Published on 19 January 2026

Consular assistance: emergencies abroad

Swiss and Liechtenstein nationals facing serious difficulties abroad may seek advice and assistance from the Swiss representations or the FDFA Helpline. However, the FDFA will only provide assistance if the individuals concerned have taken all reasonable steps to deal with the situation by financial means or by making appropriate arrangements.

The Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) is specialist service offering immediate support and assistance to tourists who are victimised while visiting Ireland.

The Service is free and confidential:. http://itas.ie/

The FDFA strongly recommends that Swiss and Liechtenstein nationals travelling abroad take out insurance providing rescue, medical, repatriation, body repatriation and legal cover. Basic health insurance does not normally cover such costs abroad.

Trips can also be logged in the FDFA's Travel Admin app, which enables the FDFA to contact travellers, for example in the event of a crisis abroad. Travellers are also strongly advised to check the FDFA's travel advice (German, French, Italian) and to respect local law.

The FDFA can provide assistance to individuals abroad under the Swiss Abroad Act if they cannot reasonably be expected or are not in a position to safeguard their interests on their own initiative or with the help of third parties. Individuals are therefore expected to assume personal responsibility, which means making every effort to seek assistance locally (police, ambulance and medical services, banks, etc.) or claim on their insurance where possible.

The FDFA can only provide consular assistance if the individuals concerned have taken all reasonable steps to deal with the situation by financial means or by making appropriate arrangements. There is no legal entitlement to assistance. If, in an emergency, affected individuals have taken all reasonable measures to help themselves, the relevant Swiss representation (embassy, consulate general or regional consular centre) will discuss ways to assist with the individuals concerned. In order to provide assistance, representations must be able to cooperate constructively with the individuals affected. The assistance provided by the FDFA will depend on individual needs, local conditions and the legal position.

• Services that may be provided by the FDFA (through the local Swiss representation)

  • Loss of passport or identity card: issuing a temporary travel document
  • Sickness and accident: contact details for emergency and medical services, information regarding insurance cover, undertaking to pay hospital costs, etc., notification of relatives, assistance with medical repatriation
  • Death of a Swiss national while travelling outside their country of residence: assistance with the next steps (e.g. notifying relatives, dealing with the authorities and insurance companies, obtaining death certificates or police or autopsy reports, referrals to undertakers, arranging cremations or burials abroad)
    Information sheet on deaths abroad (German, French, Italian)
  • Detention: informing detainees regarding their right to a proper defence, options to transfer the detainee to Switzerland, social security issues and health risks. Ensuring humane treatment in detention, procedural guarantees and the right to a proper defence, visits by the representation and, where required, notifying relatives or specific third parties.
    Individuals detained abroad have the right to have the relevant Swiss representation informed of their detention.
  • Temporary financial difficulties while travelling: advice on transferring money from Switzerland to other countries, offering travellers a repayable emergency loan to pay for their trip home, providing interim assistance until they can return home at the earliest opportunity, or assistance with hospital and medical costs.
  • Legal proceedings abroad: recommending a local lawyer or other legal professional
  • Consular assistance may also be provided, for example,
    • in the form of advice to the relatives of missing persons,
    • to victims of crime, crisis situations, acts of kidnapping and hostage-taking, and
    • in the event of the abduction of children to countries not party to the Hague Convention.

• Obligation to cover costs

  A fee is generally charged for consular services (FDFA Fees Ordinance (German, French, Italian)):

  • Fees are charged on a time-spent basis (CHF 150 per hour). In cases of financial hardship or for other important reasons, for example where assistance is provided to victims of serious crime, fees may be deferred, reduced or waived.
  • Other expenses incurred in connection with providing the service, e.g. communication and transmission costs, are repayable to the representation.

• Limits to consular assistance

  The FDFA respects the sovereignty and legal systems of receiving states. Consular assistance does not therefore include the following:

  • Bringing about the release of detainees, intervening in legal proceedings abroad, monitoring trials, paying legal fees, bail or fines.
  • Acting as an emergency response centre to save people at risk of death or injury.
  • Initiating police investigations and enquiries, and search and rescue operations.
  • Providing medical care and treatment, giving medical advice.
  • In general, acting as a travel agency, for example arranging onward travel if journeys are disrupted due to strikes, demonstrations, landslides, flooding, etc. In situations like these, travellers must contact the local authorities responsible or their tour operator regarding alternative travel arrangements or, if necessary, wait until the local authorities restore services.
  • Paying debts or paying for holidays to be extended.
  • Issuing duplicate driving licences and vehicle papers.
  • Issuing passports abroad at airports.
  • Obtaining entry visas or exit permits for other countries.

Exclusion of liability

The FDFA's travel advice is based on information and sources that are deemed to be reliable. It is intended to help individuals planning to travel abroad. However, the FDFA's travel advice does not exempt travellers from their responsibility to make decisions, prepare for and undertake trips.

Dangerous situations are often unpredictable and chaotic and may change very quickly. The FDFA makes no warranty that its travel advice is complete or that any information accessed from links to external websites is accurate. It accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered in connection with a trip. Claims resulting from cancellation must be submitted directly to the travel agency or insurance company.

Links

• Tips and advice in pocket format (German, French, Italian)
• General travel advice (German, French, Italian)
• Federal Act of 26 September 2014 on Swiss Persons and Institutions Abroad (Swiss Abroad Act, SAA, SR 195.1)
• Ordinance of 7 October 2015 on Swiss Persons and Institutions Abroad (Swiss Abroad Ordinance, SAO, SR 195.11)
• Ordinance of 7 October 2015 on the Fees Charged by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA Fees Ordinance, FeeO-FDFA, SR 191.11)

Documents

• Travel checklist (German, French, Italian)

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