Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney

Publication

The dossier is intended for people who leave Switzerland to take up permanent residence in another country and work abroad.

Dossier: Living and working in Australia (PDF, Number of pages 30, 1.2 MB, French)

Other languages

Dossier: Leben und Arbeiten in Australien
Dossier: Vivere e lavorare in Australia

Services

Contact the local Swiss representative or consulate when you have moved to the Consular District of this Consulate General and want to register or unregister as a resident, when you need a new passport, have moved or changed contact details or wish to apply for Swiss citizenship. The entire selection of services offered can be found in the dropdown menu to the right.

Swiss citizens who get into difficulties abroad can also ask for advice and help from the Swiss representative.

The magazine for the Swiss Abroad appears six times a year and provides information about what is happening at home and the activities of Swiss associations abroad. It also answers administrative questions.

Online desk FDFA

Using the FDFA’s online consular services while abroad.

The relevant Swiss representation abroad can answer any questions concerning the FDFA’s online desk.

The Consulate General premises in Sydney © FDFA

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

The Embassy and the Consulate General strive to provide Swiss citizens with the most recent information. However, please note that regulations can change quickly and sometimes without prior notice.

The Embassy and the Consulate General are aware of the difficult situation that many of our citizens currently encounter. We are making every effort to respond to your inquiries quickly. We are open Monday to Friday, 09.00h to 12.00h. Please contact us for an appointment (by calling 02 8383 4000 or by writing an e-mail to sydney@eda.admin.ch). Please also consult this website for new information regularly.

The Swiss government recommends that Swiss travellers abroad return home as soon as possible. Different commercial flights are available from Australia (Qatar, Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines). Please check with the airline directly or get in touch with your travel agent.

We advise all Swiss citizens in Australia to comply with the recommendations and regulations of the competent local authorities, the Department of Health and the Department of Home Affairs. Please keep yourself updated. Be aware that Australian citizens (including dual-nationals) and permanent residents need to secure a travel exemption from the Australian Border Force (ABF) Commissioner before they can leave Australia.

Please be advised that entry to Australia is currently only possible for Australian nationals and for permanent residents.

For more information about Australian border restrictions, please check the following website: covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au

Please also follow the travel advice "Focus novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)” of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Thank you for your understanding in these extraordinary circumstances worldwide.

Quarantine requirements

Please note that there have been numerous instances of people infected with the new coronavirus entering Switzerland. As a consequence, people arriving in or returning to Switzerland from certain countries may be required to go into quarantine.

For further information and a current list of the relevant countries, please
consult the website of the Federal Office of Public Health: www.bag.admin.ch

Anyone who evades quarantine commits an offence under the Epidemics Act and may be fined up to CHF 10,000.

Important information "Visa for Switzerland”

Australia is no longer on the list of high risk countries of the Swiss Government. Therefore Australian nationals, as well as permanent residents (as long as they have the necessary Schengen visa), are again allowed to enter Switzerland for a short stay of up to 90 days.

Non-risk countries are:

Schengen States:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

as well as some smaller EU and European countries and other third countries according to the list on: entry restrictions to third countries

All other countries are still considered high risk and entry restrictions continue to apply to people entering Switzerland from these countries.

Short-term visa applications for tourism, visits or business are therefore accepted and processed (permanent residents only!). Please note, that visas for Hungary are not processed until further notice. Long term National visas D (study, work & family reunion) are processed and applications are accepted.
All foreign nationals who are already holders of a Swiss residency permit can enter Switzerland upon presentation of their valid residency permit.
Swiss citizens, citizens of EU/EFTA countries as well as British citizens can enter Switzerland at any time.

For updates on the situation please check the following link: Corona: Questions and answers on entry and stay in Switzerland, the exceptions and suspension of visas