signs: hiking trails, suitable for most walkers in normal shoes.
• White-red-white: mountain trails with steep, narrow or exposed sections. You need boots and a head for heights.
• White-blue-white: Alpine routes crossing glaciers, scree or rock. These need equipment, experience or a guide.

Summer storms build quickly over the Bernese Oberland, Valais and Graubünden. Check MeteoSwiss in the morning and plan to be off exposed ridges by early afternoon. Altitude sickness is possible above about 2,500 metres, at places such as the Klein Matterhorn above Zermatt or Corvatsch above St Moritz.

In winter, avalanches are the main danger. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) publishes a daily bulletin from level 1 to 5. Most fatal avalanches happen at level 2 or 3, because that is when people underestimate the risk. Marked pistes are controlled; anything off them is not.

Natural hazards are changing

Glaciers are retreating fast and permafrost is thawing, which makes rockfall and debris flows more frequent. On 28 May 2025 a huge collapse of the Birch glacier buried most of the village of Blatten in the Lötschental. The village had been evacuated days earlier because geologists spotted the danger, which is a good example of how well Swiss monitoring works.

Heavy summer rain also causes floods and landslides in Alpine valleys, especially in Ticino and Valais. Roads and railway lines can close for days. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also warns of wildfires in dry summers, and starting one where fires are banned can bring a fine of up to 20,000 francs.

The Crans-Montana fire

Switzerland's worst disaster in recent years was not a natural one. At about 1:30am on 1 January 2026, fire swept through Le Constellation, a packed bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Around 40 people died and 115 were injured, according to officials in Valais, and prosecutors ruled out an attack. Fire safety in Swiss buildings is generally strict, but the disaster is a reminder to note the exits in any crowded basement bar, at home or abroad.

Crime: mostly theft in Geneva and on trains

Serious crime against visitors is rare. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's main warning is about petty theft, which it says has increased in larger cities, at Geneva airport and on trains to and from Geneva. Thieves work around Geneva's Cornavin station and Zurich main station, and on night trains. Bag snatching happens but is uncommon.

How to stay safe in Switzerland

• Save 1414 for Rega air rescue and 144 for an ambulance. Rega's app sends your exact position when you call.
• Download the White Risk app for avalanche bulletins and MeteoSwiss for storm warnings.
• Buy the motorway vignette before driving on any motorway, or you will be fined.
• Do not cover your face in public in Ticino or St Gallen, where bans apply, including to tourists.
• Check for ticks after walking in grass or woods between April and October. Ask your doctor whether a TBE vaccine makes sense if you will hike a lot.

How we scored it

Violent crime (96), conflict (96) and health (95) are near the top of the scale. Natural hazards (80) is the weakest factor, because avalanches, rockfall and glacier collapse are real, even if warnings are among the best in the world. Petty crime (85) reflects rising theft in Geneva. Iceland and France share some of the same Alpine and outdoor risks.