Life and travel abroad

This year, the FDFA is again looking to recruit experienced colleagues to various posts in Switzerland and abroad. To increase the visibility of consular careers, the FDFA has redesigned the consular career path which now has a two-tier 'specialist' and 'management' structure. The application process for transferable careers in general starts on 26 May 2025. Applications for consular careers at specialist level may be submitted from 28 July 2025.

Of the 826,700 Swiss nationals living abroad, 24% are over 65 years old. Estate planning, health insurance and banking issues can be a challenge for pensioners abroad. For this reason, the FDFA's Consular Directorate (CD) launched a range of information and communication channels to raise awareness of these potential challenges among Swiss nationals abroad.

Over 800,000 Swiss citizens ring in the national holiday while living abroad. Among them are FDFA diplomats, whom we asked to let us in on what they miss most about Switzerland on 1 August. Join us for this light-hearted yet official tribute – featuring 1 August speeches by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis from Paris and the stomping grounds of A Bell for Ursli – as we wish the entire Swiss community abroad a very happy national holiday this Happy 1st of August!

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) transferable career staff includes over 900 employees who are engaged in advancing these foreign policy priorities worldwide on behalf of Switzerland. They begin careers in “diplomacy”, “international cooperation (IZA)” and “consular affairs, management and finance (KBF)”, after the successful completion of the admission procedure.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 11% of all Swiss citizens were living abroad at the end of 2023 – almost two-thirds of them in Europe. With an increase of 1.7% last year, the Swiss community abroad continues to grow in importance. The FDFA's Consular Directorate and its partners are constantly developing their range of services for the Swiss community abroad, most recently with the 'Ageing abroad' information and prevention campaign and the 'SwissInTouch' app.

It could be armed conflict, an earthquake or an accident – even Swiss nationals can find themselves in an emergency situation when travelling abroad. In such cases, the FDFA's Travel Admin app has proven to be a useful tool. The new, extra user-friendly Travel Admin app 3.0 is now available. The FDFA recommends that travellers update their Travel Admin app or – if they have not already done so – install it, register and enter trips abroad directly in the app.