When Theres Ryf Desai accepted the post of Swiss honorary consul in Honolulu she expected the occasional lost passport or voting-paper query. Instead, her phone now pings daily with requests ranging from emergency travel documents after ESTA cancellations to advice on U-Haul insurance for Swiss start-ups relocating to the islands. In an interview published on 7 February 2026, Ryf Desai told SWI Swissinfo that the consular workload has ‘doubled in three years’, mirroring a surge in long-distance teleworking and extended stays by Swiss citizens abroad. (swissinfo.ch)
Switzerland maintains a network of more than 180 unpaid honorary consuls who complement professional embassies and consulates. They are often the first port of call when mobility snags hit: last month Honolulu processed five emergency Laissez-Passer documents for Swiss digital nomads whose U.S. entry authorisations were voided by the new live-photo rule. Similar stories are playing out in Cape Town, Bali and Austin, according to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
![Swiss Honorary Consuls Step Up Overseas Support as Mobility Issues Grow]()
The FDFA is responding by rolling out a cloud-based case-management tool that allows honorary consuls to issue biometric-ready emergency passports and to upload sworn statements directly into the Swiss civil-status register. Training sessions begin in March and will be mandatory for all honorary consuls by July 2026.
For globally mobile employers the strengthened network matters: under Swiss law companies are responsible for the welfare of staff sent abroad. Mobility managers are therefore encouraged to register travellers’ itineraries with the FDFA’s “Travel Admin” app so that a local honorary consul can intervene quickly if documents are lost, visas cancelled or medical evacuations needed.
Switzerland maintains a network of more than 180 unpaid honorary consuls who complement professional embassies and consulates. They are often the first port of call when mobility snags hit: last month Honolulu processed five emergency Laissez-Passer documents for Swiss digital nomads whose U.S. entry authorisations were voided by the new live-photo rule. Similar stories are playing out in Cape Town, Bali and Austin, according to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
The FDFA is responding by rolling out a cloud-based case-management tool that allows honorary consuls to issue biometric-ready emergency passports and to upload sworn statements directly into the Swiss civil-status register. Training sessions begin in March and will be mandatory for all honorary consuls by July 2026.
For globally mobile employers the strengthened network matters: under Swiss law companies are responsible for the welfare of staff sent abroad. Mobility managers are therefore encouraged to register travellers’ itineraries with the FDFA’s “Travel Admin” app so that a local honorary consul can intervene quickly if documents are lost, visas cancelled or medical evacuations needed.
Source: SWI Swissinfo
