The Swiss government will hold a free vote on the issue after activists collected 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for the ban.
The ban, championed by far-right groups, will be subject to a free vote under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, which lets voters decide major policy issues.
The Swiss executive Federal Council is expected to set a date for the referendum within the next two years.
Backers of the referendum include some MPs with the right-wing populist ruling party, the Swiss People’s Party, known for its conservative anti-immigration platform.
They resorted to using the petition under Switzerland’s direct democracy after legislative proposals for a ban were voted down by the Swiss Senate, after narrowly passing through the parliament.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Lawmakers said the burka was not widely worn in Switzerland and that a ban could reduce tourism from the Middle East – but it will now be taken to a referendum in which the ban could stand a good chance of becoming law.
A ban on face-covering veils such as the burka and niqab would place Switzerland alongside the likes of France and Austria, which have also banned the garments, worn by some Muslim women.
The Italian-speaking Swiss region of Ticino implemented a burka ban in the province last year.
The possibility of a Swiss burka ban is a progression from a previous referendum that banned building minarets in the central European state.
The vote in 2009 prohibited the erection of any further towers from which Muslims are called to prayer five times a day.
It was called by the same group of activists behind the upcoming vote.
However activists say the ban on face-covering veils has nothing to do with religion, and posters also show a protestor wearing a balaclava alongside a burka-clad Muslim woman.