In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in Switzerland, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Switzerland.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Switzerland does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Switzerland, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Switzerland

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Swiss capital, Bern hosts 88 embassies.

There are also 230 consulates and five other representations in Switzerland: the European Union, Palestine and Taiwan’s Representative Offices in Bern, as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan’s Trade offices.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Bern, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of Switzerland and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Switzerland. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometimes other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in Bern

China

Embassy of China in Switzerland
Address: Kalcheggweg 10, 3006 Berne
Tel: (+41) 31 351 4573
E-Mail: bern@csm.mfa.gov.cn
Social Media: https://twitter.com/ChinaEmbinCH
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08h30 - 12h00 and 14h30 - 17h30

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as document authentication and legalization processing, as well as notary certification and marriage registration, visa affairs, and consular protection to all Chinese living abroad.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Bern, China has other honorary consulates in Zurich (chinaconsul_zu_ch@mfa.gov.cn)

France

French Embassy in Switzerland
Address: Schosshaldenstrasse 46, 3006 Berne
Tel: (+41) 31 359 21 11
E-Mail: chancellerie.berne-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/FranceenSuisse/ and https://twitter.com/FranceenSuisse
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8h30 - 12h30 and 14h00 - 17h30

The French General Consulate in Switzerland provides reception of the public (consular affairs), register of French nationals established outside France, identity cards and passports, civil status: marriages, births ..., other steps (legalization of signature, driver's license...), elections, national service and assembly of French nationals abroad.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Bern, France has other honorary consulates in Zurich (contact.zurich-cslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr), Geneva (info@consulfrance-geneve.org), Lucerne, Lugano and Basil.

Germany

Embassy of Germany in Switzerland
Address: Willadingweg 83, 3006 Berne
Tel: (+41) 31 359 41 11 / 31 359 42 26
E-Mail: info@bern.diplo.de
Social Media: https://twitter.com/botschaftbern, https://www.facebook.com/AuswaertigesAmt/ and https://www.instagram.com/deutschebotschaftbern/
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday from 8h15-12h30 and 13h30-16h30; Friday from 8h15 to 12h30

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Switzerland provides passports and ID cards’ services, nationality, family and inheritance matters, criminal records, visa and entry, lawyers, doctors and translators and customs service, etc.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Bern, Germany has other honorary consulates in Basel (basel@hk-diplo.de), Genf (genf@hk-diplo.de), Zurich (zuerich@hk-diplo.de), Lugano (lugano@hk-diplo.de) and Liechtenstein (Balzers@hk-diplo.de).          

Russia

Embassy of Russia in Switzerland
Embassy:
Address: Brunnadernrain 37, 3006 Berne
Tel: (+41) 31 352 05 66
E-Mail: embassy.bern@mid.ru  
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday: from 8.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 18.00, and Friday: from 8.00 to 14.00 (excluding Russian holidays)

Consulate:
Address: Brunnadernstrasse 53, 3006 Berne
Tel: (+41) 31 352 05 67
E-Mail: consbern@mid.ru
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/russembbern/ and https://twitter.com/RusEmbSwiss and https://www.facebook.com/RusEmbSwiss/
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday from 8:00am to 1:00pm, and Friday from 8:00am to 02:00pm

For services such as issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation, visa and passport processing as well as document legalization, it is requested to visit the Consular Section under appointment.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Bern, Russia has another honorary consulate in Geneva.         

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

British Embassy in Switzerland
Address: Thunstrasse 50, 3005 Berne
P.O. Box 134, 3006
Tel: (+41) 31 359 77 00
E-Mail: info.berne@fco.gov.uk
Social Media: https://twitter.com/UKEmbassyBerne and https://www.facebook.com/ukembassyberne/
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 09h00 - 12h30 and 13h30 - 16h30

The British Embassy in Switzerland provides services to British nationals living in and visiting the country. Some of the services are: emergency travel document replacement, notarial and documentary services, marriage, consular fees, etc.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Switzerland
Address: Sulgeneckstrasse 19, 3007 Bern
P.O. Box 3259, 3001 Bern
Tel: (+41) 31 357 70 11
E-Mail: BernACS@state.gov
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/USBotschaftBern and https://www.instagram.com/usembassybern/ and https://twitter.com/USEmbassyBern
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m

The US representation in Switzerland provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services, assistance on death of a U.S. Citizen and emergency financial assistance, etc.

Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Bern, the USA has nother honorary consulates in Geneva and Zurich.  

Honorary Consulates in Switzerland

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Switzerland, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Berlin, in Germany; Paris in France or Brussels in Belgium for Switzerland.

Honorary Consulates in Bern

• Australia (bern.embassy@dfat.gov.au)
• Belgium (bern@diplobel.fed.be)
• Brazil
• Croatia (crocons.bern@mvep.hr)
• Denmark
• Finland (info.bern@gov.fi)
• Italy (berna.ambasciata@esteri.it)
• Japan (consularsection@br.mofa.go.jp)
• Mexico (informacionsui@sre.gob.mx)
• Singapore (MFA_GVA_WTO@mfa.gov.sg)

Honorary Consulates in Geneva

• Australia (australian.consulate-geneva@dfat.gov.au)
• Belgium (consulat.belgique.geneve@gmail.com)
• Brazil
• Italy (con.ginevra@cert.esteri.it)
• Japan (consulate@br.mofa.go.jp)
• Mexico (consulatdegeneve@consulmex.ch)

Honorary Consulates in Lugano

• Belgium
• Croatia
• Finland
• Italy (consolato.lugano@esteri.it)
• Mexico

Honorary Consulates in Zurich

• Belgium
• Brazil
• Croatia (crocons.zurich@mvep.hr)
• Denmark (zurich@umgate.dk)
• Finland
• Italy (segreteria.zurigo@esteri.it)
• Japan
• Mexico (consulmexicozurich@bluewin.ch)

Honorary Consulates in Basel

• Belgium
• Denmark (basel@dk-konsulat.ch)
• Italy (segreteria.basilea@esteri.it)
• Mexico