2nd July, 2010

 

Do I require a visa for Switzerland?

 

Travellers wishing to enter Switzerland for the purpose of tourism, business trips and visits for a maximum stay of 90 days do NOT require a Schengen visa for Switzerland if they hold one of the following passports (passport has to be valid at the time of departure from Switzerland):

 

 

1) BRITISH PASSPORT: must contain one of the following remarks:

    "British Citizen" (B.C)
    "British National" (Overseas)" (B.N:O.) 

    "British Overseas Territory Citizen" (B.O.T.C.), only with right of abode in UK

    "British Subject", only with right of abode in UK

 

 

2) TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:

    - UK travel documents, issued to refugees by the Home Office, with blue cover, two black

      stripes (gold stripes since 16.08.96) in the top left hand corner and mentioning agreement of

      28 July 1951

    - LATVIA Alien's Passport

 

 

3) NATIONAL, OFFICIAL or DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT, IDENTITY CARD:

     - of all EU countries and EEA

 

 

4) NATIONAL, OFFICIAL or DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT of any of the following countries:

 

Andorra	El Salvador	Mexico	Seychelles
Argentina	Honduras	Monaco	Singapore
Australia	Hong Kong (HKSAR)	Montenegro *	South Korea
Brazil	Israel	Nicaragua	USA
Brunei	Macao (MSAR only)	New Zealand	Uruguay
Canada	Macedonia *	Panama	Vatican
Chile	Malaysia	San Marino	Venezuela
Costa Rica	Mauritius	Serbia	West Indies (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis)

 

 

 

    *   only holders of biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirements

 

 

 

 

5) DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT of any of the following countries:

 

Albania	Cuba	Moldova	Thailand
Algeria	Dominican Republic	Morocco	Tunisia
Bolivia	Ecuador	Namibia	Turkey
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Iran	Peru	Ukraine
Colombia	Macedonia	Philippines

 

 

6) OFFICIAL PASSPORT

 

    Philippines (issued by the Philippines government for government officials only)

 

 

7) SERVICE PASSPORT of any of the following countries:

 

Algeria	Cuba	Morocco	Tunisia
Bolivia	Dominican Republic	Namibia
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Ecuador	Peru
Colombia	Macedonia	Thailand

 

 

8) SPECIAL PASSPORT of any of the following countries:

 

Bolivia	Dominican Republic	Moldova	Peru
Colombia	Ecuador	Morocco	Thailand
Cuba	Macedonia	Namibia	Tunisia

 

 

9) SCHOOL TRIPS EXEMPTION

    Pupils of UK schools who would normally require a visa to enter Switzerland are exempt from   

    the visa requirements if they are listed on a "List of Travellers" form which must be shown to

    immigration officials. They must also:
    -  be travelling on a school trip

    -  be accompanied by a teacher from the school

    -  have their own valid travel document

    -  have a valid UK residence permit or visa

 

    To obtain the List of Travellers form, the teacher should apply online at:
    http://www.britishcouncil.org/listoftravellers

    Further information about the List of Travellers can be obtained from:

    British Council Information Centre

    Tel. 0161 957 7755

    Email: general.enquiries@britishcouncil.org

 

 

If you do not fulfil the above conditions you have to obtain a Schengen visa.

Please note that the visa application must be submitted to the Swiss Embassy responsible for your place of residence. A visa application not submitted to the correct Swiss Embassy may be rejected.