Flag of Switzerland

A white cross in the centre of a red square. The four arms of the cross are equal, each one-sixth longer than it is wide.

What the flag means

There is no official meaning for the red. The Swiss foreign ministry's About Switzerland site gives two explanations: the blood of Christ, or the flag of Bern at the time. In 1889 the Federal Council described the cross as a Christian symbol and the field sign of the Old Swiss Confederacy.

History

Swiss soldiers wore a white cross on red from the 14th century, including at the Battle of Laupen in 1339. The Helvetic Republic of 1798 to 1803 used a green, red and yellow tricolour. The present cross design dates from 1840, and the 1848 federal constitution made it the flag of the federal troops. A federal decree of 12 December 1889 fixed the shape of the cross, and a law in force since 2017 defines the red.

Switzerland and Vatican City are the only countries with square national flags. Swiss ships and aircraft use a 2:3 version.

Earlier flags of Switzerland

1798–1803Green, red and yellow tricolour of the Helvetic Republic

Flags of Switzerland's neighbours

Sources

Wikipedia: Flag of Switzerland
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (About Switzerland): Swiss flag

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.