Switzerland is betting on digital tools to future-proof its global citizen services. On 19 December the Federal Council adopted the country’s inaugural Consular Strategy covering 2026-29, published on 20 December by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The four-pillar plan—prevention, emergency protection, administrative services and visa processing—aims to reposition Swiss embassies as agile service hubs in an era of heightened geopolitical risk and record mobility.
Swiss representations already handle some 700,000 visa applications a year, assist 800,000 citizens abroad and underpin more than 12 million Swiss trips. Under the strategy, embassies will pilot AI-driven crisis-messaging, introduce mobile-first passport renewals and install biometric kiosks that feed data directly into the EU’s Entry/Exit System, cutting counter time for applicants.
For travellers and companies looking to navigate this new digital consular landscape, specialist facilitators like VisaHQ offer a valuable shortcut. Via its Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) the platform provides end-to-end visa support, document pre-screening and real-time status alerts, helping applicants comply with stricter biometric and data-protection rules while minimising embassy visits.
![Switzerland Launches First-Ever Consular Strategy to Digitise Visas and Crisis Support (2026-29)]()
Business is a central audience. The FDFA pledges faster turnaround for work-authorisation letters and clearer escalation channels when expatriate staff require emergency evacuation. Industry federations welcomed the move but cautioned that fee structures must remain competitive with neighbouring Schengen states to avoid discouraging investment.
For corporate mobility teams the message is to prepare for greater self-service. Digital document upload and real-time tracking dashboards will become the norm, reducing courier costs but raising cybersecurity questions that HR-IT departments must address. The FDFA says data protection will follow Switzerland’s stringent standards and will be audited annually.
The roll-out will start with 15 ‘innovation posts’, including Bern’s busiest visa sections in Beijing, New Delhi and São Paulo, before global expansion in 2028. Feedback mechanisms, including public score-cards, will allow companies and travellers to rate service quality—a first for Swiss consular affairs.
Swiss representations already handle some 700,000 visa applications a year, assist 800,000 citizens abroad and underpin more than 12 million Swiss trips. Under the strategy, embassies will pilot AI-driven crisis-messaging, introduce mobile-first passport renewals and install biometric kiosks that feed data directly into the EU’s Entry/Exit System, cutting counter time for applicants.
For travellers and companies looking to navigate this new digital consular landscape, specialist facilitators like VisaHQ offer a valuable shortcut. Via its Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) the platform provides end-to-end visa support, document pre-screening and real-time status alerts, helping applicants comply with stricter biometric and data-protection rules while minimising embassy visits.
Business is a central audience. The FDFA pledges faster turnaround for work-authorisation letters and clearer escalation channels when expatriate staff require emergency evacuation. Industry federations welcomed the move but cautioned that fee structures must remain competitive with neighbouring Schengen states to avoid discouraging investment.
For corporate mobility teams the message is to prepare for greater self-service. Digital document upload and real-time tracking dashboards will become the norm, reducing courier costs but raising cybersecurity questions that HR-IT departments must address. The FDFA says data protection will follow Switzerland’s stringent standards and will be audited annually.
The roll-out will start with 15 ‘innovation posts’, including Bern’s busiest visa sections in Beijing, New Delhi and São Paulo, before global expansion in 2028. Feedback mechanisms, including public score-cards, will allow companies and travellers to rate service quality—a first for Swiss consular affairs.
