Visa – Entry to and residence in Switzerland

Publication

The dossier is intended for people who leave Switzerland to take up permanent residence in another country and work abroad.

Dossier: Living and working in the USA (PDF, Number of pages 37, 1.8 MB, French)

Other languages

Dossier: Leben und Arbeiten in den USA
Dossier: Vivere e Lavorare negli Stati Uniti

Given the current circumstances, the Swiss representations are operating at reduced capacity. Consular services will continue to be available for urgent and essential cases. In order to follow the recommended measures of social distancing, please limit your visits to the Embassy to appointments that have been scheduled in advance. Please contact your representation by e-mail and include your first name, name, date of birth and specify your situation and urgency.

Please contact the Embassy of Switzerland or the Consulate General of Switzerland which is in charge for your place of residence *) when you want to register or unregister as a resident, when you need a new Swiss passport or Swiss identity card, have moved or wish to apply for Swiss citizenship. The entire selection of services offered can be found in the dropdown list to the right.

Swiss citizens who get into difficulties abroad, also can ask for advice and help from their Swiss representation.

*) You can find out which Swiss representation is in charge for your place of residence by clicking on the tab "Representations" in the grey ribbon above.

The magazine for the Swiss Abroad appears six times a year and provides information about what is happening at home and the activities of Swiss associations abroad. It also answers administrative questions.

Online desk FDFA

Using the FDFA’s online consular services while abroad.

The relevant Swiss representation abroad can answer any questions concerning the FDFA’s online desk.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Effective June 26, the Swiss representations in the USA have resumed their visa services and accept all types of visa visa applications. Please register your visa application online at www.swiss-visa.ch.

Attention: Before applying for a Schengen visa, please make sure that you hold a valid Green card or a valid US visa allowing you to fly back to the USA. You may check if your visa class is accepted by the US authorities to reenter the USA on the website of the US Embassy in Berne – chapter Travelers using Visa or ESTA. If this is not the case, you will either need to present an additional national interest exception visa issued by the US Embassy in Berne or risk to see your Schengen visa application refused.

For further information please visit: SEM

Information about travel to Switzerland related to COVID-19

Effective June 26, 2021, the USA is not considered a high-risk country any more and therefore, the regular entry conditions apply.

To see what rules apply to your own particular situation when entering Switzerland please consult the online travelcheck.

All travelers arriving in Switzerland by plane must fill in the entry form (no exceptions).

If your trip to Switzerland includes transit through another foreign country, you must also check the entry restrictions of that country.

For further information please consult the COVID-19-Ordinance or the website of the State Secretariat of Migration.

Information about QUARANTINE, ENTRY FORM, VACCINATION CERTIFICATE and negative COVID TEST

Travelers arriving in Switzerland from the USA do not have to go into quarantine (FOPH).

Mandatory for all airline passengers travelling from the USA to Switzerland:

Electronic form for all incoming travelers (no exceptions)
Present one of the following medical documents (if older than 16 years):
- a COVID-19 vaccination certificate stating that you were fully vaccinated within the last 12 months with an approved vaccine
- a negative COVID-19 PCR test, taken no more than 72 hours (time of specimen collection) before departure
- a positive COVID-19 test result of a test taken within the last 6 months and a COVID-19 recovery medical certificate

For further information on quarantine and COVID Test requirements, please see the website of the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH.

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.

SEM

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.