The Consular Service looks after Swiss nationals residing in Pakistan and Aghanistan and to some extent fulfils the functions of a municipal administrative authority in Switzerland. The links which Swiss nationals residing abroad have with Switzerland and their home cantons are governed by laws and regulations. Consular protection is also an important task. This includes assistance to Swiss nationals in various emergency situations.

We aim to carry out these tasks, respond to your enquiries and provide the relevant services in a customer-friendly, competent and efficient manner.

We deal with the following areas in particular:

• Registration of Swiss nationals residing abroad and military service checks
• Issuing passports and ID cards
• Personal, family and inheritance matters
• Translation/certification of registry office records for entry into the family register of the home canton
• Nationality issues; processing applications for naturalisation under the simplified procedure
• Exercising political rights
• Welfare services for Swiss nationals residing abroad
• Confirmations, certifications, translations of signatures/documents where a Swiss interest exists
• Consular protection: assistance with lost passports, repatriations, support and assistance in the event of arrest, accident or other emergency
• Visa service: issuing visas, applications for residence permits in Switzerland, information of all kinds about entry, work permits, student permits and settlement permits

The voluntary OASI/DI scheme is administered by the separate OASI/DI Office located in Geneva.

The Consular Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Pakistan will be pleased to assist you at any time. Should you require additional information concerning the subjects dealt with in this website, or other subjects, please contact us by telephone or e-mail.

The following persons should register with their local Swiss mission abroad:

• Swiss citizens who intend to stay in the consular district for more than 12 months;
• Swiss citizens who acquire Swiss nationality by birth, naturalisation or adoption and who are already living in the consular district.

The register is intended to give an overall picture of Swiss nationals living in the consular district. Registration, which is obligatory, also provides the details required for the fulfilment of official functions, such as issuing new passports, registering births, marriages etc.

It is possible to register in person (Monday-Friday: 09.00-12.00 hours) or by post. In the latter case you are kindly asked to indicate your exact address so that all the necessary documentation can be sent to you. If you wish to register in person, you should bring with you your valid Swiss passports and/or ID cards as well as those of all family members; your certificate of origin (Heimatschein/acte d'origine); if possible the Family Booklet; and - for those who are subject to military service obligations - the document Leave of Absence Abroad (Auslandurlaub, congé pour l'étranger). If your Swiss documents are no longer valid please contact the Embassy to find out the procedure to be followed.  

The registration form in different languages can be downloaded from this page. Please do not send the form to the Embassy without the above-mentioned documents.

As of March 1, 2010, Switzerland will only issue electronically readable Swiss passports (Passport 10) with biometric data containing one digital facial photograph, a digital signature and two digital fingerprints. Swiss voters approved the change to biometric passports in a vote on May 17, 2009.

The existing machine-readable passports (Passport 03 and Passport 06) issued prior to March 1, 2010, will remain valid until their expiry date even after the introduction of the new biometric passport.

For more information on the new biometric passport, please visit the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police website.  www.schweizerpass.admin.ch (de, fr, it). 

You have to apply for a passport at the Swiss representation where you are registered. Please note that registration is mandatory for all Swiss citizens who intend to stay in the consular district for more than 12 months.

You may submit your application via the Internet using the online service by clicking on the following link:  www.ch-edoc-passantrag.admin.ch.

Once the application is completed and approved, applicants will have to appear in person to have their biometric data taken: facial photograph, signature and two fingerprints. For organizational purposes, it will be necessary to make an appointment with the Embassy of Switzerland in Islamabad. You may choose another Swiss representation abroad, or in exceptional cases, a passport office in Switzerland to perform this formality. In this case, you must inform your representation, which will authorize the representation or passport office you have chosen.

Minors and applicants in the care of a guardian must be accompanied by their parents or guardian, who will be required to give their consent by signing the application form.
Divorced or unmarried parents must provide proof of custody of the child, and in the case of joint custody, both parents must give their consent. 

Information on the Right to vote by correspondence for the Swiss abroad

Since 1 July 1992 Swiss nationals living abroad have been able to participate in political life in Switzerland (i.e. in votes on federal proposals and in National Council elections) without having to travel to Switzerland to do so.

As a Swiss national resident abroad you can exercise your political rights by post from another country if you:

• have moved abroad
• are at least 18 years old; and
• are registered with a Swiss Embassy or Consulate.

To use your rights, please fill in accordingly the required information on the registration form.

The Swiss Compensation Office and the DI Office for insured persons residing outside Switzerland, which are part of the Central Compensation Office, are the competent authorities for the administration of the voluntary OASI/DI scheme.

For further information concerning contributions, please send your queries to:

Central Compensation Office CdC
Swiss Compensation Office SCO
Voluntary Insurance, contributions
Avenue Edmond-Vaucher 18
P.O. Box 3100
1211 Geneva 2
Tel.: +41 22 795 91 11
Fax: +41 22 795 15 01
E-mail:  csc-af@zas.admin.ch  


For further information concerning old age pension and survivors’ benefits, please send your queries to:

Central Compensation Office CdC
Swiss Compensation Office SCO
Voluntary Insurance, Benefits
Avenue Edmond-Vaucher 18
P.O. Box 3100
1211 Geneva 2
Tel.: +41 22 795 91 11
Fax: +41 22 795 97 03
E-mail:  sedmaster@zas.admin.ch  


For further information concerning disability benefits, please send your queries to:

Central Compensation Office CdC
DI Office for insured persons residing outside Switzerland
Avenue Edmond-Vaucher 18
P.O. Box 3100
1211 Geneva 2
Tel.: +41 22 795 91 11
Fax: +41 22 795 99 50
E-mail:  OAIE@zas.admin.ch  


The Swiss missions abroad also assist with the administration of the voluntary insurance scheme and can be asked to carry out various tasks such as providing information to members.

Soliswiss is a solidarity fund for Swiss living abroad. It offers insurance in case of loss of income, a health insurance, a pension and a savings account.