Where can I find the programme for the upcoming session?

The session programme and the agenda for the first day of the session (National Council and Council of States) are published online  two weeks before the session. At the end of each sitting, the Council president submits the agenda for the following day (National Council and Council of States), which is immediately published online .

What are the sitting times of the chambers during the sessions?

Sitting times are available on Parliament’s website at page «Visits when Parliament is in session». Sitting times may be changed at short notice. If Council sittings end earlier than expected, visitors are no longer allowed into the Parliament Building. If the visit is cancelled due to last minute changes to the programme, no alternative date can be guaranteed.

How can I make reservation for a visit during the sessions?

The website provides all the necessary registration information under «Visits when Parliament is in session» as well as a direct link to the booking page.

When is the booking confirmed?

Once the booking is completed, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to your reservation page. You can check your reservation at any time and make changes up to three weeks before your reservation date.

How can I obtain information about my reservation if I lose my confirmation email?

If you accidentally delete your confirmation email with the direct link to the booking page, it can be sent to you again. To retrieve your confirmation email, send an email to sessionsbesuche@parl.admin.ch including your reservation number, if you have it. If not, provide your name and the (approximate) date of your booked visit.

Do I receive a ticket for my booked visit?

You will receive your ticket by email two weeks before your booked visit. Please note that only as many people as are listed on the ticket will be admitted. The ticket must be presented on paper or electronically on the day of the visit.

Can the time for seats reserved in the gallery be changed before a scheduled visit?

Changes are possible provided the desired time slot and number of seats are available. If all time slots are booked, seat reservations in the gallery cannot be changed.

Is it possible to schedule the Q&A session and/or visit the domed hall before watching a debate from the gallery?

For organisational and logistical reasons, we can only offer a standardised programme. The gallery time slots are fixed and determine the other activities. It is not possible to change the programme of visits.

Can only one member of the Council of States and one member of the National Council be booked per Q&A session?

The search window gives you the option to click on only one member of the National Council and one member of the Council of States. If you would like add additional members of Parliament, write their names in the comments window. We will add the names of the registered names to your reservation, and inform these members of Parliament about the time and place of the Q&A session.

Is it possible to shorten the 60-minute time slot in the gallery to 30 minutes?

No, for organisational and logistical reasons, we are unable to shorten the 60-minute time slot. With over 40 visitor groups per day and limited staff, we need to stick to a standardised procedure and are unable to meet special requests. A shorter time slot would also create additional noise during debates.

Can I book more than 40 seats in the gallery?

To book seats for more than 40 people, you need to make two reservations. If there are only between 41 and 49 seats available in the time slot you are interested in, and you would like to book all of them, you need to make sure that the number of seats booked in each reservation is greater than 10. Booking is no longer possible if the number of seats available falls below 10.

Can a group of 9 people book a visit online?

If there are just under 10 people in your group, you may book 10 seats and indicate that you are only 9 people in the comments window. We will then make the adjustment for you.

Can people on their own book one seat in the gallery?

There are 25 seats available for people on their own. These seats cannot be booked in advance, but may be requested at the visitors’ entrance (on the south side of the building) at the earliest 30 minutes before the start of a session and during sessions. Visitors are admitted as long as there are free seats available. On busy days, waiting times will be longer, and the time slots in the gallery may be limited to 60 minutes.

Can two or more groups schedule the programme together?

For reservations of more than 40 people, you should make two reservations, splitting the number of people between the two reservations. You can mention in the comments window that the two reservations are part of one and the same group and that you would like people in both reservations to attend the Q&A session together.

What is the purpose of the barcode on the ticket?

The barcode is not yet activated. It will be used at a later date in conjunction with new admission regulations.

Can the number of booked seats be adjusted anytime?

The link in your confirmation email will take you directly to the booking page. You can adjust your reservation as long as there are still seats available. If you get an error message when attempting to add seats to your reservation, this means all seats have been booked and no additional seats are available.

Why am I unable to make any changes to my booking page?

For organisational reasons, changes to your booking page may only be made up until three weeks before your scheduled visit.

Is it necessary to provide the names of the members of my group?

No.

Where do I have to register on the day of my visit?

Visitors to the Parliament Building need to use the visitors’ entrance, which is located on the south side of building (overlooking the river). You can reach the visitors’ entrance from the Bundesplatz by going down the steps on either the right or the left side of the Parliament Building.

How early do I need to arrive before my visit?

Please arrive 30 minutes before the starting time of your visit, to give you enough time to go through the security check.

Can late visitors join their group?

No, for organisational reasons, late visitors may not join a group that has already started the visit. If there are any free seats available, late visitors may use seats otherwise reserved for visitors on their own (these seats cannot be booked in advance).

Can our coach stop for a short time outside the Parliament Building to let passengers off?

At the east wing of the Parliament Building (towards the Bellevue hotel) there are two short-term parking spaces reserved for coaches. Coaches may park there to let passengers off for their visit to follow a debate in Parliament, and then to collect them after their visit.

