1. Membership & Eligibility
- Organizations like Dignitas operate on a membership model. You must first become a member, which doesn’t guarantee you’ll go through with assisted death — most members never do The Switzerland Alternative.
- Once you’re a member, to proceed, you have to apply and be approved as a candidate for Voluntary Assisted Death (AVD). This process involves considerable documentation and scrutiny The Switzerland Alternative+1.
- Only a minority of members get this “green light,” and fewer still follow through with arranging their end-of-life plans The Switzerland Alternative.
2. Other Providers: Pegasos, Lifecircle, Athanasios
- Lifecircle had broader eligibility and sometimes accepted cases like Parkinson’s or early dementia — but its membership was closed in 2022 The Switzerland Alternative.
- Pegasos is more philosophically broad, offering AVD to people in poor quality of life, even if not terminally ill—but with careful case-by-case discretion The Switzerland Alternative.
- Athanasios is a newer provider (since April 2025), offering a middle-ground option between Dignitas and Pegasos in terms of criteria and approach The Switzerland Alternative.
3. The Final Process
- These places are often called “clinics” in media, but that’s misleading—they keep a low profile. Offices look like normal professional spaces, and the actual location is typically a discreet residential apartment or house The Switzerland Alternative.
- With Dignitas, the preferred method is oral ingestion: the individual takes an anti-emetic first, followed about 30 minutes later by the lethal dose of pentobarbital. Sleep comes within 3–5 minutes, and death follows within 20–30 minutes The Switzerland Alternative.
- Afterward, people are usually cremated in Switzerland; arrangements for returning ashes or a coffin home can be made. Families or friends may need to stay overnight, and Swiss police are notified after the death The Switzerland Alternative.
4. Summary: Step-by-Step Journey
- Choose and join an AVD organization (like Dignitas, Pegasos, Athanasios).
- Submit documentation for eligibility assessment.
- Await approval (the “green light”).
- Plan your visit, often involving a stay of 1–3 nights.
- Carry out assisted death via ingestion (or in rare cases, infusion).
- Aftercare, including official notifications and handling remains.
5. Why Switzerland?
Switzerland is unique in permitting foreigners to travel there for assisted dying — most other countries with similar laws restrict it to residents only The Switzerland Alternative.
Final Thoughts
It’s a deeply personal and serious process—guided by legal frameworks, ethical considerations, medical assessments, and respect for self-determination. Switzerland has structured organizations to ensure it’s done with dignity, clarity, and oversight.
