Asylum application

An asylum application is defined as a request by a foreign national for protection in Switzerland. There are no requirements regarding in what form an application may be submitted; it may be submitted orally or in writing to a Swiss mission abroad, at a frontier post or at the customs post of a Swiss airport. On submitting a request for asylum, the applicant is required to inform the Swiss authorities of his identity and submit proof of his identity, if possible, by means of official documentation. The applicant is further required to give an account of the reasons for leaving his home country. Asylum seekers, who are aware of the significance of the proceedings, make an effort to submit relevant proof of their personal situation.

Most asylum applications are submitted directly to the FOM’s Reception and Procedure Centres. Applicants who already have a valid residence permit for Switzerland may submit their application directly to the Aliens Police of the canton of domicile.