What this is about — and what it is not about

Foreign nationals in Switzerland who do not possess a valid travel document from their country of origin — whether because they are stateless, because they have lost the protection of their country of origin as recognised refugees, or because their country of origin does not issue travel documents or obtaining them would be unreasonable — can apply to the Swiss authorities for three different types of travel document. The document to which they are entitled depends on their residence status and the requirements of the RDV (SR 143.5).

This file describes:

  • the three types of document (travel document for refugees, passport for foreign nationals, identity card) and their legal basis,
  • the eligibility and issuance requirements for each document type,
  • the application procedure at the SEM,
  • the fees and period of validity,
  • the restrictions (e.g. travel ban to the country of persecution, visa requirement for third-country nationals).
  • the consequences of a refusal and the possibility of appeal.

What this file is NOT:

  • no advice on choosing the appropriate document type for a specific individual,
  • no guidance on obtaining a visa in a third country,
  • no advice on travel strategies (in particular, in cases where removal is imminent),
  • no statement on whether obtaining a home country passport is "unreasonable" (individual assessment by the SEM).

1. The three types of document — who receives which

Document Type A — Travel document for refugees (Geneva passport)

Legal basis: Art. 28 of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees in conjunction with Art. 59 AsylA and Art. 3 RDV.

Eligibility requirements: recognised refugee status with:

  • B permit for refugees (Art. 60 AsylA), or
  • C settlement permit for refugees (Art. 60 AsylA after settlement).

Persons with F provisional admission (recognised refugees who have not been granted asylum due to subjective reasons for subsequent flight or protection clauses) are also entitled to a travel document for refugees according to Art. 3 RDV, provided that the refugee status has been formally recognised.

Validity: generally 5 years.

Travel restriction (mandatory): According to Art. 5 RDV in conjunction with Article 28 of the Geneva Convention, the travel document for refugees does not apply to travel to the country of persecution (country of origin). Travel to the country of origin regularly leads to the revocation of refugee status according to Art. 1 C No. 1 of the Geneva Convention or Art. 63 AsylA.

Document type B — Passport for foreign nationals (stateless person’s passport / replacement passport)

Legal basis: Art. 4 RDV and Art. 28 of the 1954 New York Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (for recognised stateless persons).

Conditions for entitlement and discretionary powers:

The passport for foreign nationals is issued to persons residing in Switzerland who:

a) are stateless within the meaning of the 1954 New York Convention and hold a Swiss residence permit — entitlement;

b) are considered without documents within the meaning of Art. 10 RDV (no valid travel document from their country of origin and obtaining one is not possible or reasonable due to objective circumstances) and hold a Swiss residence permit B, C, F (provisional admission) or Ci — at the discretion of the SEM;

c) who are provisionally admitted in Switzerland (F status) but do not meet the criteria for refugee status — discretion of the SEM.

Lack of valid travel documents (Art. 10 RDV): A person is considered to lack valid travel documents if they do not possess a valid travel document from their country of origin and it is unreasonable to expect them to obtain such a document from the authorities of their country of origin (in particular because of imminent danger or objective impossibility). The assessment of whether it is unreasonable to expect them to obtain such a document is the responsibility of the SEM and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Validity: generally 5 years, but may be shorter in justified cases.

Travel restrictions: Travel to the country of origin is formally permitted (for holders of a foreigner’s passport who do not have refugee status), but depending on the residence status, travel to the country of origin may jeopardise the residence status (in particular for persons with provisional admission status, where the reason for their protection is the impossibility of returning to their country of origin).

Document type C — identity document for foreign nationals

Legal basis: Art. 13 RDV.

Conditions for entitlement:

The identity card is issued to persons residing in Switzerland who:

a) are without identification documents within the meaning of Art. 10 RDV, but do not meet the requirements for a passport for foreign nationals – e.g. in cases where identity has not yet been conclusively established;

b) require travel documents for a one-off, temporary trip (e.g. urgent family or business matter).

