Parental child abduction is a serious matter. When a child is abducted across international borders, the difficulties are compounded for everyone involved.

The Department of State considers international parental child abduction, as well as the welfare and protection of U.S. citizen children taken overseas, to be important, serious matters. We place the highest priority on the welfare of children who have been victimized by international abductions.

The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues (CA/OCS/CI) is designated to provide assistance to the left-behind parents of international parental child abduction:

Office of Children’s Issues
Toll-Free Phone from within the U.S.: 1-888-407-4747 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Phone: (202) 736-9090
Abduction Office Fax: (202) 736-9133

Please refer to the country specific flyer for Switzerland if your child has been abducted to Switzerland.

The contact information for the Swiss Central Authority is:

Federal Office of Justice
Bundesrain 20
CH – 3003 Bern
Tel: +41 31 323 88 64
Fax: +41 31 322 78 64
E-mail: kindesschutz@bj.admin.ch

For more details, please refer to the International Parental Child Abduction homepage on the travel.State.gov website.