Swiss passport/ID card applications

News: The new Swiss passport is available as of 31 October 2022.

The new passport can be ordered via the cantonal passport offices or the Swiss representations abroad. The new passport series meets the latest requirements for identity documents and includes unique design elements inspired by Swiss landscapes. The official announcement is available under www.ejpd.admin.ch.  For further information please see below the New Swiss Passport FAQ document. 

New Swiss Passport FAQ (PDF, 2 Pages, 226.8 kB, English)

A new identity card will also be available in the first half of 2023.

Important notice: All previously issued identity documents (passport and identity card) remain valid until the expiry date. 

To apply for a new Swiss passport and/or Swiss identity card, please log your application online on the following website and wait until you receive the invitation to book your appointment.

A range of consular services can be solicited through the online desk. More information on the various consular services is readily available under "Services".

For any other enquiries, please contact the Regional Consular Centre by phone +27 12 452 06 61 or by e-mail southernafrica@eda.admin.ch

New process of life verification for certain OASI/DI (AHV/IV) pension beneficiaries

The process of life verification (life certificate) will be simplified from 2022 with the introduction of an automated exchange.

Swiss nationals residing abroad who are duly registered with the Swiss representation in their country of residence will, in principle, no longer receive the "Life certificate" form to be certified, as this information will be transmitted directly from the Register of the Swiss Abroad to the Central Compensation Office in Geneva.

This simplified procedure, however, does not exempt from the obligation to inform the Swiss representation or the Central Compensation Office of any changes such as changes of address, changes in marital status, etc.

In exceptional cases, registered persons may nevertheless receive such a request for life certificate.

Important: Persons who have not yet returned their life certificate for 2021 are still obliged to do so.

For more information please consult the webpage of the Central Compensation Office          

Switzerland: Entry and travel

Switzerland has re-open their borders to travelers; please consult the online Travelcheck for more information.

For updated information on the Coronavirus situation in Switzerland please follow this link.

For Visa related information, kindly check the Visa website

Important information for Swiss nationals living abroad

In order for us to provide you with the latest information from Switzerland at all times, please always inform us of all address changes (including e-mail addresses) through the online desk or by sending an email to southernafrica@eda.admin.ch.

The "SWI plus" app is now also available for English-speaking Swiss abroad as well as to interested parties, free of charge for downloading from the app stores. The focus is on a daily briefing for the Swiss living abroad with the news of the day especially relevant to them. The focus is on a daily briefing for the Fifth Switzerland with the most relevant news of the day in a compact daily format.

For more information, please visit Swissinfo

SWI plus for Android

SWI plus for iOS

Webinar on the topics of «Aging Abroad» and “old-age and survivors’ insurance” (OASI)

On the 09.02.2023, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), Swiss Community, hosted a webinar in collaboration with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, the Swiss Compensation Office SCO and Soliswiss on the topics  «Aging Abroad» and OASI. The webinar was aimed at holders of Swiss citizenship who already live abroad or who are considering moving abroad for their retirement. During the webinar, experts gave an overview of this complex issue and answered questions directly or indirectly connected to OASI (old-age and survivors’ insurance).

Please find the presentations as well as the recorded webinar on the website or directly on the YouTube channel of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA). 

New SwissInTouch app

SwissInTouch is now available for the 780’000 Swiss Citizens living abroad. The application is designed to facilitate dialogue and exchange.

After a test phase, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) launched the SwissInTouch app.

President Ignazio Cassis announced the development of the application last year at the Congress of the Swiss Abroad in Lugano. "As the name SwissInTouch indicates, this new tool is intended to facilitate dialogue and exchange," Cassis cited in his statement.

Swiss citizens abroad will find all the important information from their official representation, the various federal offices or other institutional partners on one platform in SwissInTouch. The app complements existing communication platforms such as the consular services provided locally, the FDFA online desk or the Travel Admin app for Swiss travellers.

Related link and link to the app.

Services and visa

All consular services for the South African provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West and Free State, as well as for the states of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, have been provided by the Regional Consular Centre Southern Africa in Pretoria, which is attached to the local Embassy of Switzerland.

The Consulate General in Cape Town continues to be responsible for the South African provinces of the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

All Visa applications are handled by the Regional Consular Center Southern Africa in Pretoria.

Information can be found on the websites concerned:

Services – South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius
Visa – South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius

Angola
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
Zambia
Zimbabwe