Update from the Swiss Government - Consulate General Sydney
Dear all, please see below….
Dear Compatriots,
The spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) is more and more a matter of concern for all of us. Since being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 12 March 2020, the situation changes constantly and the Australian Government informs us daily about new changes and new restrictions.
In Switzerland, the Federal Council called on Swiss tourists and business travelers to return home and very recently the Department of Foreign Affairs has started to bring stranded Swiss Tourists from different destinations back to Switzerland.
The Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney remains open for the time but has to focus more and more on emergencies related to COVID-19. Swiss travelers in Australia are very much affected by the situation, so the Consulate General in co-operation with the Embassy in Canberra is doing its best to advise and assist. The Embassy is currently negotiating possibilities and terms of Charter Flights to get all Swiss Tourists back home. Relevant information is published on the websites of the Consulate General / Embassy. If you know of any tourists wanting to go home, please make them aware of the information available and the need to register through an online form available there. Thank you for spreading the word!
Our Visa Section is closed until further notice due to a decision by the Swiss authorities which has been implemented worldwide. The Consular Section remains open but non-urgent consular requests may be dealt with at a later stage. We may have to close the office at some stage due to further restrictions by local authorities and work from home only. Therefore, before you try and visit us, consult our website, call (02 8383 4000) or write an e-mail (Sydney@eda.admin.ch) in order to make an appointment.
We are making every effort to respond quickly to the many written and telephone inquiries. We thank you for your understanding and patience.
We also urgently advise you to observe the information and recommendations of the local authorities, the Departments of Health and of Home Affairs. Please follow the latest developments and you must comply with local regulations.
Please also follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and consult the website of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) travel advice "Focus Corona Virus" for further information.
§ Australian Department of Health
§ Australian Department of Home Affairs (Immigration/Travel Advice)
§ WHO
§ FOPH
§ FDFA Travel Advice “Focus Corona Virus” (de, fr, it)
Please do not hesitate to contact this office in case of further questions. We will assist where and however we can.
We wish you and your family all the best, stay safe and keep healthy!
Kind regards,
Bernadette Hunkeler Brown, Consul General
and the team of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney
Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney
101 Grafton Street, cnr Grosvenor Street Tower 2, Level 23, BONDI JUNCTION NSW 2022
Postal address:
PO Box 282, BONDI JUNCTION NSW 1355
Tel: : +61 2 8383 4000
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