Switzerland Consulate Philadelphia

Before your visit

• For consular services the FDFA refers to the Swiss Consulate General in New York (newyork@eda.admin.ch).
• Services: according to the Swiss FDFA, the honorary consulate does not issue visas or Swiss passports, act as a notary or handle civil-status matters.

About the Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Philadelphia

The office is one of 18 honorary consulates of Switzerland in the United States listed by the Swiss FDFA. Switzerland also has 5 career consular posts in the United States and its embassy in Washington, D.C. In Switzerland, the United States is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Bern (ch.usembassy.gov), according to the Congressional Directory.

Which Swiss office handles passports and visas?

For passports, visas and other formal consular services, Pennsylvania belongs to the consular district of the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York, according to the Swiss FDFA. The honorary consulate in Philadelphia can help with first steps and pass on documents, but it does not replace that office.

Contact details of the Swiss Consulate General in New York, as listed on its page in this directory:

• Address: 633 Third Avenue, 30th floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Telephone: +1 212-599-5700
• Email: newyork@eda.admin.ch
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday 09:00–12:00
• Website: www.schweiz-vereinigtestaaten.eda.admin.ch/en/consulate-general-of-switzerland-new-york

What can an honorary consul do?

An honorary consul is not a career diplomat but a local resident – often a business person or lawyer – appointed by Switzerland and approved by the host country. Depending on the powers granted, the honorary consul can help Swiss citizens in an emergency (lost passport, accident, arrest), pass on applications and documents to the embassy, and certify signatures or life certificates. Passports and visas are not issued by an honorary consulate; they remain the responsibility of the embassy or a career consulate.

Other consulates in Philadelphia

12 other countries are represented in Philadelphia: Austria (honorary), Czech Republic (honorary), Dominican Republic (consulate general), Germany (honorary), Italy (consulate general), Malta (honorary), Mexico (consulate), Norway (honorary), Panama (consulate), Poland (honorary), Romania (honorary), Spain (honorary).

Closing days

Honorary consuls set their own office hours; the honorary consulate is usually closed on US federal holidays, whose dates are published by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and may also close on public holidays of Switzerland.

Emergency assistance

In an emergency, Swiss citizens in the consular district can call the honorary consul on +1 215-380-6709 or contact the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York. In the United States, dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police (GOV.UK travel advice). US citizens who need consular help in Switzerland can contact the U.S. Embassy in Bern.

Diplomatic missions of Switzerland in the United States

Switzerland in the United States

Measured in a straight line from Philadelphia, the nearest other Swiss office is the Consulate General (New York) in New York (about 130 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Philadelphia.

• Washington, D.C. (200 km) – Embassy of Switzerland in the United States
• Atlanta (1,070 km) – Consulate General (Georgia)
• Boston (440 km) – Consulate (Massachusetts)
• Chicago (1,070 km) – Consulate General (Illinois)
• New York (130 km) – Consulate General (New York)
• San Francisco – Consulate General (California)
• Philadelphia – Honorary Consulate (this page)
• … and 17 more offices in other states (see the embassy page)