Carefree travel with the FDFA's new Travel Admin app
Bern, 21.09.2019 - On 21 September, the FDFA launched its new Travel Admin app for Swiss nationals travelling or living abroad. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis took part in the app's official launch in Zurich Airport's main departure terminal and tried it out himself before boarding a flight to the United States. The app is designed to help Swiss citizens plan their stays abroad and to enable the authorities to reach them in the event of a crisis or disaster.
Who hasn't run into some unexpected difficulty while travelling abroad? What do I do if I lose my passport? Is the country I'm travelling safe? Who should I contact if I have an accident? These are some of the questions people ask before or while travelling.
Every year, the Swiss make over 16 million trips involving at least one overnight stay in another country. Some 760,000 Swiss nationals live abroad. The FDFA offers a wide range of services for all Swiss nationals travelling or living in a foreign land. The FDFA Helpline, for example, is available around the clock, 365 days a year. Travel advice on every country in the world is updated regularly and published online. This and other useful information can now also be accessed via the new Travel Admin app, which the FDFA launched in Zurich Airport on 21 September 2019.
Before boarding a flight for the United States, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, and Johannes Matyassy, head of the FDFA's Consular Directorate, tried out the Travel Admin app at the official launch.
"Offering Swiss citizens travelling or living abroad good and easily accessible services via the latest digital technologies is a key priority for the FDFA, and it is very important to me personally," said Mr Cassis. "This new app is an excellent way to connect Swiss citizens with the FDFA and their government. And to make them even prouder of their country," he added.
The Travel Admin app is designed to help Swiss citizens plan their stays abroad and to enable the authorities to reach them in the event of a crisis or disaster. When you are planning to travel abroad, use the app to stay up to date with the latest developments in the country you will be visiting. You can also make what-to-pack and to-do lists to prepare for your trip, register important documents like your insurance policies and driving licence, and check the addresses of Swiss representations worldwide. The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple Store or Google Play.
To help Swiss travellers and Swiss citizens living abroad find useful information more easily, the FDFA will also be going live with a new homepage on 23 September 2019.
A global network of representations at the service of Swiss citizens
The FDFA also provides assistance to Swiss citizens abroad through its network of representations. Last year, for example, Swiss representations issued over 60,000 identity documents, 1,700 temporary passports and 1,000 laissez-passer (for lost or stolen passports). In addition, the FDFA also handled some 55,000 civil status files (marriages, births, deaths and document authentications, etc.) and over 1,800 consular cases (accidents, illnesses, crisis assistance, etc.).
The FDFA wishes you a safe and pleasant trip abroad.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Documents
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
