REGISTERED BY AUSTRALIA POST - PUBLICATION No. VBH 6369
DECEMBER 2012
Successful consular consultation days at the Swiss Club If you can’t go to the Consulate General in Sydney, the Consulate will come to you! Over four days, from 19 to 22 November, officers of the Swiss Consulate General in Sydney set up shop on the Second Floor of the Swiss Club. Around 150 Swiss citizens were spared the journey to Sydney and instead could simply visit the Swiss Club to complete whatever consular business they had to do. In most cases that was to arrange travel documents (passports, identity cards) for which biometrical data was needed. That involves taking a digital photograph, signature and finger prints. All the necessary equipment was at hand to collect that information. Other services included life certification, document sighting, citizenship interviews or simply giving advice and answering questions. In the absence of a local Consulate General, portable biometric data collection equipment that can be deployed around the country and consular ‘home visits’ to avoid long distance travelling is a much appreciated and valuable community service. It is hoped that it can be repeated on a regular basis. To make these consular consultation days possible, the Swiss Club of Victoria made the Second Floor available free of charge, as a service to members and in support of the wider Victorian Swiss community.
Consular Officer Mr Jürg Bettschen, Consul General Mr Markus Meli and Consul Ms Claudia Schor
89 Flinder s Lane • Melbour ne 3000 • Victor ia • Australia • www.s wissclubvic .com.au