Switzerland Visa Information

Switzerland is a small country in Central Europe known for its loose banking regulations, great utility knives and watches, and magnificent mountains: the Swiss Alps in the south, and the Jura Mountains are in the northwest. The Swiss pride themselves on their country being internationally recognized as a premier destination for skiing and mountaineering.

While there are plenty of other attractions in Switzerland, we recommend going trekking on the Alpina Green Trail. In seven days, you'll climb the exhausting 144 km uphill to witness some breathtaking views of the Alps. Plus, on your way, you can stop one of their countless luxury resorts, enjoy haute cuisine, and relax at a spa. Best of all, it can be surprisingly inexpensive to visit for Western travelers.

Bear in mind that you may need a visa.

Since Switzerland is a Schengen Area member, you may require a Schengen visa. That is not applicable in two particular cases. In the first case, you do not need a visa if you travel from another EU state or an EEA (European Economic Area) country. EU/EEA citizens have the right to free movement within the Union. A visa-exemption is also granted to people who travel from the countries that are in the visa waiver program (Annex II). However, this category of travelers can stay within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days.

To find out in which category you fit, you can take a look at the visa policy of the Schengen Area. However, we recommend you use our Visa Checker Tool. Click the box in the top right corner of this page, select your nationality from the drag-down menu, and choose Switzerland as your destination. In seconds, you'll know your nation's visa status Moreover, if you do require a visa, you will be given a list of the nearest embassies where you can apply in-person. You cannot obtain a Schengen visa online, which is why iVisa does not process these applications. Even so, we would still like to help. Our free, 24/7 support service is at your disposal should you have questions about the visa application process.

If you discover that you'll need a Schengen visa, you need to decide the embassy to visit in-person because you don't necessarily need to visit a Swiss embassy. It depends on your travel itinerary. The rules about this are quite strict: If you want to travel to Switzerland only, then, of course, you must get your visa from the Swiss embassy. However, if you have multiple planned destinations in the Schengen Area, you must apply for your visa at the embassy of the country which is your primary (longest stay) or first destination.

Although we cannot currently assist you with the Schengen visa application process itself, we hope that the above information helps point you in the right direction.