Switzerland has a fallout shelter for every resident

In Switzerland, the rule is a shelter for every resident. And the country delivers: there are about 9 million places in roughly 370,000 public and private shelters, a coverage rate of more than 100% of the population, according to the Federal Office for Civil Protection.

Most are in the basements of ordinary apartment blocks and houses. If you're staying in a rented flat in Switzerland, you may well be sleeping above one.

Why Switzerland has so many shelters

The requirement dates from the Cold War. The first regulations were passed on October 4, 1963, and most buildings constructed in the country since the 1960s include a shelter, according to Swissinfo. The civil protection law stated that every inhabitant must have a protected place that can be reached quickly from home.

The shelters were designed mainly for armed conflict. They have to withstand modern weapons, which means protecting against nuclear, biological and chemical agents and against near hits from conventional weapons.

What a Swiss shelter looks like inside

The government describes shelters as spartan structures, built to keep costs, space and maintenance down. Protection is what matters.

The core is a reinforced concrete box underground, with blast doors. There's an emergency exit or escape tunnel in case the building collapses over the entrance. A ventilation system with a gas filter keeps the air breathable. Owners must store beds and chemical toilets for the occupants.

Wine cellar, storeroom, playroom

Since they've never been needed for their original purpose, shelters have become part of the home. The law allows everyday use as a storeroom, cellar, workshop, playroom or archive, as long as nobody touches the walls, the blast doors or the ventilation.

A 2009 Swissinfo piece described the typical scene: an Italian friend, visiting, was baffled by the reinforced steel door in the basement of a Swiss apartment block. Inside were wine bottles, old books, a freezer and unwanted clothes.

If the government gives the order, owners have five days to clear out and prepare the shelter. Shelters are inspected at least every ten years.

What about tourists?

Here's the detail few people know. Shelter planning is based on the permanent resident population, meaning people who have lived in the country for more than a year. Tourists and people without a permanent residence aren't included, according to the Federal Office for Civil Protection itself.

The government says that in an emergency, efforts would be made to shelter everyone who needs a place. It also points out that some tourist destinations have coverage well above 100%.

Each resident is, in principle, assigned a place in a specific shelter. The allocation is handled by cantons and municipalities and usually isn't published, because it changes constantly with people moving, births and deaths.

New buildings: the rule has changed

Today, new buildings only need a shelter in specific cases, such as large apartment complexes with 38 rooms or more. When a new building has no shelter, the owner pays a compensation fee, and that money funds the municipality's public shelters.

Shelters get old too

Many shelters are decades old, and that has consequences. According to the Federal Office for Civil Protection, after 40 years the ventilation and filter systems in small shelters must be replaced, because they lose efficiency. Running small shelters all over the country makes neither economic nor organisational sense, so no new small shelters, those with up to seven places, have been built for years.

The government says it has no plans to abolish them all. It's decided case by case: is that shelter worth keeping, or should residents be allocated places in a public one?

Cantons can also cancel shelters. That happens when they no longer meet basic requirements, when they make refurbishing an old building disproportionately hard, when they sit in a severely endangered area or when there are surplus places locally. Owners who want to can keep a shelter even after it leaves the official planning and, in wartime, can choose to use it instead of their public place.

Practical tips

• In a rented flat, the heavy door in the basement is probably a shelter. Don't touch the ventilation equipment.
• Tourists have no assigned place, but some tourist destinations have spare capacity.
• Want to know where your area's shelter is? Ask the civil protection service of the municipality or canton.

FAQ

Does every house in Switzerland have a bunker?

Not every house, but most of the population lives in buildings with their own shelter. Those without one rely on public shelters nearby. In total, there are about 9 million places.

How many shelters are there in Switzerland?

About 370,000 public and private shelters, with roughly 9 million places.

Do tourists have a place in Swiss shelters?

They aren't included in the planning, which only counts permanent residents. In an emergency, the government says it would try to shelter everyone.

Does Switzerland still build shelters?

Yes, but fewer. New buildings now only need a shelter in specific cases, such as large apartment complexes, and small shelters haven't been built for years. Without a shelter, the owner pays a fee that funds public shelters.

What do the Swiss use shelters for today?

As storerooms, cellars, wine cellars, workshops or playrooms. If the government orders it, they must be ready for use within five days.

Switzerland has other household rules that have become legends among tourists, such as the supposed ban on flushing the toilet at night.

Sources

• Shelters for the population, Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), September 10, 2026: the number of shelters and places, their structure, everyday use, the five-day deadline, inspections, allocation, the position of tourists and the rules for new buildings.
• Bunkers for all, Swissinfo, July 3, 2009: the first regulations of 1963, the wording of the civil protection law and the shelter used as a cellar.