As of 1 March 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 17 May 2009.

The existing machine-readable passports (Passport 03 and Passport 06) issued prior to 1 March 2010, will remain valid until their expiry date even after the introduction of the new biometric passport. However, be aware that entry regulations may vary from country to country.

For more information on the new biometric passport, please visit the website of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police.

 Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (de)

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.

Applicants for a biometric passport living in Dominican Republic, Antigua&Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts&Nevis or Haiti need to come to the Regional consular center Santo Domingo to have their picture, signature and fingerprints taken. The data in the passport is based on the data recorded in the Swiss civil registers. Before submitting an application for a biometric passport, it is of the utmost importance that the current civil status is registered and processed well in advance in order to avoid unpleasant delays in the issuing of a new passport. Updating personal data entries in Swiss civil registers can take several weeks. If the applicant is in doubt, the Regional consular center should be contacted as soon as possible.

You may now submit your application via the Internet using our convenient online service by clicking here:
 Application

You may also apply for your passport by telephone or by making a personal visit to the Regional consular center. When you apply for a new passport 10, you have the opportunity to order an identity card at a reduced price, as you could in the past.

Once the application is completed and approved, applicants will have to appear in person at the Regional consular center to have their biometric data taken. For organizational purposes, it will be necessary to make an appointment with the Regional consular center. This can be done by E-mail after approval of the application or by telephone.

Applications for minors or persons under guardianship
In case one of the legal representatives is unable to appear in person at the Regional consular center to apply for the issuance of a Swiss travel document to a minor or a person under guardianship, a written consent should be signed.
 
Recording of biometric data
All applicants must attend in person for this procedure and present a valid ID document to confirm their identity.

For organizational reasons, it is essential to make an appointment. This can be done by E-mail after your passport application has been checked and approved or by telephone.

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 the Regional consular center in Santo Domingo, 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. 

Processing Time and Delivery
Applications should be submitted in good time.

Travel documents are produced in Switzerland and it usually takes between 2 and 4 weeks to obtain the new document.

The fees have to be paid in cash on the occasion of your personal visit to the Regional consular center in Santo Domingo.

Biomteric Passport	CHF*	Validity
Adult	140.00	10 years
Child (under age 18)	60.00	5 years
Identity card	CHF*	Validity
Adult	65.00	10 years
Child (under age 18)	30.00	5 years
Biometric Passport + ID	CHF*	Validity
Adult	148.00	10 years
Child (under age 18)	68.00	5 years
Postage fee / Document	9.00

*The fees in DOP and USD depend on the exchange rate to the Swiss Franc and may change. 

Temporary Passport
A temporary passport, which has a maximum validity of one year, may be issued in cases of emergency only. It must be returned to the issuing authority for cancellation after the travel is completed. The passport fee is currently CHF 100.00 for adults and children.

As from 1 July 2009, this type of passport can only be used in conjunction with a valid visa in order to enter the U. S.
Identity Card. For the identity card, the same application procedure as for the biometric passport (Model 10) applies.

 Further information (de)

If a Swiss identity document is lost or stolen abroad, the nearest Swiss diplomatic or consular post should be informed as quickly as possible. A police report should be obtained and a copy forwarded to the Regional consular center in Santo Domingo together with an additional “Declaration of Loss” (Form pdf available as download at the End of this page).

By signing the relevant documentation the applicant acknowledges, among other matters, that Swiss nationals may possess only one valid Swiss passport and one valid ID card. If the lost identity document is recovered, it must be handed in immediately to the nearest Swiss authority entitled to issue passports.

Swiss identity documents which have been lost or stolen are entered in an official list of missing documents and should therefore not be used if they are recovered but returned to the Swiss authorities for cancellation and removal from this list.

 Declaration of loss of a Swiss identity document (de) (pdf, 26 Kb)
 Declaration of loss of a Swiss identity document (fr) (pdf, 27 Kb)

The new biometric passport (Model 10) entitles the holder to travel to and through the USA without a visa.

Swiss citizens with a machine-readable Swiss passport 03, issued before 26 October 2006, or a biometric passport (Model 06) are still able to travel to the USA without a visa.

If you hold a Swiss passport 03 issued after 26 October 2006, please note that for travelling to the USA, you need to have a U. S. visa along with your passport.

Binding information can be obtained only through the competent U.S. authorities. Please contact the U.S. Embassy in Bern.

 U.S. Embassy in Bern