Media accreditation for 33rd OSCE Ministerial Council, 3-4 December in Lugano

BERN/VIENNA, 2 November 2026 – The 33^rd Ministerial Council meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will take place on 3 and 4 December 2026 in Lugano, Switzerland. Hosted at the invitation of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis, the event will gather Foreign Ministers from the 57 OSCE participating States and 12 Partners for Co-operation.

Media representatives are invited to cover the proceedings, which will be held at Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano, Switzerland.

Registration and Accreditation

Media registration will open on Monday, 2 November and will close on Monday, 30 November, at noon CET. Registration via the online accreditation system is mandatory. Media Accreditation grants physical access to the Media Centre during the 33^rd Ministerial Council. There will be no virtual media center or online media participation. However, there will be a live stream of the arrival and handshakes of official delegations as well as of the Ministerial Council press conference via www.osce.org/live.

To register, media representatives must complete the required information and upload a recent high-quality digital colored portrait photograph. Please do not use a scan from a document as this will not give the required image quality. In the registration form, media representatives must confirm that they either hold a valid press card or can provide a letter from the editor confirming their personal assignment for this particular event. Please note, media representatives that cannot present such a document on site will not be issued with a badge. 

Media representatives will be notified by e-mail once the registration process is approved. All personal information provided during registration will be processed in accordance with Switzerland’s legislation on data protection.

Media badge collection

Please note that Media badges must be collected at the accreditation desk, at Hotel Pestalozzi, Piazza Indipendenza 9 in Lugano on:

• Wednesday, 2 December 2026: 9:00 – 19:00
• Thursday, 3 December 2026: 7:00 – 17:00
• Friday, 4 December 2026: 7:00 – 11:00

Media representatives will be requested to present a valid press card or the original letter of assignment from their media outlet, together with a valid official photo-ID (identity card or passport), when collecting their badge.

Detailed information about media facilities, virtual participation, instructions for accreditation, media pool modalities and booking of hotels will be found here.

Visa requirements

Media representatives who require visas to travel to Switzerland are required to apply in a timely manner. Prior to their trip to Switzerland, travelers are required to ensure that they have a valid passport which expires at least six months after their date of departure. If not sure whether a visa is needed, please refer to the following website: www.swiss-visa.ch.

Visa requirements can be found here. 

To ensure that visas are issued on time and in line with Schengen regulations, media representatives should file their visa application with the Swiss Embassy or the embassy representing Switzerland in Schengen issues as soon as possible – at least 21 working days before the conference.

Media representatives are asked to make their own arrangements for securing a visa, if required under Swiss law, for entry into Switzerland. In some countries, Schengen visa applications are processed by partner States. Switzerland has no influence over the allocation of appointments, the organisation of visa services, or decisions taken by its representation partners.

Media information: Further updates and details, including media pool opportunities and operational guidelines for the Media Centre, will be regularly posted on the official event page.

Media accreditation: Inquiries related to media participation and logistics at the 33rd Ministerial Council meeting can be directed to the OSCE Chairpersonship communications team at kommunikation@eda.admin.ch.

Media inquiries: For general media inquiries, please contact press@osce.org.

Follow the news about the 33^rd Ministerial Council:

• Check the OSCE Chairpersonship website
• Follow on X via #OSCEMC2026 and @OSCE
• Watch the livestream of the opening session, closing session and final press conference: OSCE Live | OSCE

• View all the pictures on Flickr

  As the OSCE's principal decision-making body, the Ministerial Council offers a key platform for Foreign Ministers to review and address the security situation in the OSCE area, as well as to evaluate the Organization's work in all its fields of activity.