Visa Requirements for Swiss Citizens
Visa requirements for Swiss citizens are regulated by foreign countries' rules and conditions applicable to Swiss citizens upon arrival in their territory. These pre-established requirements determine what documents Swiss passport holders will need to travel abroad. Of course, each country regulates its own entry requirements and clearly states who can enter without a visa and who needs a visa to enter. Swiss citizens are among the countries with high freedom of international travel, with over a hundred destinations not requiring a visa on arrival for Swiss passport holders.
Swiss citizens can apply for the following visas:
- Embassy visa - a traditional type of visa that is handled upon visiting an official institution, such as an Embassy or a Consulate. This type of visa can serve for both short and long-term trips, even those relating to studying or working abroad. Its long processing times and complicated application processes are what make this visa type hard to get.
- Visa on Arrival - is a short-term visa that is obtainable after arriving into the selected country. This visa type is collected at any entrance border point of the chosen destination after waiting in lines and completing a VoA application process.
- eVisa - is the easiest to obtain among all visa options for Swiss citizens. Electronic visas are available online upon completing a simple application process. The approved documents get delivered to each applicant via email.
As mentioned, Swiss citizens can enjoy quite a bit of freedom of international travel, with the result that only about 30 countries require an embassy visa from Swiss passport holders upon arrival. Visa on arrival is issued upon entry to more than 30 countries. This type of visa can lead to long queues and uncertainty as travelers do not have a visa prior to arrival. Additionally, 32 other destinations already offer an eVisa option that Swiss citizens can use. This allows them to get ready for their trip and get the necessary documents online without having to wait in line or go to an embassy! More information about which countries Swiss citizens can visit without a visa, the types of visas they need for other destinations and the requirements to meet when traveling abroad can be found down here.
Electronic visa
An e-visa is a type of visa that can be obtained online and then sent to the applicant's email inbox.
The eVisa application process requires no face-to-face interaction and is issued entirely electronically!
List of countries offering an eVisa option for Swiss passport holders
- Angola
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Myanmar
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Papua New Guinea
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Vietnam
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
There are 32 destinations that offer eVisa options for Swiss passport holders. Visiting any of the countries listed above can be done with an eVisa and a valid Swiss passport in hand. To apply for an eVisa, Swiss citizens must complete a simple online application process, which can be completed using any work device with an internet connection. Electronic visa applications are processed within 1-3 days, but in some cases it can take up to a week or longer. Travelers will be notified of their eVisa status via email after submitting their application. An approved e-visa usually allows Swiss passport holders to stay abroad for one or three months. However, in addition to these two most popular options, there are also different permitted lengths of stay, which are always set in advance by the authorities of the chosen country.
Swiss citizens can use eVisa for all short-term trips abroad involving:
- leisure: leisure activities (sightseeing, visiting museums and other points of interest, participating in cultural activities, enjoying tourist sites)
- business: attending meetings or conferences (participating in congresses or similar events)
- transit: taking a layover in a foreign country if reaching a final destination requires this.
Visa on Arrival
A visa on arrival is a type of visa that can be obtained at any port of entry of your chosen destination after queuing.
The visa-on-arrival process varies from country to country, but what they have in common is the need to go through an application process.
This is when the applicant completes the application form, pays the visa application fee and receives the visa, all of which is completed upon their arrival.
List of countries that offer a Visa on Arrival for Swiss citizens
- Angola
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Comoros
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Iran
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- The Maldives
- The Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
35 countries make it possible for Swiss passport holders to get a Visa on Arrival. There is no need to handle any type of visa prior to arrival at any of the above-listed destinations.
How to get a Visa on Arrival?
To obtain a visa on arrival, travelers must first check whether there are any supporting documents/requirements that need to be met before arriving at their chosen destination. After preparing and arriving at the chosen VoA destination, Swiss citizens must go to the nearest border control point and request a VoA application. Then, you must fill it out carefully, attach supporting documents (if necessary), pay the VoA issuance fee (if any) and wait for approval.
Please note!
Many VoA countries offer an additional eVisa option for travelers who want to arrive prepared with a visa in hand.
This allows Swiss citizens to avoid long queues upon arrival.
Swiss citizens can use VoA to travel for pleasure, entertainment or relaxation purposes.
For some travelers, it is a desire to explore an unfamiliar destination and experience the culture and people who live there.
For others, it's just a relaxing getaway. VoA is also ideal for business travel, including attending conferences, seminars and meetings. Finally, transit travel is also available, which is when a traveler passes through an international airport or a country's land border without leaving a terminal or checkpoint.
Embassy visa
An embassy visa is a type of visa that can be issued from any embassy of the chosen destination.
The visa process at embassies varies from country to country, but what they have in common is going through a complicated application procedure and confirming the planned trip with many supporting documents.
List of countries that require Swiss citizens to have a valid Embassy visa upon arrival
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Bhutan
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- The Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- The Republic of the Congo
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cuba
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Iraq
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mongolia
- Nauru
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Sierra Leone
- Sudan
- Syria
- Turkmenistan
- Yemen
Nearly 30 countries require Swiss citizens to have an embassy visa upon arrival. Visiting the destinations listed above from Switzerland requires applying for a traditional visa at an embassy or consulate.
How to apply for an embassy visa?
It can be difficult to understand the embassy visa application process in just a few simple steps. Indeed, the process varies and depends on many factors, including the type of embassy visa chosen, the country chosen and the applicant’s country of origin. However, this often requires first checking the current requirements and preparing the necessary documents. Next, fill out the application form, then submit all documents to the embassy and pay the issuance fee.
To apply for this type of visa, you must go directly to the embassy. Processing time can take up to several weeks; Therefore, it is important to apply for a visa appropriately before the planned trip.
Please note!
Embassy visas can also be used for long-term travel, including those related to finding a job, studying or even living abroad.
For leisure, business or transit travel, choose the appropriate short-term embassy visa category.
Visa-free countries
More than 100 destinations welcome Swiss citizens without a visa. But does this mean tourists can visit them without any preparation?
Well, it depends on the country selected.
List of visa-free countries for Swiss citizens
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- The Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- The Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- The Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
- The Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- The United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
Countries that have free travel agreements with Switzerland will require Swiss citizens to travel with valid identification documents. Other destinations require visitors from Switzerland to have a valid passport and sometimes additional documents to confirm the intended purpose of the trip, such as a return ticket or proof of hotel reservation .
Thanks to visa-free travel, Swiss citizens can:
- explore new cultures, identities, languages, and landscapes
- indulge in experiences, such as biking through the woods or hiking on a sunny peak
- get away from the pressures of work and life and relax
- handle any business affairs abroad, including attending a business meeting, conference, or seminar
- transit while on the way to another final destination