SwissInTouch promotes discussion and relations with Swiss official bodies and your Swiss representation abroad, is open to your needs and grants you direct and user-friendly access to important consular services and information.
More and more Swiss people are settling down abroad and are registering with embassies and general consulates. The country’s representations always endeavour to address the community’s concerns and share important information with them. The everyday work of Switzerland’s representations abroad and various crises such as the Covid pandemic have meant that the need for a central instrument for information and communication for the community of the Swiss Abroad has become greater than ever. The information has always been available, but it used to be a matter of sourcing it from a variety of different channels, by which time it was no longer up to date anyway. This led to permanent representatives or consulates being contacted more frequently in order to obtain the necessary information.
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has acknowledged this need and shown the political will to promote communication with the Swiss Abroad even more strongly and to use digital media. The Consular Directorate of the FDFA was commissioned to create a new digital instrument for improving efficiency.
The aim was to develop a communication and information platform that would allow regular contact with the community of the Swiss Abroad and where official information could be obtained directly from Switzerland. The Swiss Abroad should also be able to find all the information and services relevant to them on a single platform, in a simple and straightforward manner.
In order to create the best possible product and meet all the relevant requirements, Swiss Abroad from all around the world were involved with the project. The requirements of the Swiss Abroad were documented via a series of fascinating interviews and served as a basis for the app’s development. The people chosen for the task were granted regular insights into how the project was going and could test the various functions on offer. Their feedback was taken into account directly by SwissInTouch when they developed the app.
As well as providing useful functions and information, SwissInTouch is aimed at anyone interested in remaining in contact with Switzerland and keeping a little corner of their home country in their pocket at all times.
Download SwissInTouch free of charge and get access to all its handy functions!
Discover posts from your representation and Swiss communications. Obtain interesting information on a range of topics, take part in surveys and register for events. The SwissInTouch feed contains important information and the latest news from your representation, the Consular Directorate of the FDFA and a range of partners. It is a great way to stay informed and up to date.
Keep an eye on things and contact your representation using your preferred means of communication. You can view the full range of contact options at a glance and choose whether you prefer to communicate with your representation by telephone, by email or by chat. If you need to make an appointment with your representation, there is also the option of requesting one.
In the ‘Profile’ section, you can manage your upcoming events and keep an eye on things. One single login grants you full access to all functions and services from the app. You can edit your personal details and also select your local representation, to ensure that you get the right information in your feed. In addition to choosing your representation, you can also add any other representations that interest you.
The ‘Guide’ section provides support during emigration and immigration, as well as a host of other life situations. Regardless of your current stage of life, this section of the app can provide country-specific information for various situations. To make it easier to find this information,categories such as daily life, family, retirement or emergencies have been created that will lead you directly to the right information, so you do not waste any time.
If you have any queries or concerns, you can contact your representation directly and easily via the chat function. This function lets you submit your questions and concerns quickly and with a minimum of fuss, even outside the representation’s opening hours. The representation’s staff will get back to you as soon as possible and will be pleased to advise you.
Your opinion is important to us! You can take part in surveys on a variety of topics and make your voice heard. We need your help to ensure that the needs of the Swiss Abroad continue to be heard. We are here to listen to your concerns, and guarantee that any participation will be completely anonymous.
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