On 18 March 2020, the Swiss Federal Council decided, that entry at the Schengen external borders is generally prohibited with few exceptions. Switzerland follows the practice of the other Schengen states. Even at the present time, entry at the Schengen external borders is still restricted. For this reason, the Swiss government has not yet announced a resumption date for Schengen visa applications. National visas are only issued in exceptional cases, for example to family members of Swiss citizens with a right of presence in Switzerland who require a visa as well as to specialists from the health sector and to students who have been accepted at an institution of higher education.
For additional information, please consult the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration SEM.
Visa – Entry to and residence in Switzerland
Various regulations apply for entering Switzerland. A basic distinction is made between citizens of the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and those of other countries. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is the responsible authority in Switzerland.
Since Switzerland’s adherence to the Schengen and Dublin agreements came into force (12 December 2008), Swiss representations abroad are able to issue certain categories of visa, depending on the length of stay and purpose of the journey in Switzerland. Please select one of the following options.
