You have lost identity documents and/or personal belongings. If someone has found your personal items and handed them in to the local police, the police may hand them to the Swiss representation provided that it is clear that they belong to a Swiss citizen.

Loss of official documents

If you have lost your passport or identity card, please contact the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) so that you can be issued new identity documents. Swiss identity documents (passport or identity card) which have been lost and found must be cancelled and destroyed in accordance with the Ordinance on Identity Documents for Swiss Nationals (SR 143.11).

Federal Office of Police (fedpol): Passport and identity card

Federal Office of Police (fedpol): What to do if you lose your passport or identity card

Other lost-and-found official Swiss documents (residence permit, travel document, driving licence) must be sent directly to the issuing administrative authority in Switzerland. Please contact the competent authority.

State Secretariat for Migration: list of cantonal immigration and labour market authorities

Association of Road Traffic Offices: list of cantonal road traffic offices (de, fr, it)

Swiss representations reserve the right to destroy without prior warning any bank card, credit card, insurance card, loyalty card (shop, airline, etc.), and other cards of no apparent value found without other personal belongings.

Lost property

If you have lost personal belongings such as jewellery, a bag or any other personal item abroad, the procedure for recovering them depends on whether you live abroad or in Switzerland.

If you live in Switzerland:

Contact the Lost Property Office in Bern or the Swiss representation in the country where the item was lost.

Lost Property Office, Bern

Email: fundbuero@bern.ch

The Swiss representations abroad work closely with the Lost Property Office in Bern. The Swiss representation will contact them if a lost item belonging to a Swiss citizen has been handed in to the representation. The Lost Property Office will then contact the person if their address is known.

A retrieval fee will be payable to collect your item.

The Swiss representation abroad and the Lost Property Office in Bern assume no liability for the condition of any lost items handed in to them or any damage or loss incurred during transport.

If you live abroad:

Contact the Swiss representation in your country of residence.

If a lost item has been handed in to the Swiss representation and the owner's address is known, the representation will inform the person concerned directly.

A retrieval fee will be payable to collect your item.

The Swiss representation abroad assumes no liability for the condition of any lost items handed in to them or any damage or loss incurred during transport.