Regular contact between the Swiss abroad and the Swiss Embassies and Consulates presents mutual advantages. Also, registration is compulsory for Swiss citizens residing abroad and is the basis for official acts. In order to register you, the following documents are needed:

1. The form "Application for registration", completed, dated and signed by you
2. Your Swiss passport and, if applicable, those of your family members
3. Your certificate of origin (Heimatschein)

Please download the "Notice for Registered Persons" because it contains important information for you and your family. By signing the application form, you confirm to have received it and its enclosures.

If you are registered with a Swiss representation, you should inform that representation about the following changes:

• Change of address/telephone number/fax number/e-mail address
• Change in civil status (marriage, divorce, death and birth of children)
• Acquisition or loss of any additional citizenship
• Departure from the consular district

Your personal documents will be returned to you immediately after registration. If you checked the applicable box, you will also receive the brochures regarding the Voluntary Old-age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Scheme and the Soliswiss. If you do not hear from the Swiss representation after the application form has been received, you may consider yourself registered.

We wish you a pleasant stay in the United States of America.

Online form for a change of address by registered Swiss nationals

You can further use one of the following online forms to notify your representation of any change of address, depending on your place of residence:

 Online form for a change of address - Embassy Washington
 Online form for a change of address - Consulate General Atlanta
 Online form for a change of address - Consulate General Chicago
 Online form for a change of address - Consulate General Los Angeles
 Online form for a change of address - Consulate General New York
 Online form for a change of address - Consulate General San Francisco

The USA now requires that Swiss passports issued after October 26, 2006, contain electronically stored biometric data for travel to the USA 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 your Swiss passport 03, issued before October 26, 2006 remains valid, you will not have to apply for a biometric passport 06.

While the Swiss passport 03 is still issued after October 26, 2006, concurrently with the biometric passport 06, please note that for travel to the USA, a Swiss citizen needs to have a U.S. visa along with a passport 03 issued after October 26, 2006.

Swiss Citizens Residing in the U.S.
Swiss citizens who are holders of 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 at
 www.schweizerpass.ch

When do you have to appear in person and when can you apply by mail?
In order to issue your first Swiss passport, Swiss Law requires that you appear, with no exception, in person at the embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence. In that case, you have to provide the Swiss representation with your US passport or actual travel document. However if the application concerns a new passport replacing a previous passport (still valid or expired), exceptions can be made for the following reasons:

• unreasonably long travel distance or
• health problems

Each Swiss representation in the U.S. has compiled a list of states and zip codes to assist you in determining whether or not you have to appear in person. The list is based on the first 3 digits of your zip code. If your zip code is not on the list, you may apply by mail. In that case, please be sure to enclose your previous Swiss passport. Please check the list of the Swiss representation where you are currently registered:

Atlanta
Consulate General of Switzerland
1349 W Peachtree Street NW
Suite 1000
Atlanta, GA 30309
Tel: 404-870-2000
E-mail:  atl.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

You are required to appear in person if you live in the state of Georgia.
All other applicants living in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Cayman Islands may apply by mail.

Chicago
Consulate General of Switzerland
Olympia Center
Ste 2301, 737 N Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: 312-915-0061
E-mail:  chi.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

You are required to appear in person if the first 3 digits of your zip code are:
600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 613, 615, 616, 617 (Illinois)
463, 464, 465, 466, 469, 479 (Indiana)
490, 491, 493, 494, 495 (Michigan)
530-34, 535, 537, 539 (Wisconsin)

Los Angeles
Consulate General of Switzerland
11766 Wilshire
Boulevard, Suite 1400
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Tel: 310-575-1145
E-mail:  los.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

You are required to appear in person if the first 3 digits of your zip code are:
Los Angeles Area: 900, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 918
Outside of the Greater Los Angeles area: 919, 920, 921, 922, 923, 924, 925, 926, 927, 928, 929, 930, 931, 932, 933, 934, 935

New York
Consulate General of Switzerland
633 Third Ave, 30th floor
New York, NY 10017-6706
Tel: 212-599-5700
E-mail:  nyc.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

You are required to appear in person if the first 3 digits of your zip code are:
New York: 100-119, 124-127, 090-98
Pennsylvania: 180-191, 193-196, 179
Connecticut: 064-069
New Jersey: 070-079, 085-089

San Francisco
Consulate General of Switzerland
456 Montgomery St., Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94104-1233
Tel: 415-788-2272
e-mail:  sfr.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

You are required to appear in person if the first 3 digits of your zip code are:
939, 940, 941,943, 944, 945, 946, 947, 948, 949, 950, 951, 952, 953, 954, 956, 958

Washington, D.C.
Embassy of Switzerland
2900 Cathedral Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-745-7900
Email:  was.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

You are required to appear in person if the first 3 digits of your zip code are:
District of Columbia: all applicants have to appear in person
Maryland: all applicants have to appear in person
Delaware: all applicants have to appear in person
Virginia: 201, 217, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232
West Virginia: 254, 267, 268
Kentucky: by mail

Please note the following rules by mail applications:

1. In case of doubt regarding your identity, the Embassy or the Consulate General keeps the right to request your presence at the representation in order to initiate the passport application process.
2. Children who do not already have a personal passport must appear in person at the responsible representation with one or both parents regardless of the travel distance.

