Registering with your own embassy or consulate in Switzerland

Last checked: 10 October 2026. Unofficial student guide, not EPFL or government advice: confirm on the linked official pages before you act. Unfamiliar abbreviation? See the Glossary.

Why it helps to let your own country's embassy or consulate know you live in Vaud, and what it usually handles for you: consular registration, voting from abroad, passport renewal and help in an emergency. Every country runs its own rules, so this page stays general and points you to the official Swiss directory of foreign representations.

Key facts

• Your own country, not Switzerland, provides consular services. The Swiss foreign ministry (FDFA) says consular services are provided by the representations in Switzerland of the country concerned, and it links their addresses.
• Registration is a home-country procedure. Whether it is compulsory, optional or online-only depends on your country. To verify with your embassy or consulate.
• Your passport matters for your Swiss permit. Permit renewals in Vaud ask for a valid passport or (EU/EFTA) national ID, so plan passport renewal well before it expires: see B permit renewal in Vaud.
• Lost or stolen passport? That has its own page: Lost passport, ID or permit card.

1. Find the right office

Use the FDFA page Foreign Representations in Switzerland. It links the addresses of other countries' representations in Switzerland.

• Many countries have an embassy in Bern and one or more consulates (some in Geneva or Zurich, some honorary). Check which office covers residents of Vaud for your country.
• Honorary consulates often offer only limited services (for example no passport issuing). To verify for your country.
• Note the address, phone number and emergency number of your office in your phone.

2. Consular registration: why it helps

Many countries invite or require citizens living abroad to register with their embassy or consulate (sometimes called a consular register, matricule or overseas registration). Typical reasons, depending on your country:

• Emergencies: your country can contact you or your family in a crisis.
• Documents: some consulates only renew passports or issue civil-status papers for registered residents.
• Voting from abroad: some countries use the consular register as your electoral roll abroad.
• Proof of residence abroad: your home authorities may ask for a consular certificate (for example for tax, military service or pension questions at home).

Whether registration is compulsory, which documents you need and whether you must deregister when you leave Switzerland: To verify on your country's official website.

3. Passport and ID renewal

• Start early: consular appointments can be booked out for weeks. Waiting times: To verify with your consulate.
• Keep your passport valid for your whole stay. Vaud and Lausanne permit renewal lists ask for a passport or national ID copy (B permit renewal in Vaud).
• If you get a new passport, tell your commune's residents' office (contrôle des habitants) if asked. To verify with your commune.
• Need home documents certified for Swiss use, or Swiss documents for home use? See Apostille, legalisation and translation.

4. Voting from abroad

• Elections and referendums in your home country are run by your home country. Options may include voting at the embassy or consulate, by post or online, and may require registration in advance. To verify for your country and each election.
• Voting rights in Vaud (communal level for some foreign residents) are a separate topic: see Voting as a foreigner in Vaud.

5. Emergencies

• In an emergency in Switzerland, call Swiss emergency services first, not your consulate. Emergency preparation in Vaud: Alertswiss and civil protection.
• Your embassy or consulate can usually help its citizens in serious situations such as arrest, hospitalisation or death of a relative, or a lost passport before travel. The exact services: To verify with your country.
• If someone dies in Vaud (declaration, repatriation, funerals): see When someone dies in Vaud.
• Travelling before your permit card is ready? Read Travel before your permit card before you book.

Checklist

• Find your embassy or consulate for Vaud on the FDFA page.
• Check on your country's official site whether you should register, and do it.
• Save the consulate's phone and emergency number.
• Check your passport expiry date against your permit renewal date.
• Check how to vote from abroad before the next election at home.