SwissMaxx · pre-launch
Received an official letter in Switzerland? Start here.
Before drafting a reply, turn the letter into a short list of things you can verify: who sent it, what they need, when they need it and how you should respond. Keep the original beside your notes.
By SwissMaxx · Sources checked 6 September 2026
Your first-pass checklist
- Identify the authority, department and reference number.
- Check the recipient and the matter the letter concerns.
- Find the exact request, including each required attachment.
- Copy any deadline and the wording that explains how it is calculated.
- Check the response address or portal and any signature requirements.
- Keep the original, envelope and a copy of whatever you eventually send.
1. Establish what kind of letter you have
A request for a missing document, an invoice and a formal decision call for different next steps. Read the subject line and the final paragraphs as well as the opening. Underline the action words: provide, confirm, pay, attend or respond.
For a German-language decision, look for Rechtsmittelbelehrung: information about challenging the decision. Zürich’s personnel-law guidance illustrates how this can identify the appeal route, authority and time limit. That example is specific to its context; it is not a universal deadline for Swiss letters.
2. Keep the deadline attached to its wording
Write down both the date and what the letter says must happen by then. Does it give a calendar date, refer to receipt of the decision or specify when a reply must arrive? A summary that keeps only a date can lose an important condition.
If the instruction is unclear, contact the issuing authority through a verified channel promptly. Ask which deadline and submission method apply to this particular matter. Do not assume that asking a question or requesting more time changes the deadline. Seek qualified advice promptly when a formal decision or appeal is involved.
3. Confirm the sender before sharing anything
An official-looking logo is not proof of authenticity. The Swiss cybersecurity authority has documented messages that impersonate public authorities. If something looks unusual, find the authority’s contact details independently and verify the request before following links, paying or sharing documents.
Use the reference number to explain your enquiry. Start with the question you need answered; you do not need to include your entire household record just to clarify which attachment is required.
4. Prepare a response you can check
Make a list of the requested documents. Check the version, date and recipient of each attachment, then draft a short reply that identifies the matter and lists what you are providing. Compare the draft with the original request before sending it through the specified channel.
Save the final reply and any submission or delivery confirmation with the letter. A draft is preparation; a delivery receipt is different evidence. Keeping those stages separate makes it easier to see what still needs attention.
Fictional worked example
One missing employment contract
- Source
- A fictional cantonal document request, reference EXAMPLE-1048
- Request
- Provide the current employment contract
- Date shown
- 18 September 2026 — this example only
- Uncertainty
- Is the saved contract the current signed version?
- Prepared next step
- Check the attachment, then review a response draft
The useful next step is to verify the contract version. Nothing in this example has been sent, and its date says nothing about your own letter.
Where SwissMaxx fits
SwissMaxx is being designed to connect a supported document with its facts, deadlines and a prepared next step. Maxx, the private AI assistant inside SwissMaxx, is designed to ask when a critical detail is uncertain. Consequential actions require your explicit approval.
The product is pre-launch. These examples do not demonstrate live document processing, insurance switching, payments or completed submissions. This guide is general information, not a determination of your legal position or an individual insurance recommendation.
Explore the fictional product flow →Sources and scope
Use the original document and current official guidance for your case. Rules and circumstances can change.
- Kanton Zürich: Verfügung
German; an example of formal-decision and appeal information in Zürich personnel law, not a general deadline rule.
- Swiss cybersecurity authority: impersonation of federal authorities
Examples of fraudulent messages using authorities’ names and advice on handling suspicious links.