Exact Requirements:
• Indian ordinary passport holders require a Schengen visa to visit Switzerland for tourism.
• The correct visa category for a holiday of up to 90 days is a Schengen Short-Stay Visa, Type C.
• Switzerland must be competent to process the application.
Normally, this means Switzerland should be the traveller's main destination based on the purpose or length of stay.
Example
Switzerland – 7 nights
France – 3 nights
Italy – 2 nights
Apply through Switzerland.
Where the duration in several Schengen countries is equal and there is no single main destination, the competent country is generally determined by the first Schengen country of entry.
• Applications from residents of India are normally submitted through VFS Global and processed by the Embassy of Switzerland in New Delhi.
• The passport must have been issued within the previous 10 years.
• Passport must remain valid for at least 3 months after the applicant's planned departure from the Schengen Area.
• Passport must have at least 2 blank visa pages.
• Handwritten passports are not accepted.
• Certain Indian passports containing manual observations affecting bio-data can also create acceptance issues under Swiss requirements.
• A completed and signed Schengen Visa Application Form is required.
• One recent passport photograph is required.
Photo requirements include:
White/light background
Not older than 6 months
Approximately 35–40 mm in width
Recent original photograph
Not a scanned or copied photograph
• A covering/introduction letter is required.
For an employed applicant, the Swiss Embassy's India tourist checklist specifically requires an original introduction letter on company letterhead.
It should include:
Applicant's position
Length of employment
Approved leave / No Objection for the Switzerland/Schengen trip
Travel dates
Purpose of travel
The letter should be signed and stamped by HR or appropriate company management.
• Complete flight reservations are required.
Flight booking should show the names of the travellers.
Where applicable, also provide:
Intra-Schengen flights
Train bookings
Car-rental arrangements
Other intercity transport
• Proof of accommodation throughout the Schengen trip is required.
Suitable evidence includes:
Confirmed hotel reservations
Apartment/accommodation reservations
Package-tour confirmation
Advance payment confirmation where applicable
If visiting several Schengen countries, accommodation should normally cover the complete itinerary.
• Travel medical insurance is mandatory.
The policy must:
Be valid throughout the Schengen Area
Cover the complete planned stay
Provide minimum medical coverage of EUR 30,000 per person
Cover emergency medical treatment
Cover emergency hospital treatment
Cover medical repatriation
Indian applicants should use an insurance provider accepted under the Swiss Embassy's approved Indian travel-insurance list.
• Proof of financial status is mandatory.
For employed applicants, the Switzerland India Tourist Visa checklist specifically requires:
Last 3 months salary slips
Last 3 months personal bank statements showing salary credits
Personal Income Tax Returns for the last 2 assessment years
For Income Tax Returns, Switzerland specifically states that only:
ITR-V
Indian Income Tax Return Verification Form
or
Acknowledgement
is accepted.
• Personal bank statements must cover the last 3 months.
Swiss/VFS India guidance specifically requires personal bank statements to be:
On A4-size paper
Stamped by the bank
Signed by the bank
Submitted in original form according to the checklist requirements.
• For self-employed applicants / company owners:
Provide:
Business registration certificate
OR GST registration with applicable annexures
OR Partnership Deed
OR Proprietorship evidence
OR other appropriate ownership evidence
Additionally:
Last 3 months personal bank statements
Personal ITR-V / ITR Acknowledgement for the last 2 assessment years
• For retired applicants:
Provide:
Personal pension bank statements for the last 3 months
Evidence of regular income from property, business or another legitimate source, where applicable
• For students above 16:
Provide:
Student college/school ID
Introduction/enrolment letter from the School, College or University
Financial sponsorship evidence where the student is dependent on parents or another sponsor should also be prepared.
• For an unemployed applicant:
Unemployment itself does not automatically prevent a Schengen Tourist Visa application.
However, the applicant must establish sufficient financial resources and genuine circumstances for returning to India.
Where another person finances the trip, appropriate sponsorship documents, sponsor financial evidence and proof of relationship should be provided.
The exact supporting-document combination should be verified against the applicant's circumstances before submission.
• For families travelling together:
The Swiss Embassy allows certain common supporting documents to be attached principally to the head of family's application when the applications are submitted together.
These may include:
Bank statements
ITR
Travel insurance covering all travellers
Flight booking showing all travellers
Hotel confirmations covering the family
Each individual still requires their own visa application and passport.
• For applicants below 18 years:
Additional parental-consent requirements apply.
Where the minor is not travelling with both parents:
Notarised consent from the non-travelling parent/legal guardian is required.
Where travelling alone:
Notarised consent from both parents/legal guardians is required.
Copies of the parents' identification/passports are also required.
Custody, divorce or death documents must be submitted where relevant.
• Biometrics are mandatory for most applicants aged 12 and above.
Switzerland has participated in the Schengen Visa Information System biometric programme in India since 2 November 2015.
If the applicant has not previously provided valid Schengen fingerprints, personal appearance is mandatory.
• Fingerprints previously collected for a Schengen visa can generally be reused for 59 months.
If valid fingerprints exist in the Visa Information System and can be reused, a fresh biometric appointment may not always be necessary.
The Embassy may nevertheless require fingerprints again if the previous biometric data are insufficient.
• Children below 12 are exempt from fingerprint collection.
• Personal interview is not mandatory in every case.
However, the Embassy of Switzerland reserves the right to request an interview.
• Invitation letter is NOT required for a normal independent tourist staying in hotels.
If the actual purpose is staying with family or friends in Switzerland, the applicant should use the appropriate Visitor Visa supporting-document requirements rather than the standard hotel-based Tourist Visa checklist.
• Travel insurance is mandatory.
It must not be shown in Tripex as merely recommended.
• Bank statements are mandatory for the relevant financial categories in the Swiss India Tourist Visa checklist.
• ITR is specifically required for employed and self-employed applicants under the published India Tourist Visa checklist.
• Aadhaar card is not listed as a standard mandatory Switzerland Tourist Visa document.
• Confirmed fully paid air tickets are not necessarily required merely to submit a visa application.
Flight reservations are required, and applicants should avoid unnecessary non-refundable bookings before visa approval.
• Visa approval does not guarantee admission to Switzerland.
At the Schengen external border, a traveller may still be required to demonstrate:
Valid passport
Valid visa
Purpose of visit
Accommodation
Return/onward arrangements
Sufficient funds
Travel conditions
• The Entry/Exit System, or EES, is now operational across participating European external borders. Travellers may therefore be subject to electronic entry/exit recording and border biometric procedures.