Validity: generally short-term and limited to the specific purpose of the trip.

Visa requirement: The identity card is not recognised as a standard passport by most third countries; therefore, a visa is required, and prior contact with the embassy of the destination country is usually necessary.

2. Application procedure — step by step

Competent authority: the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Travel Documents Section. Applications are generally submitted in person at a cantonal passport office or at the SEM headquarters in Wabern; biometric data (fingerprints, facial image) is collected on site.

Outline of the procedure:

  1. Make an appointment at the cantonal passport office or via the SEM online portal.
  2. Complete the application form (SEM form "Application for the issue of a travel document for foreign nationals") and, if desired, submit it electronically.
  3. Personal appearance for biometric data capture (fingerprints from age 12; facial image for all applicants).
  4. Submission of documents (see below).
  5. Payment of fees in advance or upon delivery.
  6. Processing time: generally 10–15 working days after the complete application has been submitted; in the case of a review for lack of documents, up to 8 weeks.
  7. Delivery of the document by registered post or for collection at the passport office.

Document Checklist (general, varying depending on the document type):

  • valid foreign national’s identity document (B, C, F, Ci, A),
  • Birth certificate or equivalent document proving civil status,
  • Proof of lack of official documents (in the case of a passport for foreign nationals / identity document) — e.g. negative confirmation from the embassy of the country of origin that no travel document has been or can be issued; correspondence with the embassy of the country of origin; address of the embassy outside Switzerland, if the country of origin does not have an embassy in Switzerland.
  • for recognised refugees: asylum decision by the SEM or equivalent proof of refugee status,
  • for stateless persons: recognition decision by the SEM pursuant to Art. 31 IPRG in conjunction with the 1954 New York Convention, or evidence of statelessness (birth and residence documents, proof of lack of nationality).
  • current biometric passport photo (one will be taken on site; the one you bring is a spare photo).

3. Fees (as of 01.01.2024)

The following fees are governed by Art. 17 RDV:

Document typeAdultsChildren (< 18)
Travel document for refugees (5 years)CHF 90CHF 50
Passport for foreign nationals (5 years)CHF 145CHF 50
Identity card (short-term)CHF 90CHF 50
Express procedure+ CHF 60+ CHF 60

The fees are paid in advance. In the event of a rejected application, the fees are generally not refunded.

4. Travel restrictions and visa requirements — what holders need to know

Freedom of movement within the EU/EFTA: Holders of a Swiss travel document with a valid Swiss B, C, F or Ci residence permit are entitled to visa-free travel for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days in the Schengen area (Schengen Code). For stays of more than 90 days, the national immigration regulations of the destination country apply.

Travel to third countries: Most third countries require a visa, which must be applied for in advance at the relevant foreign embassy or consulate. Recognition of the travel document (in particular, the identity card) is not guaranteed in all third countries; it is recommended to clarify this in advance with the embassy of the destination country.

Travel to the country of origin — STRICT:

  • Recognised refugees (travel document type A) are not allowed to travel to their country of origin; a trip to their country of origin regularly leads to the revocation of their refugee status (Art. 63 AsylA).
  • Holders of an F permit with grounds for protection due to persecution should clarify their return journey to their home country with the cantonal migration office in advance; failure to do so may result in the revocation of the provisional admission.
  • Holders of B/C permits who are not asylum seekers are not subject to any statutory restrictions on returning to their home country, but they are bound by the absence rules applicable to their residence status (Art. 61 AIG: permit expires if absent for more than 6 months without notification).

5. Refusal and appeal

A refusal to issue a travel document is communicated in the form of a ruling by the SEM, which is subject to appeal. The most common reasons for refusal are:

  • Lack of documentation regarding inability to obtain travel documents — the applicant has not adequately documented that obtaining travel documents for return to their country of origin is not possible or reasonable.
  • Identity not conclusively clarified — in particular in the case of persons without a birth certificate or comparable document establishing their civil status;
  • Security-related concerns (rare, dependent on individual cases);
  • Pending removal ruling or unresolved residence status.

