**Treat the switch as live until it has been properly tested. Don’t wallpaper over it or bury its wiring just because it appears unused.** A switch can have live wires even when it is off or operates no visible light.

To establish whether it is safe:

1. **Identify and switch off the supplying circuit breaker** at the fuse box/consumer unit. Keep anyone from switching it back on. Circuit labels and a light going out are only clues; they don’t prove every wire at the switch is dead.
2. **Have the wiring tested for absence of voltage.** An electrician uses a suitable two-pole voltage tester, checks that the tester works before and after testing, and checks all relevant conductors. A non-contact “voltage pen” or neon screwdriver cannot reliably prove that wiring is dead. These precautions are covered by [Electrical Safety First’s safe-isolation guidance](https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/1201/best-practice-guide-2-issue-3.pdf).

Since you don’t know what this switch supplies, **leave the faceplate fitted and have an electrician trace it before removal.** Switching off a breaker temporarily does not permanently decommission the wiring.

For the wallpapering, there are two practical options:

- **Keep an accessible cover:** the electrician removes the switch, safely terminates any remaining wiring in the box, and fits a blanking plate. Wallpaper around the plate, leaving it removable.
- **Make the wall smooth:** the electrician permanently disconnects or removes the redundant wiring and confirms that the box can safely be removed and the opening filled.

Ordinary boxes containing electrical connections need to remain accessible; local rules determine the permitted arrangements. [NFPA’s guidance on box access](https://content.nfpa.org/-/media/Project/Storefront/Catalog/Files/Codes-and-standards/standards-council/March-2023/SC_Agenda_03_2023.pdf?hash=3C04A9BF8ACB42C9FD2AED66A9D05C0E&rev=abc34a6a6b6845a197fe9c7ab883a818) explains this requirement for US installations.

What country are you in? That will help establish the rules for permanently removing it.