The permanent missions in Geneva, the international organisations in Switzerland and their staff members benefit from a certain number of privileges, immunities and facilities. The purpose of the following instructions is to provide them with information about the administrative rules and the procedures that apply in certain areas.

The Host State Division of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the Office of the United Nations and to the other international organisations in Geneva has created a manual on the regime of privileges, immunities and other facilities. These instructions are intended for the permanent missions, the international organisations and their staff members. The information is provided purely as an aid and is not legally binding on the Host State.

• Manual: Forms 
• Manual: Customs
• Manual: Displaying flags on the Mont Blanc Bridge in Geneva
• Manual: FDFA legitimation cards
• Manual: Immunity
• Manual: Insurances
• Manual: Labour (law)
• Manual: Members of family
• Manual: Opening of a mission
• Manual: Persons without Privileges and Immunities (legitimation card "H")
• Manual: Pets
• Manual: Private employees - Private Household Employees Ordinance of 6 June 2011
• Manual: Private employees - FDFA Directive of 1st May 2006 (archive)
• Manual: Real estate
• Manual : Right to vote (fr)
• Manual: Security
• Manual: Stay in Switzerland
• Manual: Taxation
• Manual: Vehicles
• Manual: Visas

Beneficiaries

The following qualify as "permanent missions":

• the permanent missions to the United Nations Office and to the other international organisations, 
• the permanent missions to the World Trade Organisation,
• the permanent missions to the Conference on Disarmament,
• the permanent delegations of international organisations, 
• as well as the special missions.

"International organisations" refers to organisations that have signed a headquarters agreement with the Swiss Federal Council.

Legal framework

In Switzerland the regime of privileges, immunities and facilities applicable to permanent missions and international organisations has a legal structure based notably on the following:

• the Federal Act on the Privileges, Immunities, and Facilities and the Financial Subsidies granted by Switzerland as a Host State (Host State Act, HSA) and its implementation ordinance (Host State Ordinance, HSO),  
• the headquarters agreements concluded with various international organisations,
• the Vienna Convention of 18 April 1961 on Diplomatic Relations, applicable by analogy, and
• the customary practices of Swiss authorities with regard to questions not covered by the above mentioned texts.