EXPLAINED: Do you have to carry your Swiss ID card with you at all times?
Switzerland will soon launch a new identity card. We look at if you're required to carry your ID card with you, and when you're required to show.
Switzerland’s new, more secure identity card for its citizens, is being launched on March 3rd, the government announced on Monday.
The new card will have updates, and is set to be more secure.
"Certain security elements are inserted into the materials, others are created during the manufacture of the card, and even other (elements) when the card is personalised,” according to federal police (Fedpol).
There is no need to apply for the new card if your current one is still valid.
You can find more information about the card here:
Switzerland to launch new identity card in March
The light-blue cards currently in use feature the Swiss flag in the upper-left corner, as well as the name of Switzerland’s ‘Confederation’ in four official languages, as well as in English.
They also include your photo, full name, date of birth, and signature.
The other side features your height, where and when the card was issued, and when it expires.
It also lists your place of origin / ancestry — all the same information as is featured in the Swiss passport.
And, like the passport, the ID card can be obtained by Swiss citizens only.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why Swiss passports show ancestry rather than birthplace
The new ID card to be launched in March contain all the same information but the graphics are different:
A sample of a new Swiss identity card. Photo: Fedpol Twitter
Do you have to carry your ID card with you at all times?
In unofficial situations when you have to prove your identity but not nationality, your driver’s license will suffice, as long as it includes your photograph, full name, and date of birth.
However, if your nationality should be proven, you must have an official, government-issued form of ID with you.
This could be your passport, but it is certainly less ‘portable’ than a credit-card sized ID that you can carry in your wallet.
The ID card can be presented as proof of your identity and citizenship instead of the passport if you travel within the Schengen zone, EU or EFTA countries.
You will also be asked to show your ID card when dealing with the government / public administration offices, whether federal, cantonal, or municipal.
What if you are a foreigner and don’t have official Swiss documents?
If you are a foreign national, you won't be getting any Swiss ID papers, aside from your work / residency permits, which are proof of your legal status in Switzerland.
There may be many occasions — as is the case with Swiss citizens — when you will be asked to show both your permit and proof of your identity — for instance, when registering at your commune of residence, buying health insurance, opening a bank account, or renting an apartment.
In all of the above cases, your foreign passport or the identity card issued by your government is considered a valid document in Switzerland — as long as you can back it up with a permit.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How to prove you are resident in Switzerland
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Switzerland’s new, more secure identity card for its citizens, is being launched on March 3rd, the government announced on Monday.
The new card will have updates, and is set to be more secure.
"Certain security elements are inserted into the materials, others are created during the manufacture of the card, and even other (elements) when the card is personalised,” according to federal police (Fedpol).
There is no need to apply for the new card if your current one is still valid.
You can find more information about the card here:
Switzerland to launch new identity card in March
The light-blue cards currently in use feature the Swiss flag in the upper-left corner, as well as the name of Switzerland’s ‘Confederation’ in four official languages, as well as in English.
They also include your photo, full name, date of birth, and signature.
The other side features your height, where and when the card was issued, and when it expires.
It also lists your place of origin / ancestry — all the same information as is featured in the Swiss passport.
And, like the passport, the ID card can be obtained by Swiss citizens only.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why Swiss passports show ancestry rather than birthplace
You will also be asked to show your ID card when dealing with the government / public administration offices, whether federal, cantonal, or municipal.
What if you are a foreigner and don’t have official Swiss documents?
In all of the above cases, your foreign passport or the identity card issued by your government is considered a valid document in Switzerland — as long as you can back it up with a permit.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How to prove you are resident in Switzerland
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