swiss Federal Authorities Warn Against Ordering Criminal Record Extracts from Private Providers
Bern, Switzerland - The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (BJ) is cautioning citizens against using private companies to obtain criminal record extracts, citing concerns over transparency and pricing. A recent examination by Kassensturz Espresso revealed several private providers offering the service, sometimes at significantly higher costs than obtaining the document directly from official sources.
While obtaining a criminal record extract is ofen required for employment or other official purposes, the surge in demand has led to extended processing times – currently impacting all order methods. Private companies like ”meinauszug.ch” capitalize on this delay by offering expedited service, but at a premium. the BJ temporarily halted processing applications from “meinauszug.ch” due to concerns about clear disclosure of their third-party status.
“Meinerauszug.ch” lawyer Andreas Dietschi maintains the company’s practices were ”explicitly, clear and visible” from the outset, clarifying they act on behalf of customers to obtain the official extract.The company’s website now features a banner identifying it as a third-party provider, and extracts cost approximately CHF 35. The BJ confirms it is indeed now reprocessing applications from “Meinerauszug.ch” after verifying compliance with regulations.
The BJ recommends ordering directly from official bodies, which is typically cheaper, despite current delivery delays due to high demand. Details and official ordering procedures can be found on the BJ website.