Appeal: Decisions of the SEM can be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court under Art. 31 VGG. The deadline for lodging an appeal is 30 days from the date of notification of the decision (Art. 50 VwVG). Legal representation by a specialist lawyer in immigration/asylum law is recommended.

6. Loss, Theft, Damage

Anyone who loses or damages a Swiss travel document for foreign nationals must immediately report this to the police (loss/theft report) and the SEM. The issuance of a replacement document follows the standard application procedure with renewed biometric data collection. Multiple losses within a short period of time may lead to more in-depth investigations.

7. Cross-References and Other Information Sources

Related articles: Recognised refugee in Switzerland · N asylum-seeker permit · F provisional admission · B residence permit · C settlement permit · Asylum Act (AsylA) glossary.

Official bodies:

Advice centres (zero-commission):

HARD GLOSSARY — non-negotiable Swiss federal codes / agency names.

  • "AIG" → "FNIA"
  • "Ausländer- und Integrationsgesetz" → "Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration"
  • "VZAE" → "OASA"
  • "BüG" → "SCA"
  • "Bürgerrechtsgesetz" → "Swiss Citizenship Act"
  • "FZA" → "AFMP"
  • "Freizügigkeitsabkommen" → "Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons"
  • "AsylG" → "AsylA"
  • "Asylgesetz" → "Asylum Act"
  • "nDSG" → "revFADP"
  • "DSG" → "FADP"
  • "SEM" → "SEM"
  • "Staatssekretariat für Migration" → "State Secretariat for Migration"
  • "BVGer" → "FAC"
  • "Bundesverwaltungsgericht" → "Federal Administrative Court"
  • "Bundesgericht" → "Federal Supreme Court"
  • "Fedlex" → "Fedlex"
  • "Aufenthaltsbewilligung B" → "B residence permit"
  • "Niederlassungsbewilligung C" → "C settlement permit"
  • "Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung L" → "L short-term permit"
  • "Grenzgängerbewilligung G" → "G cross-border permit"
  • "Vorläufige Aufnahme F" → "F provisional admission"
  • "Schutzstatus S" → "S protection status"
  • "Asylsuchende N" → "N asylum-seeker permit"
  • "Einbürgerung" → "Naturalisation"
  • "erleichterte Einbürgerung" → "facilitated naturalisation"
  • "ordentliche Einbürgerung" → "ordinary naturalisation"
  • "Familiennachzug" → "family reunification"
  • "Härtefall" → "hardship case"
  • "Kantonales Migrationsamt" → "cantonal migration office"
  • "OCPM" → "OCPM"
  • "MIDI" → "MIDI"
  • "SPOP" → "SPOP"
  • "MEBEKO" → "MEBEKO"
  • "BGFA" → "LLCA"
  • "Anwaltsregister" → "cantonal bar register"
  • "Apostille" → "apostille"
  • "Schengen" → "Schengen"
  • "Schengen-Overstay" → "Schengen overstay"
  • "Wegweisung" → "removal"
  • "Widerruf" → "revocation"
  • "Beschwerde" → "appeal"
  • "Verfügung" → "ruling"
  • "Anmeldung" → "registration of arrival"
  • "Genossenschaft" → "cooperative society"
  • "Beirat" → "advisory board"
  • "Redaktion" → "editorial team"

Source status: RDV (SR 143.5) as of 1 January 2024, with the latest amendment of 2023 · AsylA SR 142.31, Art. 59 · 1951 Geneva Convention, Art. 28 · 1954 New York Convention, Art. 28 · SEM practice as of Q1 2026.

Duty to review (quarterly): whenever there is a change in the RDV or the SEM’s practice regarding the assessment of whether documents are missing.