Visit Switzerland Using the Switzerland Tourist Visa

Welcome to Switzerland!

Use the Switzerland tourist visa to visit Switzerland and explore the beautiful country. To visit Switzerland, you will need a visa that will allow you to travel throughout the Schengen member countries. These include Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, the Netherlands, Malta, Slovakia, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden.

Schengen State authorizes you with a Schengen visa to enable you:

• To do an intended stay in the Schengen States territory for not more than 90 days in a 180-day period (this is a “short-stay visa”)
• To do transit through the international transit areas present in the airports of the Schengen States (this is an “airport transit visa”).

In other words, the Schengen visa is equal to the Switzerland tourist visa. Now let’s learn more about the Switzerland visit visa.

People who require a Switzerland Tourist Visa

There are some nationals who aren’t required to apply for a visa in order to visit Switzerland for not more than 90 days. Those nationals include nationals from the EU (European Union), EEA (European Economic Area), and the Schengen Area.

Also, if you are a citizen of the US, you have no need to apply for a visa to get entry into Switzerland. In fact, you are allowed to visit the country for at most a period of 90 days without obtaining a visa.

However, if you are a US Green Card holder, you may be required to apply for a Switzerland Tourist Visa to enter the country. In this case, your country-of-origin matters. If your country of origin has the privilege of visa-free travel, you aren’t required to apply for a visa. In other cases, you must apply for a Schengen Visa.

A Schengen visa is necessary for citizens from third-world countries. This is because nationals of third-world countries do not have the privilege of visa-free travel will to Switzerland.

The process to obtain a Switzerland tourist visa

The visa application forms for this purpose are of 2 kinds:

Type C – Schengen visa for up to 90 days: If you are staying for up to 90 days, for the purpose of tourism, you must apply via the form for a Type C visa.

To work in Switzerland, you have to apply for a work permit also.

Type D – Long-stay visa for a stay over 90 days: If your plan is to stay for more than 90 days, you must apply using a form for a Type D visa.

Visa application submission

Submit your visa application to a Swiss embassy/consulate. It’s recommended to apply at least 2 months but no longer than 6 months prior to your trip.

In certain cases, you can apply via the online visa system.

When to apply for a Switzerland Tourist Visa?

It’s recommended that you start your Switzerland visit visa application at the earliest. You had better apply for the visa at least 3 months before the date of travel.

Documents needed to apply for the Switzerland Tourist Visa

• Schengen Visa application form completely filled for submission
• 2 identical passport photos adhering to specific requirements
• A valid passport/travel document with 3-month validity after the trip you planned is done.
• Copies of your passport (signature pages, data, and photo)
• Copies of your previous Schengen Visas that were issued in the last 5 years (if applicable).
• Notarized copy of residency proof in the USA if you hold a Green Card, H1B visa, or an F1 visa
• Proof of accommodation viz. a hotel reservation
• A flight itinerary.
• Proof of sufficient funds (last 3 months’ bank statements).
• Documents that are presented as proof of your employment status
• A letter of invitation when visiting friends or relatives (if applicable)
• Health insurance/Medical insurance that covers at least €30,000 in medical expenses
• Prepaid return shipping labels

The procedure to apply for the visa

Here are the steps:

• Collect all the documents required to be submitted.
• Fill out your Schengen visa application form either online or on paper.
• Schedule a visa appointment wherein your biometric information. These include fingerprints and digital photographs. Biometric info is collected if it hasn’t been submitted in the last 59 months. In case you don’t need to fix an appointment, mail your application as well as required documents to the Application Center/Embassy responsible to process your visa.
• Attend your visa appointment, if scheduled.
• Wait for your visa application feedback. It will take 10 to 15 days for visa application processing. If approved, your documents will be mailed back to you using the prepaid shipping labels you submitted along with your documents.