World Country Guide

Passports
Passport valid for three months after intended period of stay required by all except:
(a) 1. nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden and the UK holding a valid national identity card;
(b) 2. foreigners holding national Identity Cards issued by the governments of Belgium, France or Luxembourg, provided they are resident in one of these countries.
(c) 3. nationals of Czech Republic, Hungary (only with valid national identity cards that are green and blue), Slovak Republic and Slovenia with valid national identity cards, only if their stay does not exceed three months;
(d) 4. nationals of Germany with passports expired for up to one year;
(e) nationals of Liechtenstein who may enter Switzerland without valid identity papers.

Visas
Required by all except the following for stays of up to three months:
(a) nationals of countries referred to in the chart above;
(b) nationals of countries in South and North/Central America, including nationals of Caribbean island/West Indies states (except nationals of Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti and Peru who do need a visa);
(c) nationals of Andorra, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Fiji, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tuvalu and Vatican City;
(d) nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan (China, PR), Thailand and United Arab Emirates, if in possession of a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa (valid for all Schengen states);
(e) nationals in direct transit travelling within 48 hours providing they hold all valid documents, except nationals of certain countries (see note).
Note: Stateless persons require a transit visa at all times. Nationals of Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Congo (Dem Rep), Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Turkey require a transit visa unless they hold a visa or residence permit for an EU country, Canada, Iceland, Norway or the USA.

Types of visa and cost
Tourist; Visitor; Business; Transit; Airport Transit. All visas cost £25.

Validity
Three months. Transit visas: 48 hours.

Note

Application to
Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy responsible for place of residence; see Contact Addresses section). UK applicants should note that residents of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and norther parts of England must obtain their visas from the Swiss Consulate General in Manchester (see Contact Addresses section). Visa applications must be made in person; postal applications are not accepted.

Application requirements
Tourist: (a) Valid passport or travel document. (b) One completed application form. (c) One recent passport-size photo (three for student visas). (d) Fee, payable in cash only. (e) Return/onward ticket. (f) Proof of sufficient funds in the form of a recent bank statement/travellers’ cheques (£50 per day, £25 for students). (g) Hotel reservation. Transit: (a)-(e) and, (f) Proof of flight with an airline licensed in Switzerland. (i) Visa(s) for ongoing destination(s). Visitor: (a)-(e) and, (f) Invitation letter from Swiss resident sent directly to the Embassy, with a copy of their Swiss Passport/ID card or Resident Permit. Business: (a)-(e) and, (f) Invitation from Swiss company sent directly to the Embassy. Student: (a)-(f) and, (g) CV, including explanation of intentions of applicant in Switzerland, plus diplomas/school reports and attestation from educational institution in Switzerland, and proof of payment of school fees.

Working days required
Visas may be issued within 24 hours, but travellers are advised to apply at least one week prior to departure and no earlier than three months before proposed travel. Some applications may need to be referred to the Swiss authorities, which can take six to eight weeks for approval.

Temporary residence
Nationals of most European and some other countries do not require a visa if they intend to take up employment or residence in Switzerland; however, before entry they must obtain an Assurance of a Residence Permit from their employer in Switzerland.