Visits to the end-of-life Centres A note about EX International

“May be less expensive than the others”

The Assisted Dying Coalition in the UK has estimated that between 2015 and 2018 a total of 233 UK citizens ended their lives at one of the centres in Switzerland.   That would imply 58 per year.   Of these, approximately 12% used EX International.   That may be an over-estimate and the calculation was, in  any event, done before Pegasos started.

(“EX International” is not the same as “Exit International”. The latter is the publisher of The Peaceful Pill Handbook and (available in September 2023) Going to Switzerland, a book that covers much of the same ground as this website.)

I must report that my efforts to meet with EX International were not a success.  

Their leaders, Mrs Schleiss and Mr Steller responded to my e-mails, were in principle prepared to meet but were not able to do so on any of my suggested dates.   The website, last up-dated in 2019, is an opening page only with no subsequent information.   My requests for further details have not been answered.

However, this much I can report.   They are based in Bern, about 63 miles from Basel/Mulhouse airport.   They, like Dignitas, ask their members to take a drink rather than to use a cannula.   They handle a significant number of requests from Swiss people, usually in their members’ own homes and they have a significant share of the market in Germany.

They seek to avoid publicity of all forms, even to the extent of an entry on this website. They prefer you to join as a member when you are still well and are simply making contingency preparations for the future. They much prefer a personal meeting before any final visit to Switzerland. If you respond to their website with a request for membership details, you will be sent a simple registration form which must be returned together with a passport photo. There is a subscription request, with a minimum of 250 CHD. There are then no further costs to pay unless and until you decide to use their service. At that point, your total further fees will be 9,500 CHD (approximately £10,450) which is rather high but includes everything except your travel and accommodation costs.

As with Dignitas and Lifecircle, they offer to reduce their fees for people experiencing financial hardship. A letter to a recent applicant (Autumn 2024) said “Furthermore – and we place particular emphasis on this issue – no member should have to renounce to a dignified death due to lack of money”. Although they are largely volunteer based, the administration and general responsiveness seems to be very good.

Our own attempts at communication with them have not been successful (I suspect they thought we were simply trying to sell them something) but other reports have been encouraging. So, if you are finding Pegasos a bit unresponsive or just need an alternative to Dignitas then a simple enquiry to EX International could be a sensible move. Certainly, Silvan Luley of Dignitas spoke highly of them and at least four other visitors to this website have reported satisfactory dealings.