Hello,


I am from 3rd World country and Currently I am living in Zurich and studying at UZH. I had my passport from my country. But now its expired already in March 2020. Since march 2020, I have been waiting for my new passport but still my countries passport office didn't delivery my passport. The officers of passport office told me, they will not issue my passport for some reason (I dont want to disclose those reason here).



Now I have valid B permit for study in Switzerland. But I dont have valid passport. Now, I want to travel Germany/France for visiting my friends. But I couldnt. Because if police of Germany/France caught me without passport, then maybe police will impose immigration law to me. So, now I am afraid.


In this case, what should I do now here? Should I submit a asylums application?

On what grounds? That your embassy won't issue you a new passport for whatever reason? No grounds for an asylum claim there.

I've never tried this but I've been told that for local travel to Germany / France etc, a Swiss residence permit is sufficient i.e. no passport needed. But possibly the rule is different for a non-EU/EFTA citizen. Someone will know.

Just to add: on the wider point about your country not renewing your passport it may be difficult for people to assist if you give no further information at all, though i appreciate there may be genuine reasons for not saying more.

Embassy clearly told me, they will not issue me a new passport right now however if they will issue a new passport then it will take very long time (Maybe 2/3 years at-least). Very long bureaucratic verification needed. My current passport terminated from their system.

The main reason is, my home country issued another passport under my personal number. And there is no link between my current passport and their issued new passport. I don't know how they did this. They terminated my current passport, when they issued another new passport. Even I dont know, to whom they delivered my new passport. Since my current passport terminated, thus passport authority doesn't want to issue a new passport to me.

Another thing is, I have some conflict with local political leaders. I think they did this by using corrupted passport officers power.

Hi,

In theory, to get a residence permit you need a passport that has a validity longer than the residence permit you're asking. For example, if you ask today a residence permit valid for 1 year (Nov 2021) you need a passport valid until Feb 2022.

Are you sure the B permit is still valid? If so, this is a special case where cantonal authorities granted a permit beyond the passport validity and our general knowledge may not apply.

Yes, I am sure. This year I renewed my permit without my valid passport. Simply I told them I submitted my passport renewal application but still I am waiting for my new passport.
My current B permit valid until September 2021.

A mix up with issuing you a new passport isn't grounds for an asylum claim. If you can prove your life would be in danger if you return back to your home country then you might be able to claim asylum. However, if it is successful it wouldn't give you any documents to allow you to travel anywhere. Your B permit would be replaced with either an F or N and it's unlikely you'd be able to work.

https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home...t_eu_efta.html

See this for more info on applying for asylum.

https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home...verfahren.html

May I ask if you still physically have the terminated 'current' passport?

That is incorrect. While the Swiss residence permit will allows you to cross the border (so no immigration violation) you can still get a fine for not having the correct and mandatory travel document when you cross the border and also for not being able to produces said document upon request.

§§ 13, 47a, and 98 German AufenthG
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/a...004/index.html


If a foreign person is provable unable to get a passport from their home country they might get a special ID papers/Passport from the Swiss government. This ID/passport might or might not be suitable for travel abroad. Until then all travel plans abroad should be postponed.
https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/de/home...dokumente.html
https://www.zh.ch/content/dam/zhweb/...sonen%20IW.pdf

__________________
What?

Yes, my current passport is with me. Its expired and terminated.

That's unexpected, but count it as a success that you have a residence permit for CH until Sep 2021.

Then the worst case is staying within Switzerland or try to get a Swiss travel document for foreigners (didn't know such thing existed) as presented by aswissintheus. Unfortunately, the French are on alert for terrorist attacks, meaning passport checks at unexpected places.

Be careful what you ask for. Being a refugee is not easy in this country.

Suggest you go to your embassy and ask them for help to start with!

They (the embassy) might issue you some sort of identification certificate maybe? Did you ask?

I dont have any intention to be a refugee. I have very good academic records and I am self-employed person. I need to visit France/Germany for my own business purposes. Its very urgent for me.



Since I dont have valid passport, then what should I do now? Please give me some suggestion.

Does your home country have an embassy in Switzerland? I once required an emergency passport and it was my country's Ambassador to Switzerland in Bern who made it happen.

If your story is genuine, your nation's Ambassador might be of some assistance in dealing with your home country's passport office.

As far as I understand, international travel is out for the time being as a residence permit is neither an official piece of identification nor an official travel document: it is only valid for travel when presented alongside your passport.

If you apply for asylum that's exactly what you will be - a refugee. As such you will be unable to travel anywhere outside of Switzerland since your F/N permit wouldn't allow it. Nor am I sure you'd be able to continue working; the Swiss authorities would have to give you permission to work as asylum seekers don't have the right to work here. All employment has to be authorised by the Swiss authorities first.

And make sure you get your story straight if you do apply. Because atm you're telling different ones here. First you say you're a student who wants to visit friends, now you claim you're self-employed and need to travel on business urgently. Sorry, but the two don't go together. Non-EU students are only allowed to work for Swiss employers for a max of 15 hours a week during term time, not run their own business.

Sorry for misunderstanding. FYI, I am working on Upwork dot com and I have an Freelance agency account there. As a freelance worker, I am thinking myself as a Self-employed. My friend is dealing with 2 clients in Germany and France. At first I will visit him, then we will visit our clients office together.

What is your home country?

And I suspect you are in breach of your student permit since it doesn't allow you to be self-employed. You can only work for Swiss employers and only with permission.