Before arriving in Switzerland, certain points concerning the agrément, visa or new posting need to be clarified to make sure the correct steps are taken. Once the new head of mission has arrived, a date for the presentation of credentials will be set.
Before taking up a new post in Switzerland, several points need to be clarified to make sure the correct steps are taken. This is with a view to securing the best possible conditions for the new incumbent within the applicable deadlines:
Preparation work is required for the following categories of person:
The sending state should submit to FDFA Protocol an agrément request (note verbale, CV and copy of passport). The person's CV must contain the following information:
Once the agrément has been issued and the arrival date of the new head of mission set, the embassy is requested to contact FDFA Protocol about the schedule for the next presentation of credentials to the President of the Swiss Confederation in order to set a date.
The regime for establishing consular relations and posts, consular functions and the appointment and admission of heads of consular posts is governed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963.
In principle the Swiss authorities apply a fairly restrictive policy in this area. It must be demonstrated that there is a genuine need for a duly accredited official representative. Statistical data on the current and anticipated size of the foreign community as well as the commercial, tourist, cultural and scientific relations between the sending state and the new consular district must be provided. Prospective further developments resulting from the presence of an official representative should also be clarified. The FDFA reserves the right to review at any time whether there is a genuine need to retain the post, even after it has been established.
Furthermore, the limited size of Swiss territory justifies that, in addition to a consular section near to an embassy in Bern, only requests to establish a maximum of one additional consular post per language region (German, French or Italian-speaking Switzerland) will, in principle, be considered.
The seat of a consular post must be located in a cantonal capital (with the exception of Ticino where, on presentation of a reasoned request, the city of Lugano may also be accepted as the seat for a consular post). A cantonal administrative centre is determined by its city centre and the communes served by the urban public transport network of the cantonal capital, not including inter-city or regional transport systems.
Any subsequent change of address of the seat of a consular post is subject to the prior approval of FDFA Protocol.
Consular districts may not overlap one another and must coincide with cantonal borders.
The official residence of a head of post must be in the city where the post has its seat or in an adjacent commune (for the cities of Geneva and Basel: in the city where the post has its seat or in an adjacent Swiss commune).
A head of post’s class must correspond to the category of their consular representation, for example a consul general for a consulate general or a consul for a consulate.
The FDFA prefers the establishment of consular posts headed by career consular officers or honorary consular officers. Consequently, the authorities of sending states are requested to refrain from submitting requests to establish vice consulates or consular agencies to FDFA Protocol.
Requests to establish consular posts must be addressed to FDFA Protocol through diplomatic channels and contain the following information:
Once the FDFA has approved the opening of a consular post, FDFA Protocol will ask the embassy to send it, through diplomatic channels, the dossier on the prospective head of consular post, which must include the following documents:
If the FDFA agrees to the appointment of the candidate proposed by the sending state, FDFA Protocol will request the embassy to send it the original letter of commission. This must contain the surname and first name of the appointed head of post (as written in their passport), class (consul general or consul), category (career), consular district (list of cantons concerned) and seat (cantonal capital) of the consular post. The letter is to be addressed to the Federal Council (not the President of the Swiss Confederation). FDFA Protocol will then submit a request for exequatur to the Federal Council on the basis of this letter of commission.
FDFA Protocol will send the exequatur to the embassy for transmission to the head of post.
Embassies are advised to consult the SEM's overview of passport and visa requirements by nationality (List 1, column listing visa requirement by nationality for stays of over 90 days) to find out whether their head of consular post needs to apply for a visa from the competent Swiss embassy or whether they are exempt.
List 1: Overview of ID and visa provisions according to nationality
Once the consular head of post has arrived in Switzerland, the embassy in question must send FDFA Protocol a request to register the new head including a photocopy of their passport and a recent photograph; the same requirements apply to any authorised accompanying persons (Art. 20, para. 1, Host State Ordinance, HSO).
The regime for establishing consular relations, consular functions and consular posts, and the nomination and admission of heads of consular posts is governed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963. Chapter III of the Convention deals specifically with the regime applying to honorary consular officers and consular posts headed by such officers.
In principle the Swiss authorities apply a fairly restrictive policy in this area. It must be demonstrated that there is a genuine need for a duly accredited official representative. Statistical data on the current and forecast size of the diaspora, commercial, tourist, cultural and scientific relations between the sending State and the new consular district must be provided, as should that for prospective further development resulting from the presence of an official representative. The FDFA reserves the right to re-examine at any time the need to keep a post open, including after its opening.
The limited size of the Swiss territory compels the Swiss authorities to restrict the number of consular representations: in addition to a consular section linked to the Embassy in Bern (or Geneva), they will only consider, in principle, requests to establish a maximum of one additional consular post per language region (in German-speaking, French-speaking and Italian-speaking Switzerland).
The seat of a consular post must be located in a cantonal capital or its immediate surroundings (with the exception of the Canton of Ticino where, upon duly-evidenced request, the city of Lugano may also be accepted as seat for a consular post). A cantonal administrative center is determined by its center and the municipalities served by the urban public transport network of the cantonal capital, not including inter-city or regional transport systems.
Any subsequent address change of the seat of a consular post is subject to prior approval by the FDFA Protocol, as does any change of consular district.
Consular districts may not overlap one another and must coincide with cantonal borders.
The head of the consular post must live in the consular district.
