Are you planning a business trip abroad on behalf of the federal authorities? Is your enterprise hosting an international business delegation on behalf of the government? If so and if classified information is being exchanged in the process, the following protective measures must be observed.
The Federal Unit for Information Security acts as the National Security Authority (NSA) in Switzerland. In this role, it negotiates information security agreements and ensures their implementation. It also represents Switzerland in international bodies (e.g., Multinational Industrial Security Working Group, MISWG).
The Federal Unit for Information Security is happy to provide information on requests for visits, personnel security clearance, information protection agreements and international industrial security.
Contractors abroad
If you wish to award a contractor abroad with a classified contract, the process is as follows:
Contact the Swiss National Security Authority (at the State Secretariat for Security Policy) to ascertain/verify the security status of the foreign contractor in question.
Please complete fields 1-7 of the standardised FSCIS (Facility Security Clearance Information Sheet) and submit it to SEPOS / Federal Unit for Information Security.
SEPOS / Federal Unit for Information Security deals with all further steps in the process
The foreign contractor must be domiciled in a country with which Switzerland has an agreement on the protection of classified information (see below).
Clients abroad
If you are a Swiss company which has been requested by a client abroad to carry out work with classified content, the process is as follows:
The foreign clients contact the Swiss National Security Authority (SEPOS / Federal Unit for Information Security) via their country’s National Security Authority.
Your company’s security status is ascertained by SEPOS / Federal Unit for Information Security using the standardised FSCIS (Facility Security Clearance Information Sheet).
SEPOS / Federal Unit for information Security informs the foreign client’s National Security Authority whether your company has a Facility Security Clearance or not.
You will be informed by SEPOS / Federal Unit for Information Security of all further steps in the process.
Switzerland concludes so-called security agreements or security arrangements with its partners governing the following topics, among others:
the competencies and tasks of the responsible national security authorities
measures for the protection of classified information
the implementation of personal security checks
the implementation of operational security procedures
the reporting and authorization of international visits
the conduct in the event of security incidents
the reciprocal implementation of controls
List of countries that have an information security agreement with Switzerland, and if applicable the relevant text parts:
If you are planning a business trip abroad and your host requires a request for visit authorization, please complete the corresponding online form. Further explanations on completing the form can be found under the «Information sheet» tab. (Der Formularservice und die Merkblätter existieren nur auf d/i/f)
Important: Please ascertain the anticipated level of classified information involved from your host beforehand.
If your host has classified the visit at the classification level of CONFIDENTIAL or above, all visitors (including foreign nationals) must hold valid Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) issued by the federal authorities.
Taking classified military resources abroad
Only required and encrypted information may be taken abroad and must be adequately protected by personal safekeeping or in your carry-on luggage.
Personnel Security Clearance Confirmation PSCC
For visits or activities, e.g. at NATO, the EU or other international organizations for which no visit request is required, a Personnel Security Clearance Confirmation (PSCC) can be requested using the online form. All visitors must have a valid Personnel Security Clearance. Please check with your host (course organizer) to find out which documents are required for the visit.
Before you invite a foreign delegation to Switzerland for a military purpose, please contact Military Protocol.
If the visit requires access to classified information at the security level of CONFIDENTIAL or above, the visitors must complete and submit a ‹Request for Visit› via their National Security Authorities to SEPOS / Federal Unit for Information Security.
Requests for Visits will only be accepted from countries with which Switzerland has signed an agreement on the protection of information (see “Agreement on the protection of information”). If the visit is unclassified, a Request for Visit is not required.
