Access to official documents

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) anyone is entitled to view official documents and to access information about their content. Find out how to request access to these documents.

Anybody – regardless of their nationality or legal status – can request access to official documents. Official documents are any information about the execution of a public function that is available in digital or written form and is held by a public authority subject to the FoIA. The information must also be held by the authority that created it or that received it from a third party.

Federal Act on Freedom of Information in the Administration

Federal Ordinance on Freedom of Information in the Administration

How can a request be submitted?

You can send your request to [e-mail].

You don’t need to state reasons. However, the request should be as precise as possible (including information such as date, title, area) so that the requested documents can be identified. If anything is unclear, it is advisable to ask the FSVO beforehand:

Telephone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Restrictions

The FoIA sets out a number of exemptions. Access may be restricted, deferred or refused if:

• the request affects relations between the federal government and cantons, or between the cantons;
• the request compromises the privacy of third parties;
• the information requested was provided voluntarily by a third party to an authority, which undertook to treat it as confidential;
• the information requested reveals professional, business or manufacturing secrets.

In the area of foodstuffs and nutrition, the following also applies: official inspection reports and documents containing conclusions drawn from findings and information from inspections, and results of research work and surveys are not made available to the general public if they allow producers, distributors or products to be identified (Art. 24 para. 4 Foodstuffs Act).

Time frames and procedures

The FSVO reviews each request individually. It decides whether to grant access or whether an exemption applies, and justifies any refusal or restriction in writing. Requests are usually processed in around 20 days but this may take longer for complex documents or if third parties need to be consulted.