A head of post’s class must correspond to the category of their consular representation, for example a consul general for a consulate general or a consul for a consulate.
The FDFA prefers the establishment of consular posts headed by career consular officers or honorary consular officers. Consequently, the authorities of sending states are requested to refrain from submitting requests to establish vice consulates or consular agencies to FDFA Protocol.
Requests to establish a consular post must be addressed to the FDFA (Protocol) through diplomatic channels and must contain the following information:
Once the FDFA (Protocol) has granted technical approval for the establishment of a consular post, Protocol will invite the Embassy to send its nomination proposal, with the following documents:
According to Swiss practice, acceptable honorary consuls are individuals already residing in Switzerland, meaning either Swiss citizens or holders of a settlement Permit C. Exceptionally, the holder of a resident Permit B may be accepted, provided he/she holds the nationality of the sending State. These individuals usually have another professional occupation.
The nomination of Swiss citizens, members of a federal or cantonal executive, legislative or judicial authority, is subject to restrictions and the nomination of active members of the Swiss Armed Forces require prior approval through the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport.
Once the FDFA (Protocol) has agreed to the candidate nominated by the sending State, Protocol will invite the Embassy to submit the original letter of commission. This letter must contain the surname(s) and first name(s) of the appointed head of post (as written in his/her passport), the class (consul general or consul), as well as the category (honorary), consular district (list of cantons concerned) and seat (cantonal capital) of the consular post. The letter of commission must be addressed to the Federal Council (and not to the President of the Confederation). On the basis of this letter, Protocol will submit a request for exequatur to the Federal Council.
FDFA Protocol will send the exequatur to the embassy for transmission to the head of post.
Once exequatur has been received, the Embassy must submit a request for registration of the head of post to the FDFA Protocol, accompanied by two recent passport photographs.
Only the honorary consular officer who heads the consular post can be issued a legitimation card and appear on the "Consular Corps Member List".
Any change of address of the seat of a consular post is subject to prior approval of the FDFA (Protocol).
The promotion of an "honorary consul" to "honorary consul general" also engenders a change in class of the consular post (from "consulate" to "consulate general"). In the event of such a change, it is mandatory for the Embassy to send the FDFA Protocol a new letter of commission (see above) and for Protocol to request a new exequatur from the Federal Council.
Embassies must inform the FDFA (Protocol) without delay of the end of the posting of a head of a consular post, specifying the exact date on which functions will cease, return any legitimation card(s), and confirm that the "CC" sign has been removed from all vehicles.
The Embassy must ensure that all visible signs (coats of arms, flags, plaques, etc.) are removed from the building’s façade, entrance, and letterbox, and that all official seals, forms and official documents are returned to the Embassy.
The FDFA Protocol will then delete the consular post’s entry from the "Consular Corps Member List" and, if the circumstances allow, duly re-enter its consular district under that of the Embassy. In special cases, the FDFA (Protocol) will contact the Embassy.
Embassies should send requests for approval to FDFA Protocol (note verbale, CV, copy of passport and ministerial card if resident outside Switzerland (multi-accreditation)) including:
FDFA Protocol will then forward the CV and copy of the notification to the head of military protocol at the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) for approval. Once this approval has been received, as well as the approval of other units where necessary, FDFA Protocol will reply to the embassy on the issue of the military attaché's appointment, who will then be summoned for a courtesy call with the head of military protocol in order to take up office.
The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) is authorised to conclude agreements with foreign states on the posting of police attachés as set out in Article 8 paragraph 4 of the Ordinance on the Duties of the Federal Criminal Police in the Federal Office of Police.
Embassies should send requests for approval to FDFA Protocol by note verbale with a detailed job description, CV, copy of passport and ministerial card if resident outside Switzerland (multi-accreditation)) including:
FDFA Protocol will then forward the request and documents to the unit(s) in question for consultation and approval. Once approval has been given, FDFA Protocol will notify the embassy.
Ordinance on the Duties of the Federal Criminal Police in the Federal Office of Police
If the appointed person is taking up a newly created post rather than an existing post in an embassy or consulate, the foreign representation accredited to Switzerland is obliged to first apply to FDFA Protocol for authorisation to create this new post before the person arrives in Switzerland, providing supporting evidence for the new post and a detailed description of the tasks to be undertaken.
The person will only be allowed to enter Switzerland after FDFA Protocol has issued its approval.
Persons that have been appointed by their government to work in a foreign embassy or consulate accredited to Switzerland are obliged to find out from the Swiss representation with jurisdiction for their place of residence whether they need a visa to enter Switzerland.
If this is the case, they must submit an application for a type D visa, which is valid for three months and entitles them to an FDFA legitimation card that will be issued by FDFA Protocol once in Switzerland.
If the new appointee arrives in Switzerland before the date for the presentation of credentials has been set, the embassy in question is requested to contact FDFA Protocol for information on how to proceed. When writing the credentials, please note that they must only be addressed to the Swiss Federal Council – never to the President of the Swiss Confederation.
As soon as the new appointee arrives in Switzerland, the registration form – completed online, dated, signed and stamped with the embassy seal – must be sent by note verbale to FDFA Protocol's Privileges and Immunities Section.
For each person listed on the form, please include:
Once FDFA Protocol receives the completed form and annexes, it will register everyone listed and order the FDFA legitimation cards to be sent to the embassy within ten working days.
Last update 22.11.2023
