All Swiss citizens who intend to stay in the consular district for more than one year and who have announced their departure from Switzerland. You can only be registered in the Embassy of Switzerland in Wellington once you have announced your departure in Switzerland.

Please complete the form "Application for registration with the Embassy of Switzerland", which you obtain on the right side of this page. Then send the following documents to the Embassy in Wellington:

• Registration form, completed, dated and signed (in case of married couples, both must sign)
• Your Swiss passport and/or Swiss identity card as well as those of your family members
• Photocopies of your family members' national passports if they are not Swiss citizens
• Your Certificate of origin (Heimatschein / Acte d'origine)
• A prepaid self-addressed courier pouch

Please send originals, photocopies will not be accepted.

Your passports / identity cards will be sent back to you after registration.

The following changes must always be reported to the Embassy of Switzerland in Wellington without delay (online form is located on the right side of this page):

• Change of address
• Departure from the consular district
• Civil records changes (marriage, birth, divorce, death, change of name)

When completing the online form please include your date of birth as well as your e-mail address.

 Online form

The Embassy of Switzerland in Wellington will then be able to change your address for the mailing of:

• Swiss Review
• Voting material
• Voluntary Old Age Insurance Scheme
• Solidarity Fund

 
Since 1992 Swiss citizens living abroad have the possibility to participate in the political life in Switzerland. Over the years, more than 475'000 compatriots have registered and are representing now the voting power of a medium sized canton.

Only a few countries in the world have such far reaching rights of co-determination for its citizens living abroad as Switzerland. The long democratic tradition and the comparatively small size, both in terms of geography and population, are decisive in ensuring the proper functioning of this particular form of State. All Swiss citizens over the age of 18 may take part in elections to the National Council both actively and passively; in other words, they may cast their votes and also stand for election themselves.

At a time when Switzerland faces increasingly complex choices, especially in international affairs, domestic political debate can be enriched by contributions from all the communities which make up our country. And that includes the large community of the Swiss abroad.

We therefore like to encourage you to actively participate in the federal elections and in referenda.

 
In accordance with Swiss law, every Swiss male must fulfil military service obligations from the age of 20. This principle also applies to Swiss men who reside abroad. However, allowance is made for their particular situation and the military obligations of Swiss nationals living abroad are governed by separate regulations.

"Auslandurlaub"
Swiss men who are subject to military service obligations and who live abroad for an uninterrupted period of more than 12 months require an "Auslandurlaub" (exemption from service while abroad). They must apply for this from the relevant District Command (Kreiskommando) and then notify the Section Controller (Sektionskontrollführer) of their departure. The service booklet is deposited with the District Commander. Persons living abroad who are in possession of these papers are exempt from military service for the duration of the period spent abroad. Every Swiss male who does not fulfil his military obligations, or only partially fulfils them, through military service must pay a duty in place of military service. When exemption papers are issued, a adequate duty is levied from the District Command.

In principle Swiss men in possession of the appropriate exemption are obliged to register abroad until the end of the calendar year in which they have lived abroad for an uninterrupted period of three years. They must register in person or in writing with the Swiss diplomatic post responsible for their place of residence one month at the latest after their departure from Switzerland. If the period abroad does not exceed 2 years the person may remain registered with the Section Controller.

Young Swiss registered abroad
Young Swiss men registered with the relevant diplomatic post are required to register individually in the year in which they reach their 18th birthday. If they can show that they have lived abroad for more than 3 years they receive a fact sheet on military service (Wehrpflichtblatt) which informs them of their military obligations, particularly if they take up residence in Switzerland. As long as they live abroad, they do not have any military obligations.