Dominican Republic Embassy in Bern

Embassy of Dominican Republic in Bern, Switzerland

Overview

The Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Switzerland serves as the primary diplomatic mission representing the Dominican Republic in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Located in Bern, Switzerland's federal capital, the embassy occupies offices at Weltposstrasse 4 in the Breitenrain-Lorraine district. The Dominican Republic maintains important bilateral relations with Switzerland focused on trade, financial services, tourism, development cooperation, and cultural exchange. Switzerland is a significant source of tourists to the Dominican Republic and an important financial center for Caribbean investment flows. The embassy manages consular services, visa processing, trade promotion, investment facilitation, and cultural diplomacy. Swiss expertise in banking, pharmaceuticals, precision manufacturing, and sustainable development offers partnership opportunities for Dominican economic diversification. The consular section operates with appointment-based services for efficiency, and the embassy maintains both primary email (embadomsuiza@mirex.gob.do) and consular-specific email (consudomsuiza@mirex.gob.do) channels. The embassy also provides WhatsApp contact (+41 77 41 011 52) for modern communication convenience.
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Visa Services

The embassy processes visa applications for Swiss citizens and legal residents planning to visit or relocate to the Dominican Republic. While many nationalities including Swiss citizens can enter the Dominican Republic visa-free for tourism stays up to 30 days (tourist card purchased upon arrival), the embassy provides visa information and processes applications for extended stays, work permits, residency, and special purposes. Visa categories handled include tourist visas for leisure travel exceeding standard tourist card duration, business visas for commercial activities and professional meetings, work visas for employment in the Dominican Republic, student visas for academic programs, residency applications for those planning to live in the Dominican Republic (particularly popular among Swiss retirees seeking Caribbean lifestyle), and family reunification visas. Visa applications typically require completed application form, valid passport with minimum 6 months validity and blank visa pages, recent passport photographs, confirmed travel arrangements, proof of financial means, accommodation confirmation, and purpose-specific documentation (work contract, university admission letter, property purchase documents, etc.). Processing times vary by visa type. Contact the embassy at embadomsuiza@mirex.gob.do or consudomsuiza@mirex.gob.do to confirm current visa requirements and application procedures for your nationality and travel purpose.
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Consular Services

The embassy provides comprehensive consular services to Dominican citizens residing in or visiting Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Services include passport renewals and new passport issuance, national identity card (cédula) processing, birth registration for children born in Switzerland to Dominican parents, civil status registration including marriages and deaths, document legalization and apostille services for documents intended for use in the Dominican Republic, notarial services including affidavits and powers of attorney, consular registration for Dominican nationals living in Switzerland, and emergency consular assistance for Dominican citizens in distress. The Dominican diaspora in Switzerland includes students, professionals working in financial services and hospitality, entrepreneurs, and families. Swiss citizens can obtain document authentication services for papers intended for use in the Dominican Republic and travel information for visiting the Caribbean nation. Consular services operate by appointment (Monday-Friday during business hours). Contact embadomsuiza@mirex.gob.do or consudomsuiza@mirex.gob.do to schedule appointments and confirm document requirements. WhatsApp contact available at +41 77 41 011 52 for inquiries.
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Business Support

The embassy actively promotes bilateral trade and investment between the Dominican Republic and Switzerland. The Dominican Republic offers opportunities in tourism development, renewable energy projects, manufacturing, free trade zones, agribusiness, real estate, financial services, and medical tourism. Switzerland is an important source of foreign direct investment globally and a key financial center for international business. The embassy facilitates business connections, provides market intelligence about investment opportunities, assists Swiss companies exploring Dominican markets, supports Dominican businesses seeking Swiss partnerships and financial services, coordinates trade missions and business delegations, and works with chambers of commerce, business associations, and development agencies. Key sectors of mutual interest include sustainable tourism infrastructure (Swiss expertise in mountain tourism and hospitality management), renewable energy (particularly solar power), pharmaceutical manufacturing, precision manufacturing for export, medical device production, financial technology and services, organic agriculture and fair trade products, and real estate development for tourism and retirement. The embassy can provide information about the Dominican Republic's free trade zones, tax incentives for foreign investors, and legal framework for business operations. Switzerland's expertise in banking, pharmaceuticals, watchmaking, precision engineering, and sustainable development aligns with Dominican diversification goals. The Dominican Republic's strategic location with free trade agreements covering North American, Caribbean, Central American, and European markets makes it attractive for Swiss companies seeking Western Hemisphere manufacturing and distribution platforms.
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Cultural & Educational Programs

Cultural diplomacy forms an important part of the embassy's activities, promoting Dominican music, arts, dance, and cultural heritage in Switzerland. The Dominican Republic's rich cultural traditions including merengue and bachata music (both UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage), vibrant visual arts scene, and diverse heritage reflecting Taíno, African, and Spanish influences provide numerous opportunities for cultural exchange. The embassy organizes and supports cultural events, musical performances, art exhibitions, film screenings, and gastronomic showcases introducing Swiss audiences to Caribbean culture. Independence Day celebrations (February 27), restoration of independence festivities (August 16), and other national observances bring together the Dominican community in Switzerland. The embassy facilitates visits by Dominican artists, musicians, writers, and cultural practitioners, and supports collaborations between Swiss and Dominican cultural institutions. Educational exchange programs connect Dominican and Swiss students, with scholarship opportunities and academic partnerships between universities. Swiss universities attract Dominican students in fields like hospitality management, finance, engineering, and environmental sciences. The embassy promotes German, French, and Italian language study in the Dominican Republic (reflecting Switzerland's multilingual character) and Spanish/Caribbean studies programs in Switzerland. Cultural understanding helps strengthen people-to-people ties that underpin economic and diplomatic relations.
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Special Notes

Located at Weltposstrasse 4, 3015 Bern, Switzerland. Contact: Phone +41 31 351 1585, Additional phone +41 31 351 2562, WhatsApp +41 77 41 011 52, Embassy Email embadomsuiza@mirex.gob.do, Consular Email consudomsuiza@mirex.gob.do, Website che.mirex.gob.do. Office hours Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Appointments required for consular services. The embassy serves both Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Swiss citizens planning travel to the Dominican Republic should note that while visa-free entry is available for stays up to 30 days, a tourist card (approximately USD 10) must be purchased upon arrival at Dominican airports. The embassy can provide current travel advisories, health recommendations, and safety information. The Dominican Republic is a popular tourist destination for Swiss travelers, known for Caribbean beaches, colonial architecture in Santo Domingo (the oldest European settlement in the Americas), mountain landscapes in the Cordillera Central, and vibrant culture. Bern, as Switzerland's capital, hosts numerous diplomatic missions and international organizations. The city's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town, multilingual environment, and central European location make it an important diplomatic posting. The embassy is closed on both Dominican and Swiss public holidays. For routine consular matters, advance appointments are required. The embassy maintains modern communication channels including WhatsApp for convenience. The Dominican Republic and Switzerland maintain friendly bilateral relations with cooperation in areas of mutual interest including financial services, tourism, sustainable development, and cultural exchange. Source: Official embassy website (che.mirex.gob.do).
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