Application Form
Applicants who apply by mail have to complete the application form which can be downloaded from this page. Applicants who have to appear in person can either download and complete the application form from this page or fill in an application form at the Swiss representation responsible for their state.

We strongly recommend that you read the Guidelines section even if you do not have to complete the application form because they contain important information such as:

• Photograph requirements
• Requirements for legal representatives who sign for applicants who are minors
• Requirements for official remarks to be added to the passport
• Periods of validity, fees, and shipping charges for passports and identity cards

Processing Time
Prior to processing a Swiss citizen's application, the responsible Swiss representation generally must obtain a confirmation of Swiss citizenship from the applicant's place of origin in Switzerland. Therefore an applicant must allow approximately two months for processing time.

However, if the applicant requests an urgent confirmation of Swiss citizenship, the time period can be reduced to a few days. In that case, the applicant would have to pay an additional express delivery fee.

Once your application has been processed, you should receive your new travel document within 3-4 weeks. If you have not received your passport and/or identity card within 40 working days after your filing date, you are required by law to inform the responsible Swiss representation within 5 days to be issued a new passport and/or identity card free of charge.

A temporary passport, which has a maximum validity of one year, may be issued in cases of emergency. It must be returned to the issuing authority for cancellation after the travel is completed. The fee is currently $ 87.00 for adults and children.

Loss or theft of a Swiss Passport/Identity Card
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 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.
If a new passport and/or identity card is required, you must complete the Passport and identity card application and the Registration form (only to be completed if you are not registered with a Swiss representation abroad), which are available in PDF format and may be completed either online and then printed out or completed by hand.
Swiss passports/identity cards which have been stolen or lost are entered in an official police file and should therefore not be used if they are recovered. They must be returned to the nearest Swiss representation abroad or passport office in Switzerland.

Cancellation of Previous Swiss Passport or Identity Card
To have your new passport or identity card sent directly to your home address from the production facility in Switzerland, you must submit your old Swiss passport and/or identity card at the time of 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 old passport and/or identity card for cancellation. In the latter case, higher postage fees apply.

Registration
Before applying for a passport and/or identity card, registration with the responsible Swiss representation is mandatory.

Changes in civil status
If you have not informed the responsible Swiss representation about changes in your civil status (marriage, divorce, birth of children), your file will have to be updated behorehand.

To keep the family registers accurate and up-to-date, Swiss authorities need to be informed about any changes in the civil status of Swiss citizens and dual nationals (birth, marriage, death and divorce). When such changes occur, the persons concerned, or their nearest relatives, should send the responsible Swiss representation a complete and certified copy of the document in question (birth, death, marriage or divorce certificates), which may be obtained from the following U.S. authorities:
Transcripts of birth and death records are issued by the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the capital of the state in which the birth or death occurred. Certified copies of marriage records may be obtained from the County Clerk who issued the marriage license. Certified copies of divorce decrees may be requested from the court which granted the divorce.
Please send your documents only to the Swiss representation where you are registered.
Further information can be found at the following Web sites:

Marriage
In order to register your marriage in the U.S. with the Swiss authorities, please send the following documents at your earliest convenience to the Swiss representation where you are registered:

• A complete and certified copy of the marriage certificate (no abstract).
• If your spouse is a U.S. citzen: a certified copy of his or her birth certificate, which includes the exact place of birth and names of the parents. For citizens of other countries: an original birth certificate will be required.
• If your spouse was married before: a certified copy of the final divorce decree showing the exact date when the judgment entered into force, or a certified copy of the death certificate of the former spouse
• The affidavit "Application for Marriage registration with the Authorities in Switzerland". The signatures must be legalized by a notary public or by the responsible Swiss representation (in that case, you must appear in person).
•  Passport copy of foreign spouse.

Important: please note that marriage and birth certificates as well as divorce decrees must be certified by the issuing authority not more than 6 months before they are sent for registration. They will not be returned to you by the responsible Swiss representation. Documents certified by a notary public will not be accepted.

Birth
In order to register your child’s birth with the Swiss authorities, please send the following document at your earliest convenience to the Swiss representation where you are registered:

• A certified copy of the birth certificate which includes the exact place of birth and names of the parents.
• The affidavit "Application for Birth registration".

Important: please note that birth certificates must be certified by the issuing authority not more than 6 months before they are sent for registration. They will not be returned to you by the responsible Swiss representation. Documents certified by a notary public will not be accepted.

Death
In order to register a death with the Swiss authorities, please send the following document at your earliest convenience to the Swiss representation where you are registered:

• A certified copy of the death certificate

Important: please note that death certificates must be certified by the issuing authority not more than 6 months before they are sent for registration. They will not be returned to you by the responsible Swiss representation. Documents certified by a notary public will not be accepted.

Divorce
In order to register a divorce that has been pronounced in the U.S. with the Swiss authorities, please send the following documents at your earliest convenience to the Swiss representation where you are registered:

• Certified copy of the final divorce decree showing the exact date when judgment entered into effect (including the custody order for minor children, if applicable)
• The completed form "Information Necessary for Legalizing of Divorce Decrees, their Transmission to and Registration in Switzerland"

Important: please note that marriage and birth certificates as well as divorce decrees must be certified by the issuing authority not more than 6 months before they are sent for registration. They will not be returned to you by the responsible Swiss representation. Documents certified by a notary public will not be accepted.