Information for the Swiss abroad regarding Covid-19 vaccine

Dear Swiss Compatriots

Please be informed that the import of vaccines is governed by the legal framework of the respective host country. A vaccine must be approved by the health authorities of the host country and can only then be administered to the population through the designated - officially approved - distribution channels (doctors, hospitals, laboratories etc.). It is therefore not possible at present in South Africa to order a vaccine from Switzerland and then distribute it through the Embassy or Consulate General to the Swiss residents in South Africa. 

Swiss nationals abroad not covered by a Swiss health insurance policy should contact their local health insurance provider to find out about the vaccination policy in their host country.                                                         Swiss nationals insured under the Swiss compulsory health insurance (basic insurance) with a Swiss provider can be vaccinated in Switzerland; please contact directly your health insurance provider and/or General Practitioner (doctor) in Switzerland.

More information on COVID-19 vaccination can be found on the FOPH webpages: Coronavirus: Vaccination & Protect yourself and others: Vaccination

Consular Services

In view of the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Regional Consular Centre (RCC) in Pretoria has adapted its activities and opening hours.

The reception desk of the RCC  is now again open from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 12:00. An appointment must be arranged previously for passport application, marriage preparation and application for Swiss citizenship. 

Passport/ID card applications: the RCC is now in a position to process passport/ID card applications again. Applications will be processed in order of receipt. Please submit your online applicaiton on www.schweizerpass.ch and wait until you receive the invitation to book an appointment.

Life and marital status certificates for the AVS/AHV: for the time being, all life and marital status certificates can be signed by the pensioners themselves and returned by E-mail to the Swiss Compensation Office (SCO) in Geneva without an official stamp: sedmaster@zas.admin.ch; together with a copy of a valid identity document. If you haven't received the life certificate, you may download it here. For foreign pensioners: as soon as the situation allows, the SCO in Geneva requires a life certificate confirmed by a recognized authority. The concerned persons will receive a letter to this effect aft ther SCO has received the self-declaration. There is currently no time limit, as the situation varies from country to country. For further questions, you may also contact the SCO by phone: +41 58 461 91 11.

The RCC in Pretoria appreciates your understanding in these challenging times.

COVID-19, Travel to Switzerland and information on the situation and measures in South Africa

For more information please click here

Services and visa

All consular services for the South African provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West and Free State, as well as for the states of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, have been provided by the Regional Consular Centre Southern Africa in Pretoria, which is attached to the local Embassy of Switzerland.

The Consulate General in Cape Town continues to be responsible for the South African provinces of the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

All Visa applications are handled by the Regional Consular Center Southern Africa in Pretoria.

Information can be found on the websites concerned:

Services – South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius
Visa – South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius

Angola
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
Zambia
Zimbabwe