Because of a disability, you are entitled to a discounted GA Travelcard for 1st or 2nd class travel. The GA Travelcard for passengers with disabilities comes on the SwissPass. You can order it using the PDF form or purchase it at any point of sale for public transport.

Documents required for purchasing:

• A current, good-quality, colour passport photo. If you already have a SwissPass, you can upload your digital photo easily at swisspass.ch.
• Copy of your passport or your ID document.
• Copy of your disability insurance and/or medical certificate.

Extension of the Disabled Passenger’s ID card 2017-2020 (Companion Card).

The Disabled Passenger’s ID Card (Companion Card) lets the holder take a companion or a guide dog (or both) for free when travelling on the routes of Swiss transport companies running direct passenger services. Travellers with reduced mobility can apply for the Companion Card from the relevant cantonal office. The Companion Card is currently valid for 2017-2020; it is issued on green paper.

Our aim is for the new Companion Card to be more customer-friendly and to be available in a smaller format at the request of customers. Digitalisation, simplification and harmonising the issuing of the new Companion Card are also priorities. The current paper version of the Companion Card will no longer exist. We are currently looking into storing it on the SwissPass, but cannot yet say when this would be implemented. Therefore, the current Disabled Passenger’s ID card (Companion Card) valid in 2017-2020 will be extended by one year to 31 December 2021. Customers and the issuing offices do not have to take any further action to extend the card’s validity.

You can apply for the Disabled Passenger’s ID Card if:

• You are dependent on a wheelchair, have restricted mobility, are blind, have a visual impairment or an intellectual disability.
• You need a companion to use public transport.
• You are permanently resident in Switzerland.

Where can you get the identity card?

The identity card is available exclusively from the cantonal office in your region. There is a list of the cantonal offices in the right column under ‘Downloads’.

How can you get the identity card?

• You can download the ‘Doctor’s note’ from the column on the right under ‘Downloads’.
• Ask your doctor to complete and sign the doctor’s note.
• You must also sign the doctor’s note.
• Attach a passport photo.
• Send the passport photo and the completed doctor’s note to the cantonal office; these are listed on the right under ‘Downloads’.
• Tip: Shortly before the end of the validity period, order your new Companion Card via the same process.

With the identity card, you have the following travel options:

1. Take a companion with you free of charge in Switzerland.
2. Take a guide dog with you free of charge in Switzerland.
3. Take a companion and a guide dog with you free of charge in Switzerland.
4. Take a companion or a guide dog with you on international journeys (TCV 710 fare). If a transport company uses market prices, the international TCV 710 fare does not apply. Prices and discounts are set directly by that transport company.

Conditions:

• Your companion must travel with you in the same coach and class.
• Your companion must accompany you along the entire route and be able to assist you.
• Show the train crew the ‘Disabled Passenger’s ID Card’ and a valid ticket (either yours or that of your companion).

There are two ways of travelling with a Companion Card:

1. The person with a disability holds a Companion Card and a valid ticket (full ticket, GA Travelcard or half-fare ticket); the companion travels free of charge.
2. The companion holds a valid ticket (full ticket, GA Travelcard or half-fare ticket); the disabled person with the companion card travels free of charge.

Can the travel discount for passengers with a disability be combined with other travel discounts?

The travel discount for passengers with a disability can be used with the discount for families. However, at least one ticket for travel is required (no free travel for all passengers).

Further discounts for passengers (e.g. Junior or Children's Co-Travelcard) apply exclusively in combination with a valid ticket. It is never possible for all passengers to travel free of charge.

Where is the identity card valid?

The Companion Card is valid on direct passenger services operated by Swiss transport companies. Download the document with the area of validity for the Disabled Passenger’s ID Card under ‘Downloads’.

If you have any questions, please contact the SBB Call Center Handicap. Contact numbers and e-mail addresses can be found in the Contact box.

Travel with identification documents not issued in Switzerland.

Unfortunately, you cannot claim any discounts when purchasing tickets in Switzerland if you have an identification document for passengers with disabilities that was not issued in Switzerland.

Discounts with the Disabled Passenger’s ID Card (TCV 710).

With the Swiss Disabled Passenger’s ID Card, you can get a discount for travel on cross-border services from a Swiss railway station to a railway station abroad and back (under TCV 710 fare).

You can take a companion or a guide dog with you free of charge in the same class. To do this, you must buy an ‘international no-price ticket’ in addition to your personal ticket. This ticket is available from the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.) or at an SBB counter.

