Switzerland visa requirements for Indian passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Confirmed for this scope

Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration lists India as visa-required for stays of up to 90 days. Only Indian diplomatic passports are exempt; the Embassy says service and special passports still need a visa.

Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland.

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

The Schengen visa covers short stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period for tourism, visits to family or friends, short language courses, conferences and events. Longer stays need a national visa approved by a canton, and work needs a cantonal permit.

Official sources: Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs).

Age Conditions to check

Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. Reduced fees and the consent letters minors need are explained below.

Official sources: Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs).

Residence Conditions to check

The Embassy in New Delhi processes every application filed in India, and applicants should have been legally residing and working in India for at least the last six months. Indian citizens living elsewhere apply where they live.

Official sources: Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs).

Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check

Holders of a valid residence permit from a Schengen state or a valid D visa, with a recognized travel document, are exempt from the visa requirement.

Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland.

Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check

India is not among the 15 nationalities that need an airport transit visa for Switzerland. Transit without a visa requires staying in the transit area with an onward ticket booked and the documents for your destination.

Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland.

Stay and visa validity Conditions to check

A Schengen visa allows at most 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area. Keep to the dates, entries and days on your visa sticker, and keep your passport valid at least 3 months after you leave.

Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland.

Where and when to apply

Apply through VFS Global, whose centres across India accept Swiss applications and forward them to the Embassy in New Delhi; only the Embassy decides. Book an appointment and go in person, because fingerprints and a photo are taken, unless your fingerprints were recorded for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months.

Apply no earlier than 6 months before your trip. The Embassy says processing takes 10 to 15 working days after you submit, and a decision normally comes within 15 days but can take longer, especially when another Schengen state must be consulted. The Embassy may ask you to come for a personal interview. If you are refused, you can appeal within 30 days.

Official sources: Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs); Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs).

Documents, insurance and fees

Follow the Embassy's tourist checklist in its order: a passport issued within the last 10 years with two blank pages, valid at least 3 months after your return; a photo; the signed application form; an employer letter with a no-objection statement; flight and hotel bookings; three months of salary slips and bank statements; and income tax returns (ITR-V) for two years. Self-employed and retired applicants give their own proof of income. A child under 18 not traveling with both parents needs a notarized consent letter from the parent who stays behind.

Travel insurance must come from the Embassy's approved list, cover at least €30,000 and last the whole Schengen stay. The visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12; children under 6 pay nothing. The fee is due when you apply and is not refunded; the Embassy's price list also gives it in rupees and may adjust for exchange rates.

Official sources: Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs); Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs).

Existing permits and family members

You may not need a new visa. A valid residence permit from a Schengen state or a valid D visa, with a recognized passport, lets you visit Switzerland without a Schengen visa.

If you are the family member of a Swiss, EU or EFTA citizen, you may apply directly at the Embassy by appointment, and the visa is free of charge.

Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland; Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs); Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs).

At the border

A visa does not guarantee entry. Carry proof of the purpose of your trip and of enough money for your stay and return, as border officers can ask for them.

The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 and registers non-EU visitors at the border. ETIAS is not yet running, and it would not replace the visa an Indian tourist needs.

Official sources: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland; Embassy of Switzerland in India (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs); State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland.