The Swiss Embassy in San José officially represents the Swiss Confederation in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its mission is to strengthen the political, economic, scientific, cultural, and cooperative relations between Switzerland and these countries, as well as to provide consular services to Swiss citizens residing in or temporarily staying in the region.
The Embassy maintains an ongoing dialogue with national and regional authorities, promoting Switzerland’s core values such as democracy, human rights, peace, and the rule of law. It supports the economic and commercial relations between Switzerland and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama by assisting Swiss companies interested in the Central American market and by promoting sustainable and innovative trade. Furthermore, the Embassy continuously monitors the economic and political developments in the accredited countries. It analyzes their trends from a perspective relevant to Switzerland, in order to identify strategic opportunities, anticipate challenges, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas such as innovation, green transition, and digitalization.
Through cultural, academic, and scientific activities, the Embassy showcases Switzerland’s creativity and diversity, and strengthens the ties between Switzerland, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama in fields such as film, art, gastronomy, and education. Swiss culture reflects the country’s linguistic and regional diversity. From artistic movements such as Dadaism, born in Zurich, to influential figures like Ferdinand Hodler or Paul Klee, Switzerland has made a significant contribution to European cultural history and has served as a meeting place and source of inspiration for artists from around the world. In this spirit, the Swiss Embassy in San José promotes cultural exchange between Switzerland and the accredited countries to deepen dialogue and mutual understanding.
Each year, the Embassy supports various development and human rights initiatives. For the period 2025–2028, the focus will be on themes such as environment, climate change, peace promotion, democracy, rule of law, human rights, and access to the labor market.
The Consular Section offers a wide range of services to Swiss citizens residing or staying in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its main tasks include the issuance of passports and identity cards, the handling of civil status matters such as births, marriages, deaths, and address changes, as well as the updating of data in the Register of the Swiss Abroad. The Consular Section also provides assistance in emergencies, working with local authorities to offer help and guidance.
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