Travel documents for foreign nationals — overview and procedures

Effective date: 01.01.2024 — Current version RDV (SR 143.5). Status: AI initial draft. Publication permitted after Senior Counsel approval (ADR-018).

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,

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:

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

3. Fees (as of 01.01.2024)

The following fees are governed by Art. 17 RDV:

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:

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 (Fedlex·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

File Cross-References (internal): permits/permit_a_recognised_refugee.md · permits/permit_n_asylum_pending.md · permits/permit_f_provisional_admission.md · permits/permit_b_resident.md

Official bodies:

• SEM, Travel Documents Section: Quellenweg 6, 3003 Bern-Wabern · Telephone: +41 58 465 11 11 · https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/de/home/themen/aufenthalt/reisedokumente.html
• Cantonal passport offices: the relevant cantonal migration office (addresses can be found on the SEM portal).

Advice centres (zero-commission, ADR-013):

• HEKS Legal Advice Centre for Asylum Seekers (all cantons): https://www.heks.ch
• Caritas Switzerland Migration Service: https://www.caritas.ch

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

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.