Welcome message

Portrait photo of Consul General Balz Abplanalp
Consul General Balz Abplanalp © FDFA

Dear fellow Swiss citizens, dear friends of Switzerland,

I have the pleasure to welcome you to our webpage and to invite you to visit us at Pier 17, where landlocked Switzerland meets the sea in a beautiful setting.

On the official level, this Consulate General represents Switzerland in 13 States in the Western U.S. from Alaska to Arizona and from Hawai’i to Utah with the aim of strengthening the long established and great relations with this region. Our highly dedicated consular team delivers essential services to more than 33,000 Swiss nationals and issues more than 5,000 visas every year for travel to Switzerland, be it for tourism, business, or residency purposes.

Moreover, the Consulate General unites several key Swiss actors under one roof at Pier 17:

  • Swissnex connects the top-notch education, research, and innovation system of Switzerland with leading universities, spin-offs, and start-ups in the Bay Area and in many more tech hot spots in the Western US.
  • The Swiss Business Hub USA promotes Switzerland as a business location and supports companies from Switzerland to expand their market presence in the 13 U.S. States, which make up the third largest economy in the world.
  • And finally Switzerland Tourism makes sure that the attractions of the most beautiful Swiss destinations do not go unremarked by the discerning visitors from Western USA.

Switzerland is a traditionally innovative country. Thus, the mission of Switzerland@ Pier 17 is not only to support the multifold existing partnerships, but also to strive for new ones in various fields, including in the digital sphere.

As the pandemic seems to get slowly under control, we are cautiously resuming in-person events and we hope to welcome you back at our premises soon. If you wish to stay up-to-date with the latest programs at Pier 17, make sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter by sending an email to: sanfrancisco.newsletter@eda.admin.ch and to visit our social media pages. For further information, simply contact us via email at sanfrancisco@eda.admin.ch or phone at (415) 788-2272.

On a personal note, I first visited San Francisco in November 2003 as a young diplomat when the Swiss House of Science – today’s Swissnex - was inaugurated. I was and still am fascinated by the drive, the ideas, and the flair of this city. I feel immensely privileged to be posted in this dynamic environment and to represent my country together with the Team Switzerland at Pier 17.

I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Balz Abplanalp
Consul General