
The border between the modern states of Switzerland and Italy extends for , from the French-Swiss-Italian tripoint at
Mont Dolent in the west to the Austrian-Swiss-Italian tripoint near
Piz Lad in the east.
Much of the border runs across the
High Alps, rising above as it passes east of
Dufourspitze
The Dufourspitze is the highest peak of Monte Rosa, an ice-covered mountain massif in the Alps. Dufourspitze is the List of mountains of Switzerland, highest mountain of both Switzerland and the Pennine Alps and is also the List of mountains of th ...
, but it also descends to the lowest point in Switzerland as it passes
Lago Maggiore
Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the List of lakes of Italy, second largest lake in Italy and the List of lakes of Switzerland, largest in southern Sw ...
at below .
It is the longest border of both
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and of
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
History
The border is a product of the
Napoleonic period
The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...
, established with the provisional constitution of the
Helvetic Republic of 15 January 1798,
restored in 1815.
While this border existed as a border of Switzerland from 1815, there was only a unified Italian state to allow the existence of a "Swiss-Italian border" with the formation of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
in 1861, it previously comprised the borders between Switzerland and the
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...
, the
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia and the province of
Cisleithania
Cisleithania, officially The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council (), was the northern and western part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in the Compromise of 1867—as distinguished from ''Transleithania'' (i.e., ...
of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
.
There remained some territorial disputes after the formation of the Kingdom of Italy, resolved in the ''Convenzione tra l'Italia e la Svizzera per l'accertamento della frontiera fra la Lombardia ed il Cantone dei Grigioni'' of 1863. Other Swiss-Italian treaties regarding the course of the border date to 1873/4, 1936/7 and 1941.
Since 1946, it has remained unchanged as the border between the Italian Republic and the Swiss Confederation, with the exception of minor corrections and exchanges of territory, such as the inclusion of the
Lago di Lei barrage in Switzerland in the 1950s. In 2008 Switzerland became part of the
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...
, meaning that border controls were removed along this border as of 12 December 2008. However, while border guards from both countries are no longer allowed to stop travellers for the sole purpose of passport checks, they can still carry out customs checks, as Switzerland is not in the
EU Customs Union.
In May 2023, a joint Italian-Swiss commission agreed to redraw a border that traverses an Alpine peak as melting glaciers shift the historically defined frontier. Switzerland officially approved the treaty in September 2024, but Italy still needs to sign.
Detailed path
The border as shown by
Swisstopo
Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, Switzerland's national mapping agency.
The current name was made official in 2002. It had been used as the domain name for the homepage of the instituteswisstopo.admi ...
separates the Swiss canton of
Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...
from the Italian
Aosta Valley
The Aosta Valley ( ; ; ; or ), officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Fr ...
and
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
region, the canton of
Ticino
Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
from Piedmont and
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, and the canton of
Grisons
The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include:
* ;
*Romansh language, Romansh:
**
**
**
**
**
**;
* ;
* ;
* .
See also list of European regions with alternative names#G, other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton ...
from Lombardy and
South Tyrol
South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
.
Running east from Mont Dolent, the border touches
Grand Golliat and the
Great St Bernard Pass and then visits a series of
three-thousander peaks including
Mont Velan,
Mont Brulé and
Tête Blanche before rising to at
Dent d'Herens and to at
Matterhorn
The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
, followed by
Furgghorn,
Breithorn,
Zwillinge,
Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa (; ; ; or ; ) is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps, on the border between Italy (Piedmont and Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais). The highest peak of the massif, amongst several peaks of over , is the D ...
at , and
Grenzgipfel just east of Dufourspitze at .
The border now encircles the Italian
Domodossola
Domodossola (; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola (due to it ...
valley, passing
Gonda,
Monte Leone,
Bortelhorn,
Helsenhorn, traversed by the
Simplon Tunnel
The Simplon Tunnel (''Simplontunnel'', ''Traforo del Sempione'' or ''Galleria del Sempione'') is a railway tunnel on the Simplon railway that connects Brig, Switzerland, Brig, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy, through the Alps, providing a shor ...
connecting
Brig
A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...
with
Varzo,
Grieshorn just south of
Nufenen Pass, and forming the western border of Ticino runs across
Marchhorn,
Basodino,
Pizzo Fiorera,
Wandfluhhorn,
Pizzo Quadro,
Pizzo di Porcaresc,
Pilone and descends below running across
Centovalli along a stretch of the
Melezza.
It rises again to
Pilone peak before descending to
Lago Maggiore
Lake Maggiore (, ; ; ; ; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (; ) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the List of lakes of Italy, second largest lake in Italy and the List of lakes of Switzerland, largest in southern Sw ...
between
Brissago and
Cannobio
Cannobio is a town and ''comune'' on the river Cannobino and the shore of Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy.
History
The local inhabitants probably became subject to Ancient Rome, Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus Caesar, Augustus. ...
, on the left bank making landfall at
Caviano and passing west of
Lugano
Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...
and the villages of Malcantone to
Ponte Tresa at
Lake Lugano.
