Switzerland Consulate Winnipeg

Before your visit

• Location: The honorary consulate is in the St. Boniface area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the centre of Winnipeg; the nearest airport is Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG), about 7.3 km away. (distances: OpenStreetMap)

About the Honorary Consulate of Switzerland in Winnipeg

The honorary consul is Matthew Philippe Erhard, according to the Global Affairs Canada list. It is one of 5 honorary consular posts of Switzerland in Canada listed in the Global Affairs Canada list. Switzerland also has its embassy in Ottawa and 2 career consular posts in Canada.

Which Swiss office handles passports and visas?

For passports, visas and other formal consular services, Manitoba belongs to the consular district of the Swiss consulate general in Montreal, according to the Swiss foreign ministry’s website. The honorary consulate in Winnipeg can help with first steps and pass on documents, but it does not replace a career consulate.

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

• Address: 1572 Docteur-Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Quebec H3G 1C4, Canada
• Telephone: +1 514 932 7181
• Email: montreal@eda.admin.ch
• Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 10:00–13:00; Friday 10:00–12:00

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 Winnipeg

32 other countries are represented in Winnipeg, among them: Austria (honorary), Belgium (honorary), Brazil (honorary), Chile (honorary), Czech Republic (honorary), Denmark (honorary), El Salvador (consulate general), Finland (honorary), France (honorary), Germany (honorary), Greece (honorary), Guyana (honorary), Hungary (honorary), Iceland (consulate general), Italy (honorary), Jamaica (honorary), Trinidad and Tobago (honorary), Türkiye (honorary), United Kingdom (honorary), United States (consulate). The full list of all 33 missions is on the overview page for Canada.

Closing days

Honorary consuls set their own office hours; the honorary consulate is usually closed on Canada’s general holidays (Canada Labour Code, section 166) and on the holidays of Manitoba, and may also close on public holidays of Switzerland.

Emergency assistance

In Canada, dial 911 for the police, an ambulance or the fire service (GOV.UK travel advice). Canadians who need consular help in Switzerland can contact the Embassy of Canada in Bern, according to Global Affairs Canada (travel.gc.ca).

Diplomatic missions of Switzerland in Canada

Switzerland in Canada

Measured in a straight line from Winnipeg, the nearest other Swiss office is the Honorary Consulate (Alberta) in Calgary (about 1,200 km). The nearest embassy or career consulate is the Embassy in Ottawa (about 1,670 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Winnipeg.

• Ottawa (1,670 km) – Embassy of Switzerland in Canada
• Montreal (1,820 km) – Consulate General (Quebec)
• Vancouver (1,860 km) – Consulate General (British Columbia)
• Calgary (1,200 km) – Honorary Consulate (Alberta)
• Halifax – Honorary Consulate (Nova Scotia)
• Quebec City – Honorary Consulate (Quebec)
• Toronto (1,510 km) – Honorary Consulate (Ontario)
• Winnipeg – Honorary Consulate (this page)