I have had the pleasure of acting as Honorary Consul of Switzerland since October 2016 and have been asked time and again by people I meet: What does an Honorary Consul actually do?

Let me dispel a myth I hear all the time: Yes, I have the privilege of driving a car with a red Ontario license plate which the provincial government provides to me free of charge. No, this red license plate does not allow me to park my car wherever I want and to disregard traffic rules. Consuls such as myself get parking tickets like anybody else; I speak from experience as I decided to test the myth soon after my appointment when attending a Swiss play being performed in Toronto’s east end and promptly got a fine for parking my vehicle in a no-parking zone!

Being an Honorary Consul means that I fulfil my duties as a representative of the Swiss government in the Toronto area on a part-time basis while still pursuing my business activities. This is an unpaid position, with the exception of a modest flat amount received once a year to cover expenses. Members of the Swiss honorary consular corps see their role as a service to the country and as a way to give back to the Swiss community.

The main part of my role consists in acting as liaison to the Swiss government and administration in my territory, which is the GTA. I interact on a regular basis with private individuals to assist them with navigating services offered by the Consulate General in Montreal. I also maintain contacts with provincial and local administrations with regards to Swiss matters. And I actively participate in the different Swiss organizations, such as the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Swiss Club of Toronto. People of all walks of life call, email or text with questions about passports, citizenship, old age pension and obtaining a visa to travel to Switzerland, be it for vacation, studies or work.

As Consul, I am also the first point of contact for Swiss citizens in distress in and around Toronto. Those can be fellow Swiss that have lost their passport or have been detained by border security for some reason, or Swiss citizens that are exposed to other forms of catastrophes or emergencies.

All of my duties and responsibilities are very well supported by the team of professional consular officials at the Swiss Consulate General in Montreal with whom I am in constant contact.

If you have any questions with regards to how the Swiss Consulate in Toronto can be of assistance, please contact me by email at toronto@honrep.ch.