Hi,

I have left Switzerland in 2008. Now for some banking operation, BCV (Banque Contonale Vaudoise) wants an attestation or other documents to show I have left Switzerland and/or my resident permit is canceled. The problem is I'm living in US now and I don't want to travel to Switzerland for just a simple document.

When I left Switzerland I received my departure notice but BCV says that document is too old now. What is the best way to get such document? Is there any online service? Can I get that by writing a letter to contrôle des habitants?

Thanks a lot

Give them a residence permit or whatever from where you live now, scan a pile of utiliy bills and send them. Maybe they will see sense. Ask the commune where you were living to provide same, they will probably also mail it ot BCV if you ask them

exit visa on the passport?

I'll try writing to the commune though I have to find the right address for such a letter.

The funny thing is that when I left Switzerland in 2008, I gave them a copy of my departure notice but now they say that's too old. What BCV is doing is basically stalling: I want to transfer the funds from my pension fund there to my account and they ask for all strange things: I'm working in US on a H1-B. They already have copies of my passport, my driving license here (issued after I left Switzerland), work contract, lease agreement with my landloard, letter from my employer, ... They asked for my work permit and when I explained that in US you don't have work permit similar to Switzerland but rather have a visa in your passport and just a simple i797 notice of action, they just repeated that they need a copy of my work permit!

Your H1B stamp in your passport is your work permit, so send them a coyp of that and any other related H1B documents.

They already have that and I've explained it to them on phone several times but yet in their latest letter they asked for a copy of my work permit again! I'll be able to get the message across eventually but getting that departure notice again, I don't know how to handle.

This is very strange. Yes it does seem like they are stalling. The "too old" comment is strange.

Maybe they want a copy of your Old Swiss Permit? That it expired on whatever date in 2008? Just a thought!

Otherwise, either you need a Swiss-based lawyer or similar to sort it out for you via e-mail/phone, a really kind friend living in your old Geminde, or yourself!

Another thing MIGHT be, where are you from originally. Are you an EU citizen? They might be confused about that, and then timing issue then would make sense. Maybe your "work permit" in the US is not a permanent one in their eyes and if you are EU, then the long-term agreement stays regarding your retirement pension.

Here are two documents I've collected about Swiss Social Insurances with information about foreign nationals and leaving Switzerland. Perhaps you can pick through them and see what applies to you?

Sorry can't be of more help this morning!

Do you want to leave your money in this bank? Are you coming
back to Switzerland? If not, just withdraw your money and ignore
them.

The Swiss love their rules even when they make no sense whatsoever.

Perfect example: I applied to Credit Suisse explaining that the in the
US, there are no work certificates( Zeugnisse ). The employer will
only write a work confirmation with your position and the dates
you were employed. After I got the job there, the HR person asked
me 4-5 times that we don't have Zeugnisse in the US. Only when
I told my manager did it quit.

Thanks a lot everybody for your comments and help. I finally managed to convince BCV to accept my old departure notice and my H-1B visa stamp as well as my i797 form as the evidence that I don't live in Switzerland anymore.

Funny thing was that I sent them the docuemnts with UPS but somehow UPS managed to not to find the bank reporting they have moved! Turns out they could not deliver to PO boxes in Switzerland and all BCV had as mailing address was just a PO box. (A week before that I sent some documents to the same PO box with FedEx with no problem). Anyway, I could track the package and give UPS a street address. Contacted the bank again and they said they have received the documents and are in the process of releasing the funds.