SwissCommunity What you need to know To cast your vote in the CSA elections, you will need to be registered under a valid email address at your local consulate or embassy by 31 January 2025 at the latest. This is because voters will receive voting instructions directly by email from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Voting will be possible from Friday, 11 April 2025. Anyone who not only wishes to vote but also wants to stand for election to the CSA should contact their local election coordinator without delay. Application forms must be submitted by 15 February 2025. The list of participating countries and the contact details of local election coordinators are available on the official election website: www.swisscommunity.org/de/elections Are Swiss Abroad affected by ETIAS? Question: I have heard that the new ETIAS rules will come into force in spring 2025, and I am now wondering what impact this will have on Swiss Abroad. Do the rules apply to us? Answer: In future, travellers will need to have an ETIAS travel authorisation to enter most European countries, including Switzerland (ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System). But in practice, this will only apply to nationals from visa-exempt countries who wish to travel to Europe for a short-term stay of up to 90 days. Travellers will be able to apply online for an ETIAS travel authorisation. ETIAS is linked to a traveller’s passport and is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), ETIAS is expected to go live in May 2025 at the earliest. No need to worry: if you are a Swiss Abroad with a Swiss passport, you will still be able to enter Switzerland – and most European countries for that matter – unconditionally. Article 24 of the Swiss Federal Constitution guarantees freedom of domicile to all Swiss in Switzerland. ETIAS travel authorisation could, however, be of relevance to members of your family. If they do not hold Swiss citizenship and are nationals of one of the visa-exempt countries, they will need an ETIAS travel authorisation to enter Switzerland in future. It will be possible to fill out the ETIAS application form using either the official ETIAS website or the ETIAS mobile application. Applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation will cost 7 euros. Applications will normally be processed within minutes. However, it may take longer if you are requested to provide additional information or documentation to support your application. This is why you should apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation well in advance of your planned journey. Please note that a valid ETIAS travel authorisation does not guarantee automatic right of entry. When you arrive at the border, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify whether you meet all entry conditions. STEPHANIE LEBER, OSA LEGAL DEPARTMENT Travellers holding Swiss passports will be able to enter Switzerland without an ETIAS travel authorisation. Passport holders of other countries who do not require a visa to enter Switzerland will have to apply for ETIAS travel authorisation. Photo: Keystone diversity of the Swiss expatriate community. This is possible if the majority of Swiss Abroad can elect their local delegates. Rolf Blaser: Thanks to this change, all registered Swiss nationals can now stand for election as well as vote, regardless of whether or not they belong to a recognised Swiss association. This is democracy in its purest form and a true testament to Swiss culture and equality. 37 Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6
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