The Swiss parliament has voted in favour of banning Muslim women from wearing the Burka in public.
The National Council passed the vote 88 votes to 87 with 10 abstentions.
Earlier this year a government committee had voted strongly against the ban, Swiss news service 20 minuten reports.
The ruling will have to undergo further scrutiny and votes before it could be made law.
Members voted in favour of a ruling that “no person shall cover his face in public places and in places or hide in the public domain or the provision of public services (excluding sacred sites).”