Where is the best place for coaches to park during their passengers’ visit?

The most convenient parking facilities for coaches are at the Bärengraben.

Who meets the groups of visitors at the entrance?

Visitor groups are met by security staff at the entrance. The security staff will explain how to get to the 2^nd floor, where they will be ushered to the gallery.

Where do wheelchair users go?

Visitors using wheelchairs are requested to use the north entrance on the Bundesplatz. Please report to the security staff at the door.

Are visitors ushered from one event to the next?

The security staff will show visitors the way to the gallery. The parliamentary visits team will then meet visitors at the gallery after the debate to usher them to the following events in accordance with the programme.

What do I need to know for the security check?

All visitors are subjected to a security check with a metal detector.

Does everyone in the group need to bring ID?

All visitors aged 16 and over must bring a valid identity document. Valid identity documents include: passports, IDs (from Switzerland and EU member states), driving licences (from Switzerland and EU member states), foreign national identity cards issued in Switzerland.

Are foreign passports or a permanent residence C permit accepted as identity cards?

Valid official identity cards include: passports, identity cards (from Switzerland and EU member states), driving licences (from Switzerland and EU member states), foreign national identity cards issued in Switzerland, including permanent residence C permits.

What do you need to do if your identity card has expired and you don’t have enough time to renew it before your visit?

Identity cards or passports that have expired within the last six months are accepted.

Is it possible to book a Q&A session with a member of Parliament and/or a short guided tour of the Domed Hall without an existing reservation for watching a debate from the gallery?

No, it is not possible to book a Q&A session or a short guided tour unless you reserve a seat in the gallery.

How long is the short guided tour of the Domed Hall?

The short guided tour lasts no longer than 30 minutes. If the Q&A session scheduled before the guided tour is delayed, the guided tour will be shortened to include only a brief visit to the Domed Hall.

Is it possible to pass on the Q&A session with a member of Parliament, and have a short guided tour of the Domed Hall directly after watching a debate from the gallery?

The Q&A session and the short guided tour are optional. Visitors can decide to pass on either option or both options, by ticking the options of choice on the booking page. Visitors who decide to pass on the Q&A session will be given a short guided tour directly after watching a debate from the gallery.

Do Parliamentary Services organise the member of Parliament for the Q&A session?

No, it is the visitors themselves who are responsible for organising the Q&A session. The group organiser needs to contact the member of Parliament of choice in advance and add the member’s name, as soon as he/she has agreed, to the organiser’s booking page via the personal link received at least three weeks before the day of the visit.

How do I contact a member of Parliament?

You can contact members of Parliament by email or, where their number is known, by phone. You can find all the information you need on the following website:

National Council members: https://www.parlament.ch/de/organe/nationalrat/mitglieder-nationalrat-a-z

Council of States members: https://www.parlament.ch/de/organe/staenderat/mitglieder-staenderat-a-z

Are visitors responsible for reserving a room for the Q&A session?

No, Parliamentary Services takes care of reservations of rooms for the Q&A session and informs members of Parliament about Q&A session schedules. Members of Parliament are informed about the time and place (room number) on the day of the Q&A session at the latest. However, members of Parliament must first be contacted by the group organiser.

Are the groups of visitors accompanied to the committee rooms for the Q&A session?

Groups are met at the gallery at the relevant time and ushered to the room of their Q&A session.

Is it also possible to visit the Council of States?

Visitors may also watch debates in the chamber of the Council of States, if the Council of States is meeting and there are free seats available in the gallery. These seats cannot be reserved in advance. Groups that have requested a meeting with a member of the Council of States for the Q&A session will be given priority.

Do I have to decide whether to visit the National Council of the Council of States? Or is it possible to visit both for about half an hour each?

Reservations for visits during the sessions can only be made for seats in the gallery of the National Council. Visitors may spend the entire hour in the National Council. On request, visitors may also spend half an hour watching the debate in the Council of States. Unfortunately, this is not always possible since session times in the Council of States are often shortened or cancelled at short notice, and the number of seats is limited. As a result, visits to the Council of States cannot be guaranteed.

Is it also possible to visit the Salle des pas perdus?

No. During the sessions, the only people admitted to the Salle are members of Parliament and persons with special access rights.

Is the restaurant in the Parliament Building open to the public?

No. The Grand Café Galerie des Alpes is not open to the public. Reservations for a visit must be made by a member of Parliament.

Is there a sheltered area nearby for picnics in the event of bad weather?

Unfortunately there is no official picnic area.

Are there facilities for the hearing impaired?

Induction loops are available for people with a serious hearing impairment. The induction loops only work for hearing aids that are equipped with a radio button. They can be used in the galleries to listen to the simultaneous interpretation. Groups with a need for induction loops need to indicate this in their reservation.

Are the debates translated into sign language?

No, there is no translation into sign language.