The Swiss Tourist Visa for your Holiday or Visiting a Family
If you are thinking of travelling to Switzerland on a holiday or to meet a relative or friend, then applying for a Swiss tourist visa can become a necessary task.
Usually, you can apply for the required Swiss tourist visa online/ at the nearest Swiss consulate in the country where you live, for a stay in Switzerland of up to 3 months.
General Visa Requirements and Validity Period of Swiss Tourist Visa
Before applying for a tourist visa for Switzerland, it is recommended you check whether you can apply for the Swiss tourist visa.
A brief list of the most important requirements and conditions when obtaining the tourist visa for Switzerland:
- You do not intend to carry out volunteer job that would otherwise be performed by a paid worker in Switzerland.
- You do not plan to enter into an employment relationship in Switzerland.
- You do not mean to supply services to Swiss organisations (this is permitted with a Swiss work visa or business visa).
- You do not plan to offer or sell services or products to consumers in Switzerland.
- You and your relative are not in debt to the Switzerland Government.
- You do not pose a risk to the health or safety of the people of Switzerland.
- You are able to show that you have adequate financial resources to finance your stay and return from Switzerland.
Do you require a Swiss tourist visa?
It depends on your citizenship and also the kind of travel document you are using to travel to Switzerland.Please visit here to find out if you require a Swiss visa.
Who can get a Swiss tourist visa?
Any person hoping to go on vacation to Switzerland can request a Swiss tourist visa.
There are several kinds of visa for Switzerland which you can use as a traveller to Switzerland. If you are unsure which sort of Swiss tourist visa you require to apply, please contact the local Swiss visa office to obtain further information as goal of this page is to give you basic overview when making an application for Swiss tourist visa.
What type of Swiss visa do I require?
This depends on 3 points:
- The nationality according to your passport – If the citizenship according to the passport is from a country that is on visa free travel to Switzerland or eligible to secure a visa on arrival in Switzerland, then you may not require to obtain a Swiss tourist visa prior to departure from your home country. Please click on this link to confirm if you need a Swiss visa.
- The length of your stay in Switzerland – If you intend to stay in Switzerland for a shorter period no more than 90 days, then you can get the Swiss tourist visa. If you want to stay longer, then get in touch with the local Swiss visa office to secure the suitable visa for your travel.
- The activities you hope to accomplish in Switzerland – If your sole purpose of travelling is for vacation, then you can make an application for all types of Swiss tourist visas mentioned on this page.
General Visa Application Requirements to Make An Application For Swiss Traveller Visa
- Visitor visa Form for Switzerland – Completed Swiss visa Form.
- Original and signed passport – The passport has to be valid for at least 6 months prior to entering Switzerland and three months after departing Switzerland. It should have at least two spare visa web pages and can not be older than ten years.
- Passport type photo – Photo has to be no older than 6 months and should be 35 x 40mm in size.
- Previous passport – Give a previous passport if you had any.
- Previous visas – Copies of previous Swiss visas information if you had any.
- Flight tickets to Switzerland – Reservation of return or round trip flight tickets. In some situations the Swiss visa office may request prepaid flight tickets to Switzerland.
- Travel insurance – Proof of travel insurance policy with a minimum cover set by the Swiss embassy provided with the Certification of Insurance policy and the table of benefits. The travel insurance must cover the cost of repatriation for medical reasons and the Certificate of Currency should be issued by an insurance company. If you are thinking of utilizing your credit card travel insurance for your travel to Switzerland, please call Swiss consular office to find out more and travel insurance coverage requirements for the Swiss visa.
- Original financial institution statements – Original financial institution statements for the last 3 months showing enough funds to cover stay in Switzerland. If statements are printed online then it has to be Authenticated (stamped) by the financial institution representatives.
- Hotel Reservations in Switzerland – Copy of confirmed hotel reservations including name of the applicant, name and address of the hotel, length of stay. In the majority of conditions, only bookings which are partly or completely pre-paid can be accepted.
- Work letter – This letter needs to be: original and signed letter from employer written on company letter head paper, confirming your ongoing employment, the status of employment, regular monthly salary and annual leave. Likewise, please offer your 3 latest pay slips. If you are self-employed: give certified copies of company registration, income tax return.
- For students. Please offer the following:
- Evidence of current student status: Certificate of Enrollment.
- Original and signed letter from university written on university letter head paper, affirming on-going enrolment, verifying the payment of tuition fees or any scholarships, and confirming semester break.
- Insurance coverage from Organisation/University – Supply a letter from the University stating the purpose, period of travel and confirmation that you will be covered by the insurance coverage for the whole trip along with the Certificate of Currency and summary of benefits.
As a whole, visa applications for Swiss visa should be sent for a maximum of 6 months, and no later than 15 days, prior to the journey.