Travel Visas to Switzerland Switzerland is part of the Schengen zone, which means that visa free visitors are typically given 180 day visas, of which you can stay in the region for 90 days. Once you stay for 90 days in Switzerland or any of the other Schengen countries you need to fully exit the [...]
Published on January 9, 2010
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Travel Visas to Switzerland
Switzerland is part of the Schengen zone, which means that visa free visitors are typically given 180 day visas, of which you can stay in the region for 90 days. Once you stay for 90 days in Switzerland or any of the other Schengen countries you need to fully exit the immigration area for at least another 90 days before returning. There is currently no way to extend a tourist visa to the Schengen zone. Be aware that Switzerland is one of the most diligent countries in the region for prosecuting visitors who overstay their visas.
More information at Schengen visa questions.
Submit information and links about how to obtain travel visas to Switzerland. How did you get your Switzerland visa? Contribute information below to help other travelers.
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FAQ about visas to Switzerland
Is a UK visa good for Switzerland?
hey i have a visitor visa to england but i would like to pass some days in paris and visit france then i visit some friends in switzerland for a short days haw can i do to get a visa for all that countries or im allowed to do that iim a holder of a tunisian passport?
No, as a holder of a Tunisian passport, you need to have a prearranged visa to enter the Schengen zone, which includes Switzerland and France.
Will there be problems flying out of Geneva after overstaying my Schengen visa?
Hello, Looking for some help. I came over to Europe on a tourist visa in late september. I flew into the UK and then over to Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Croatia… My question is.. I’m about to fly home to LAX via Heathrow from Geneva. Do you think I might run into any problems crossing borders? I’ve obviously well overstayed; not realizing that Switzerland is part of the Schengen region. If i make it through Geneva without a problem do you know if I’ll have to go through customs in the UK? I know they’re super strict and just worry about that more so than GVA. I also never got stamped crossing any borders in the last 6 months; would that help or hurt me? Thanks so much!
The sad state of affairs is the Swizerland tends to be one of the most vigilent countries of all the Schengen zone in terms of punishing visa overstayers. From the reports I receive, it seems as if you have at least a 95% chance of being caught for the overstay when going through immigration for your flight out of Geneva. The typical penalties that the Swiss tend to give out are a large fine and/ or a three year ban from the Schengen zone.
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If so, then take a look at our Schengen visa community forum. It’s a community just for people who have questions or concerns related to Europe’s Schengen immigration zone. |
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About the Author: VBJ
I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. VBJ has written 3723 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.
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2 comments… add one
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December 8, 2010, 4:19 am
LinkI over stayed in Switzerland for about 1yr,i arrived there in 2008 december from Jamaica.At that time we were not required to use visa,but our stay was still only for 90 days.I was never stamp on arrival in Germany nor in Switzerland in my passport.I met a beautiful woman and we decided to get married so i returned to Jamaica and was not stamped in Basel but was stamped in Amsterdam.I got nothing stating that i over stayed in Switzerland nor in Amsterdam,but i dont know if it was put on any file.My fiancee has decided to come to Jamaica to get married what are the steps we can make to get back to Switzerland as husband and wife and what penalties am i facing.My fiancee is also in the social system and is getting help from the gov. for her two kids ages 4 and 8yrs old
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December 8, 2010, 4:31 am
LinkHello,
Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are all part of the same immigration zone — called the Schengen Region. You tourist visa into the region is good for all of the 25 or so member states. The bad part is that you are only given 90 days for all of the countries. There are no immigration controls between the countries of the Schengen region, so, as you have noticed, you are not stamped in your passport when you travel between countries. The time that you are permitted to stay in the region is based on the day you entered your first European country.
As you were not caught after your overstay — good move leaving Switzerland and exiting the region from Amsterdam, by the way — there is a good chance that you would be permitted to return to the region after being out for the required three months. Though keep in mind that although it does not seem as if you were directly entered into the computer system as a visa overstayer, the immigration official who checks you back into the region could still discover that you did previously overstay and deny you entry. My advice is to not reenter the Schengen zone through either Germany or Switzerland — as these countries tend to be the most diligent as far as immigration — and instead choose a flight that goes into France or Italy. Keep in mind that the first Schengen country that your flight lands in is the one where you will go through immigration.
As far as getting a visa to return to Switzerland, I would recommend applying for a fiance visa or a temp residency permit (after being married) through the Swiss consulate in Jamaica. Keep in mind that they could still pull find out about your previous overstay, but there is not much that you can do about this.
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