Dear Swiss citizens
Many Swiss passports expire this year or will expire in the next two years. The Swiss authorities have already noticed a strong increase in applications for new passports and expect an even stronger increase for 2014 and 2015.
The Embassy has been informed that due to these increasing numbers some passport offices in Switzerland are not able to process the passport applications immediately. There are significant waiting periods for an appointment to record the biometric data (necessary to get a new passport). If you choose to have your biometric data taken at a passport office in Switzerland, it is therefore imperative that you apply for a new passport well in advance.
Your biometric data can, of course, furthermore be recorded at the Swiss Embassy in Wellington. So far, there are no waiting periods at the Swiss Embassy in Wellington.
Whether you want to have your biometric data recorded at the Swiss Embassy in Wellington or at a passport office in Switzerland, you must always apply to the Swiss Embassyin Wellington for a new passport.
