Visiting Switzerland, what documents do we need to carry?

[zircon]

Hi there,

I am an Indian working in UK on Work permit, which is valid up to November 2009. My wife is here in UK on dependent visa. We are planning to visit Switzerland for a week in December 2006. We are staying with a friend during our visit to Switzerland.

I heard we do not require any visa for Switzerland. But, can any one advice me...

1) What documents do I need to carry/show in the airport immigration?
2) Do we need a letter from my friend, who is providing accommodation during our trip?
3) Do we need any travel insurance for this trip?
4) We need to carry any other documents?

Please advice in this regard is highly appreciated.

Many thanks,

[Wanderer]

I could be wrong but I think you do need a visa for Switzerland.

[Christophe]

Hi there,

I am an Indian working in UK on Work permit, which is valid up to November 2009. My wife is here in UK on dependent visa. We are planning to visit Switzerland for a week in December 2006. We are staying with a friend during our visit to Switzerland.

I heard we do not require any visa for Switzerland. But, can any one advice me...

1) What documents do I need to carry/show in the airport immigration?
2) Do we need a letter from my friend, who is providing accommodation during our trip?
3) Do we need any travel insurance for this trip?
4) We need to carry any other documents?

Please advice in this regard is highly appreciated.

Many thanks,

1. I think you are right that you don't need a visa - see (from the website of the Swiss embassy in London) http://www.weisungen.bfm.admin.ch/einre ... iste_e.pdf, which, under United Kingdom, lists various UK entry clearances and residence permits issued by the UK whose holders don't need a visa to visit Switzerland. Examples of the passport endorsements are shown at http://www.imes.admin.ch/einreise/visum ... ten/GB.pdf. Your valid passports with the valid endorsements ought to be sufficient documentation (but see point 4 below).

2. No, I don't think you need a letter, although it can't hurt to have one.

3. I doubt that travel insurance is mandatory, but you would be very unwise not to have it. It is normally not expensive, especially compared to the cost of the trip.

4. I don't think so, although it would be wise to take a print-out of the relevant pages from the Swiss embassy website in case check-in staff are not familiar with this aspect of Swiss entry regulations (which are unusual). Similarly, it can't hurt to be in good time to check in.

Note also that if you plan to travel to or through a Schengen country (e.g. France), you will need a Schengen area visa.

[rg1]

You don't need any document other than your passport showing UK residence permit. Plenty of Indians go there in this way without a visa

[zircon]

Thanks Chris,

Thank you very much in deed. We have visited France last month and our Schengen visa is valid until April 2007. I will get a letter from my friend for the accommodation and get my Travel Insurance as well.

I have gone through the URLs (PDFs), I haven't got my permanent residency yet, which is due next year. Residence permit on my passport (India) shows as 'Limited leave to remain' and valid until November 2009. Is that okay to travel to Switzerland? What about my wife?

Thanks,

[Christophe]

Thanks Chris,

Thank you very much in deed. We have visited France last month and our Schengen visa is valid until April 2007. I will get a letter from my friend for the accommodation and get my Travel Insurance as well.

I have gone through the URLs (PDFs), I haven't got my permanent residency yet, which is due next year. Residence permit on my passport (India) shows as 'Limited leave to remain' and valid until November 2009. Is that okay to travel to Switzerland? What about my wife?

Thanks,

I believe that should be fine. The page from the Swiss embassy quotes the following endorsements (among others) as enabling visa-free visits to Switzerland:

- Entry Clearance (Condition: issued for multiple entries) - sticker
- Leave to enter the United Kingdom ... for/until (Condition: residence for more than 6 months) - wet stamp
- Leave to remain in the United Kingdom … (Condition: residence for more than 6 months) - wet stamp
- The holder has leave to enter/remain that was granted on ... (Condition: residence for more than 6 months) - wet stamp

Assuming both you and your wife have an endorsement in your passport that grants you leave to remain until 2009 then that should be fine. UK passport endorsements come in a plethora of forms as to both appaerance and wording, with often several different wordings meaning the same thing. If in doubt you could ring the Swiss embassy.

[zircon]

Great! Many thanks to Chris and RG1.

[g4gops]

Hi Zircon,

just wondering how your trip was? did you have to get a visa? I am in a similar situation now and your information would be really helpful.

Thanks,

[zircon]

hi g4gops,

It was a great trip to Switzerland and I had no problem in the Switzerland immigration. They have just asked one simple regular question... how many days you are going to spend in Switzerland? It was really cooool..

Thanks,

[zoom2anil]

Hi,
Im an Indian living in Belgium.
I have a Schengen visa and also a resident card.
Can i visit switzerland for a few days without any special documents or formalities?

Thanks in advance..

[flyboy]

Hi Zoom2anil,

If you have a Belgian "carte d'identite d'etranger" or a "certificate d'inscription au registre des etrangers" issued with a validity of at least 1 year or that is renewed for at least 1 year then you don't need to obtain a swiss visa. Your belgian residence card and national passport will suffice. Your schengen visa is still only valid for the schengen countries as Switzerland hasn't implemented it yet.

[binurc]

Hi,
I am an Indian. Working in UK on work permit.
I came here on July 21st of 2007. My Work permits expires on 30th November 2007. I got new work permit for leave to remain here 6 months more. Can I go to Switzerland with the UK work visa?

Regards,
Binu

[rak3sh]

Indians in UK on a resident visa (work permit, student visa, HSMP, IGS, FTS etc) can visit Switzerland without a visa. But Indians in UK on a visit visa need to apply for and obtain a swiss tourist visa from their country of main residence before coming to UK as the swiss embassy in UK will not issue visas to such applicants.
From November 2008, Switzerland intends to join Schengen Visa scheme and so Indians in UK will need to apply for a schengen visa to travel to switzerland. More updates and information about Schengen visas, visa not required countries for Indians, visa processing times can be found at http://www.visas4indians.com