Lost and found property
Lost personal items that are found may be returned to the Swiss representation abroad if it is clear that the owner is a Swiss citizen or lives in Switzerland.
If you lose your identity papers or personal belongings, please enquire if they have been handed in to a Swiss representation and what has happened with them.
Loss of official documents
If you lose your passport or identity card please contact the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) so that you can be issued new identity documents. Swiss identity documents (passport and identity card) that are lost and found must be cancelled and destroyed under the Ordinance on Identity Documents for Swiss Nationals (IDO; SR 143.11).
Federal Office of Police (fedpol): loss of passport and/or identity card (de, fr, it)
Other official Swiss documents that are lost and found (residence permit or foreign national identity card, travel document, driving licence) are sent directly to the issuing administrative authorities in Switzerland. Please contact the competent authority.
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM): list of cantonal migration and labour market authorities
- Association of Road Traffic Offices (ASA): list of cantonal road traffic offices (de, fr, it)
Swiss representations abroad reserve the right to destroy bank cards, credit cards, insurance cards, loyalty cards (shops, airlines etc.) and other cards of no apparent value that are found without other personal belongings.
Loss of personal belongings
If you lose any personal belongings abroad, such as jewellery, a bag or any other personal item, the procedure to recover them depends on whether you live abroad or in Switzerland.
If you live in Switzerland
Contact the lost property office in Bern or the Swiss representation in the country where your belongings were lost.
Lost Property Office in Bern (German)
Email: fundbuero@bern.ch
Swiss representations abroad coordinate with the lost property office in Bern. They will contact it if they receive a lost item belonging to a person living in Switzerland. The lost property office in Bern will then contact the person if their address is known.
You will need to pay any costs incurred in recovering your personal belongings.
Swiss representations abroad and the lost property office in Bern do not assume any liability for the condition of lost items or loss during transport.
If you live abroad
Contact the Swiss representation in your place of residence abroad.
If the lost item was handed in to the Swiss representation and the address of the owner is known, the representation will inform the concerned person directly.
You will need to pay any costs incurred in recovering your personal belongings.
Swiss representations abroad do not assume any liability for the condition of lost items or any damage or loss during transport.