US embassy services in Switzerland: passports, voting and STEP

Once you live in Switzerland, the US government becomes a service provider you deal with from a distance. Passports expire, children are born, documents need notarizing, elections come around and tax returns are still due. The U.S. Embassy in Bern and two consular agencies handle most of this. This guide explains what each office does and how the main services work for residents.

Who serves you: Bern, Zurich and Geneva

The embassy describes its setup this way: Embassy Bern offers a full range of consular services to US citizens in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and many of these services are also available at the U.S. Consular Agency Zurich and the U.S. Consular Agency Geneva. All services are by appointment only. There is no walk-in service for routine matters.

One exception matters in a crisis: emergency passports are only available at the U.S. Embassy Bern. If your passport is lost or stolen just before a trip, plan to travel to Bern.

Passport services are not offered on weekends or on Swiss or US holidays, so check both holiday calendars before you book a date.

Passports for residents

Living abroad changes how you renew. The embassy states that US citizens located in Switzerland or Liechtenstein, or any other overseas location, are not eligible to renew online or by mail in the United States. You apply through the embassy instead. The embassy's passport page walks you through the main cases:

• renewing an adult passport
• renewing a child's passport for children under 16
• applying as an adult when your last passport was issued before age 16 or more than 15 years ago
• claiming US citizenship and applying for a first passport at age 18 or over
• exchanging an emergency passport for one with full validity

Requirements the embassy lists for every application:

• One photo on a white background. The embassy's photo policies apply to adults and children, with a few exceptions for infants.
• A Social Security number. Since October 1, 2016, all passport applications must include one.

The embassy also reminds dual nationals of two rules. Dual and multiple citizenship is permitted under US law, and all US citizens must enter and exit the United States using a valid US passport. Which passport to use for other countries is a question for that country's immigration authorities.

At passport and CRBA interviews, immediate family members may generally accompany applicants, all minor children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and applicants may bring an attorney.

Children born in Switzerland: the CRBA

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is, in the embassy's words, a formal document certifying that a person born abroad acquired US citizenship at birth through a US citizen parent or parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The embassy describes the process as simple: you gather the required documents and submit them online, followed by an appointment. The application must be submitted before the child's 18th birthday. The embassy's CRBA guidance is grounded in two principles of US citizenship law it describes: jus soli, the right of birthplace under the 14th Amendment, and jus sanguinis, the right of blood. A child born in Switzerland can only acquire US citizenship through the second, which is why the parents' eligibility to transmit citizenship is the heart of the application.

Families with questions about adoption, international child support or giving birth in Switzerland will find further topics on the embassy's citizen services pages.

Notarial services

Notary services at Embassy Bern, Consular Agency Zurich and Consular Agency Geneva are available for all nationalities, by appointment only. The embassy is explicit that it does not provide notary services on an emergency or walk-in basis, and you must come with all documents properly prepared for the notary to sign.

Voting from Switzerland

You keep your right to vote in US federal elections while living abroad. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) explains the process:

1. Complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). It registers you and requests your absentee ballot.
2. Print, sign and return the FPCA to your local US election office.
3. Include your email address so election officials can reach you if there is a problem. If your state delivers ballots electronically only by fax, include a fax number.

Depending on your state, you may receive your ballot by email, fax or internet download.

Taxes and Social Security

The embassy's citizen services page states that US citizens and green card holders are responsible for filing US federal income tax returns while abroad, and points to the IRS website for guidance. The IRS gives citizens living abroad an automatic two-month extension to June 15 to file, but you still pay interest on any tax not paid by the regular April 15 due date. If a due date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day.

For Social Security questions, the embassy directs residents of Switzerland to the Social Security Administration's Federal Benefits Unit, which can also help veterans and beneficiaries with benefit questions.

Keeping a US address

US banks, brokerages, card issuers and state agencies often insist on a US mailing address. A virtual mailbox such as iPostal1 gives you a US street address that scans incoming mail so you can read it from Switzerland. Check with each institution whether it accepts that address type before you change your records.

STEP: let the embassy find you

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is the State Department's free enrollment service. Signing up sends you the embassy's security updates and helps the embassy contact you in an emergency. Residents should keep their Swiss address and phone number up to date in STEP.

Emergency contacts

For an emergency involving a US citizen, such as an accident, arrest, violence or a death, the embassy lists 24/7 lines: +1-202-501-4444 from abroad and +1-888-407-4747 from the US and Canada.

Quick reference

• Routine services: Bern, Zurich or Geneva, by appointment.
• Emergency passports: Bern only.
• Passport renewal: through the embassy, not by mail to the US.
• CRBA: before the child turns 18.
• Notarials: by appointment, documents prepared, unsigned.
• Voting: FPCA via FVAP.
• Security alerts: STEP.

Common questions

Can I renew my US passport by mail from Switzerland? Not through the US domestic process. The embassy states that US citizens located in Switzerland are not eligible to renew online or by mail in the United States; you apply through Embassy Bern or the consular agencies.

Where can I get an emergency passport in Switzerland? Only at the U.S. Embassy in Bern. The consular agencies in Zurich and Geneva do not issue emergency passports.

Is there a deadline for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad? Yes. The application must be submitted before the child's 18th birthday.

How do I vote in US elections from Switzerland? Complete a Federal Post Card Application through FVAP, sign it and send it to your local election office. Your state then sends your ballot by email, fax or download.

Can I walk in to the embassy for a notarization? No. Notary services in Bern, Zurich and Geneva are by appointment only, never on an emergency or walk-in basis, and your documents must be fully prepared.