It then forms the southernmost corner of Switzerland including
Chiasso, turning north again outside of
Como and now forming the eastern border of Ticino running west of
Lake Como, of passing Lake Lugano again east of Lugano and touching
Monte Boglia,
Cima di Fojorina,
Gazzirola,
Cima di Cugn,
Pizzo Campanile, again reaching at
Pizzo Quadro between
Val Mesolcina and
Chiavenna, and further north to
Pizzo Tambo,
Splügen Pass and
Piz Timun.
The Swiss-Italian border here has the peculiarity of including the reservoir of
Lago di Lei in Italy but in an artificial salient including the reservoir's dam in Switzerland.
Turning south again it traverses
Val Bregaglia at
Castasegna and turns east towards
Cima di Castello, now forming the northern border of the
Valtellina, a territory that was lost by the
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues, sometimes referred to as Raetia, was the 1471 alliance between the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions, and the Grey League. Its members were all Swiss Associates, associates of the Old Swiss Confederacy, ...
in 1797 with the formation of the
Cisalpine Republic
The Cisalpine Republic (; ) was a sister republic or a client state of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802.
Creation
After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organized two ...
.
Val Poschiavo remains part of Grisons, and is separated from Valtellina by the border passing just north of
Tirano, turning north again along
Piz Paradisin,
Munt Cotschen,
Piz da l'Acqua to the inclusion of
Livigno in Italy.
The border now follows the southern watershed of
Val Müstair, touching
Piz Murtaröl,
Piz Tea Fondada,
Piz Schumbraida,
Piz Umbrail until it reaches the pass road connecting
Vinschgau with the Valtellina and
Stilfserjoch. The border now turns north for a final stretch separating Val Müstair and the
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine (;This is the name in the two Romansh idioms that are spoken in the Engadin, Vallader and Puter, as well as in Sursilvan and Rumantsch Grischun. In Surmiran, the name is ''Nagiadegna'', and in Sutsilvan, it is ''Gidegna'' ...
from
Vinschgau,
South Tyrol
South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
, terminating at the Austrian-Swiss-Italian tripoint just north of
Piz Lad.
Campione d'Italia
Campione d'Italia is a ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' of the
Province of Como
The province of Como (; Comasco dialect, Comasco: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It borders the Switzerland, Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grisons, Grigioni to the north, the Italian provinces of Province of ...
in the
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
region of
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and an
exclave
An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...
surrounded by the
Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
canton of
Ticino
Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
. At its closest, the exclave is less than from the rest of Italy, but the intervening mountainous terrain requires a journey by road of over to reach the nearest Italian town,
Lanzo d'Intelvi, and over to reach the city of
Como.
The entire territory of the Italian village was ''de facto'' included in the Swiss Customs Area as per a unilateral decision by the Swiss authorities. Being an exclave of Italy, it is not possible to reach the territory without crossing either Swiss territory or waters. On 1 January 2020, Campione and the Italian waters of
Lake Lugano became part of the
European Customs Union and a customs border crossing and check points were established.
Transportation

cross-border services between Italy and Switzerland exist on the following railway lines (from West to East):
*
Simplon Railway
The Simplon Railway is a line that links Lausanne railway station, Lausanne in Switzerland and Domodossola railway station, Domodossola in Italy, via Brig railway station, Brig. The -long Simplon Tunnel (opened in 1906) is a major part of it. The ...
,
tunnel
A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...
between and (served by
EC,
RE)
*
Domodossola–Locarno railway line, between and (served by
PE,
R)
*
Cadenazzo–Luino railway, between and (served by )
*
Mendrisio–Varese railway, between and (served by , )
*
Milan–Chiasso railway, between and (served by , , , ,
EC)
*
Bernina railway line, between and (served by
R)
There have been plans in the past to extend the
Rhaetian Railway
The Rhaetian Railway (; ; ), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the RhB operates all the railway lines of the Cantons of Switzerland, ...
(RhB) network from to through a tunnel under the
Maloja Pass (''Malojatunnel''). Similarly, there have been plans to connect the
Vinschgau Railway (
Mals/Malles–
Meran/Merano) in
South Tyrol
South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
with the RhB network at either through a tunnel under the
Ofen Pass (''
Ofenbergbahn'') or via the ''
Reschenscheideckbahn''. Some of these plans are currently reconsidered for the future. Currently, connections exist through bus routes over these passes.
The highest border crossing by
cable car is at
Testa Grigia (). It is also the highest Alpine crossing, culminating near the summit of the
Klein Matterhorn at above sea level.
Illegal immigration
In 2016, due to increased
illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
from Italy into Switzerland related to the
European migrant crisis
The 2015 European migrant crisis was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and Human migration, migrants into Europe, mostly from the Middle East. An estimated 1.3 million people came to the continent to request Right of asyl ...
, the Swiss government cracked down on the practice, establishing more stringent controls in Swiss-bound trains and deploying helicopter and drone patrols. The government rejected calls to build a fence along the border. In April 2017, the Italian foreign ministry called the Swiss ambassador for "urgent talks" after Switzerland decided to close "three minor border crossings" at night.
See also
*
Italy–Switzerland relations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiss-Italian border
European Union external borders
Borders of Switzerland
Borders of Italy
International borders