Some transport companies abroad use market prices. No discount is given on these services. Information is available from the SBB Contact Center or at an SBB ticket counter.

In other countries, the Swiss identity card is not recognised for buying tickets. You must therefore purchase your cross-border tickets in Switzerland.

For assistance, please contact the SBB Call Center Handicap 48 hours in advance.

Discounts for passengers with restricted mobility from abroad.

An entitlement card issued abroad will not entitle you to any discounts when purchasing tickets in Switzerland.

However, all international tickets for people who are blind, have visual impairments or use a wheelchair that have been issued in the country of origin on the basis of the relevant entitlement card will be recognised. If you have a foreign disabled passenger’s ID card, it is worthwhile purchasing your tickets in your country of origin. This enables you to take advantage on international routes of the discounts available in association with your disability ID card.

If you are blind or have a visual impairment, you are entitled to an ‘identity card for passengers on local services who are blind or have a visual impairment’.

Features of the identity card for passengers on local services who are blind or have visual impairments.

• You can travel free of charge on local services (bus and tram) in many cities in Switzerland.
• You can travel free of charge on local services in many cities in Switzerland and take a companion, guide dog or both with you free of charge.

Where can you obtain the identity card for passengers on local services who are blind or have a visual impairment?

The card is available directly from participating transport companies. The companies are listed in the following table ‘Validity of the identity card for people who are blind or have visual impairments’. 

You need:

• A passport photo.
• A doctor’s note form.

Your personal photo ID card is valid only with a valid stamp (Kontrollmarke) and the year of issue. The valid stamp is given by the transport company.

More information is available from the participating transport companies or the regional advisory service for people who are blind or have a visual impairment.

Guide dogs and working dogs are carried free of charge in 1st and 2nd class.

Preconditions for making use of the tariff facility.

• The person accompanied by the guide or working dog must hold a valid ticket.
• The person accompanied by the dog must hold a special ID card for guide or working dogs (a specimen is available from the ‘Download’ area).
• The guide or working dog must wear a special tag on its collar.
• The guide dog must wear a harness provided by a training institution, as well as a special tag on its collar.

The valid ticket and ID card must be shown to the conductor. The tariff facility applies to guide dogs throughout the year.

Guide dogs may be:

• Guide dogs and guide dogs in training.
• Guide dogs in training and dogs for breeding from a Swiss guide dog school.

Working dogs may be:

• Avalanche search dogs.
• Rescue dogs.

Working dogs are only eligible for special travel discounts while they are in service.

Guide dogs in the dining car.

Guide dogs are permitted in the dining car and bistro as long as they are clearly marked as such with the official identification tag. Dogs must be identified with a coat (harness) from the training institution and a tag on their collar. The dog owner must show the service staff the ID card for the working dog upon request.

Identity cards for assistance dogs/working dogs are issued by the following organisations:

Guide dogs for the blind:

Blindenhundeschule Allschwil [Swiss School for Guide Dogs for the Blind Foundation in Allschwil], Stiftung Ostschweizerische Blindenführhundeschule [East Switzerland Foundation School for Guide Dogs for the Blind].

Avalanche search dogs:

Alpine Rettung Schweiz [Alpine Rescue Switzerland], Kantonale Walliser Rettungsorganisation (KWRO) [Valais Canton Rescue Organisation].

Service dogs:

• Schweizerischer Verein für die Ausbildung von Hilfshunden für motorisch Behinderte oder Menschen mit Epilepsie (LE COPAIN) [Swiss association for the training of guide dogs for people with mobility impairments or epilepsy].
• Schweizerischer Verein für die Ausbildung von Hilfshunden für Behinderten oder Kranken (FARAH DOGS) [Swiss association for the training of assistance dogs for people with disabilities or illness].
• Verein Therapiehunde Schweiz (VTHS) [Swiss Association of Therapy Dogs].
• Schweizerischer Schäferhunde-Club, Therapiehunde-Team (SC-THT) [Swiss Sheepdog Club, Therapy Dog Team].
• Verein Partnerhunde Schweiz (VPHS) [Swiss Association for Partner Dogs].
• Therapiehunde Bodensee [Lake Constance Therapy Dogs].
• Fondation Barry.
• SwissHelpDogs (SHD), Schweizerische Fachstelle für Assistenzhunde.

Rescue dogs:

Schweizerischer Verein für Such- und Rettungshunde REDOG [Swiss Association for Search and Rescue Dogs].

If you have questions, please send an e-mail to handicap@sbb.chLink opens in new window..