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)

The list of fees for the new biometric passport is available on the right side of this page.

The U.S. now requires that Swiss passports issued after October 26, 2006, contain electronically stored biometric data for travel to the U.S. without a visa.

Machine-readable passports, such as the Swiss passport 03, issued before October 26, 2006, entitle a traveler to enter the U.S. without a visa. As long as you hold a valid Swiss passport 03 issued before October 26, 2006, you will not have to apply for a biometric passport. 

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

Swiss Citizens Residing in the U.S.:

Swiss citizens who hold a U.S. permanent resident card (green card) or a valid U.S. visa may still enter the U.S. with any valid Swiss passport issued before or after October 26, 2006.

For further information, please visit the website of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police:  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 now submit your application via the Internet using our convenient online service by clicking on the following link:
 www.ch-edoc-passantrag.admin.ch 

You may also apply for your passport by telephone or by making a personal visit to the representation that is responsible for you. 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 their competent representation in the USA 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 competent Swiss representation. This can be done electronically through the link which will be sent to you 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 Swiss representation to apply for the issuance of a Swiss travel document to a minor or a person under guardianship, a written consent should be signed. Therefore it is recommended that the absent legal representative complete the form “declaration of consent” which is available on the right side of this page. 

The data in the passport is based on the information recorded in the Swiss civil registers. Before submitting an application for a biometric passport, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that the information recorded in the Swiss civil registers is up-to-date in order to avoid unpleasant delays in the issuance of a new passport. If the applicant is in doubt, the competent representation should be contacted as soon as possible.

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 online via the link which will be sent to you 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 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.

Applications should be submitted in good time.

Travel documents are produced in Switzerland and it usually takes between 3 and 4 weeks to obtain the new document.

When the quality of your new passport has been checked, it will be sent to you as in the past.

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 (see the list of fees available on the right side of this page for the equivalence in USD).

From July 1st, 2009, this type of passport can only be used in conjunction with a valid visa in order to enter the U.S.

If a Swiss passport/identity card is lost or stolen, the nearest Swiss diplomatic or consular representation should be informed as soon as possible.
 
You must also report a lost or stolen passport/identity card to the nearest police station and obtain a written police report. A copy must be submitted to the Swiss representation together with the attached "Declaration of Loss" (Form pdf available as download on the right side of this page).

Swiss passports/identity cards which have been lost or stolen are entered in an official police file and cannot therefore be used if they are recovered. They must be returned to the nearest Swiss representation abroad or passport office in Switzerland.

To have your new passport or identity card sent directly to your home address from the processing office in Switzerland, you must submit your old Swiss passport and/or identity card to be cancelled at the time of your application. Otherwise, your new passport and/or identity card will be sent to the responsible Swiss embassy or consulate and then kept there until you submit your document for cancellation. In the latter case, higher postage fees apply.