More and more Swiss travellers in need of consular protection
Last year the consular service of the Swiss foreign ministry assisted Swiss travellers abroad in 1,238 cases. This represents a 14% increase on the previous year. There are several reasons for this rise.
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More and more Swiss travellers in need of consular protection
According to federal figures, Swiss people are travelling abroad more and more – in 2025, there were around 12 million trips lasting more than one day. According to the consular directorate at the foreign ministry, there is also a trend towards adventure holidays – that is, travelling to countries where it is dangerous.
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The increase in consular protection cases in 2025 can also be explained by the fact that there were more frequent mental health emergencies while travelling abroad. Furthermore, more Swiss citizens of working retirement age fell ill while travelling abroad.
Finally, according to the foreign ministry, more people were travelling alone. Often, the necessary preparation was lacking. Those responsible therefore appealed to travellers to take personal responsibility.
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Translated from German, sub-edited by ts
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