Visitor & tourist visas
Compare two countries, side by side
Greece or Norway? Germany or Switzerland? Tap a country on each side. We put the two next to each other and lead with what is actually different — appointments, cost, paperwork and the trip itself.
Germany
Cities, castles and an excellent rail network — also Europe’s big trade-fair hub.
- Berlin and the Brandenburg Gate
- Neuschwanstein and Bavaria
- The Rhine Valley
Switzerland
The classic Indian honeymoon and family trip — mountains by train. Among Europe’s costliest.
- Jungfraujoch and the Alps
- Lucerne and the lakes
- Scenic trains such as the Glacier Express
Read this first
You do not have to choose — one visa covers both
Germany and Switzerland are both in the Schengen Area, so one short-stay visa lets you visit both, and the other 27 Schengen states, on the same trip. The fee, the form and the 90-days-in-180 limit are identical. What you are really choosing is WHERE to apply: it must be the country where you will spend the most nights, or — if the nights are equal — the one you enter first. An application lodged with the wrong country can be turned away as not that consulate’s to decide. So compare the appointment dates and the centres below: they decide which embassy you deal with.
Head to head
Application centres in India
9
✓ Better here
7
More centres means more cities to choose from, and usually a shorter journey.
Documents on the checklist
8 items
✓ Better here
11 items
A shorter list is less to gather — not an easier decision.
The same for both
- Soonest appointment seen: 22 Sept 2026
- Our filing fee: from ₹12,999
- Government fee: €90 ≈ ₹9,900
- Reachable from Punjab by road: Chandigarh, New Delhi
A winner is marked only where better is a fact — cheaper, sooner, nearer, fewer papers. Nobody can score which visa is more likely to be approved, so we do not.
How soon can you get an appointment?
Soonest seen: 22 Sept 2026 · New Delhi · checked 21 Sept 2026
Soonest seen: 22 Sept 2026 · Jalandhar · checked 21 Sept 2026
- New Delhi22 Sept
- Chandigarh25 Sept
- Mumbai5 Oct
- Jalandhar22 Sept
- Mumbai22 Sept
- Chandigarh23 Sept
- New Delhi23 Sept
Dates are what the official portals showed when our team last checked — they are not held, reserved or guaranteed, and slots move daily. A blank means we hold no recent check, not that nothing is open.
What it costs
Government visa fee (adult)
Identical for both — ≈ ₹9,900. €90 · Adult (12 years and over)
Lifeset filing fee
Identical for both — from ₹12,999. all-in · GST included
Government fees are set in foreign currency; the rupee figure is an approximate conversion at today’s mid-market rate. Our fee is all-in with GST included. VFS service charges, insurance, flights and hotels are extra and not shown.
Where you give biometrics in India
- Ahmedabad — Germany only
- Bengaluru — both
- Chandigarh — both
- Chennai — both
- Hyderabad — Germany only
- Jalandhar — Switzerland only
- Kolkata — both
- Mumbai — both
- New Delhi — both
- Pune — Germany only
You attend in person, so the city matters. Half-filled chips are cities only one of the two countries serves.
How long the decision takes
Schengen short-stay visas are processed within about 15 calendar days of submission at VFS.
About 15 calendar days from submission (it can run longer in peak season or if extra documents are requested). You can apply up to 180 days before travel and must apply at least 15 days before — file 2–3 weeks ahead to be safe.
The authorities’ usual figures, not promises. The solid part is the usual time; the pale part is how far it can stretch.
When to go
Germany
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May — recommended
- June — recommended
- July — recommended
- August — recommended
- September — recommended
- October
- November
- December — recommended
Late spring to early autumn; December for the Christmas markets
Switzerland
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June — recommended
- July — recommended
- August — recommended
- September — recommended
- October
- November
- December
Summer for the mountains; December–March for snow
Conventional travel-season guidance, not a weather forecast. Apply for the visa well before the month you pick.
On the ground
- Currencydiffers
- Euro (EUR)
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- Time difference
- 3h 30m–4h 30m behind India
- 3h 30m–4h 30m behind India
- Languagesdiffers
- German
- German, French, Italian, Romansh
- Capitaldiffers
- Berlin
- Bern
- EU memberdiffers
- Yes
- No
- Schengen Area
- Yes
- Yes
The paperwork
Only Germany
Photographs
Recent biometric photos, 35x45mm, white background, not older than 6 months.
Cover letter & itinerary
A personal cover letter and a detailed day-by-day travel itinerary.
Only Switzerland
Introduction letter
Original letter on the employer/company letterhead, signed and stamped by HR or the directorate, stating your position and length of service, a no-objection statement for the trip, and the travel dates and purpose.
For families
Applications are submitted together; the head of the family attaches the bank statements, ITR-V, insurance and the flight and hotel bookings listing every travelling member.
For students & minors
Students over 16: college ID copy and an introduction letter from the institution. Children under 18 not travelling with both parents: notarised consent of the non-travelling parent(s) or guardian, plus a copy of both parents' passport, PAN or driving licence.
Declaration of Consent (Courier)
The embassy requires a signed courier consent declaration, brought to the VFS centre at submission.
The 6 documents both ask for
VIDEX application form
The Schengen visa application completed on the VIDEX portal, printed with all barcode pages, signed, with the declarations of true information and of valid insurance.
Valid passport
Issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months beyond your return, with at least 2 empty pages.
Proof of accommodation
Hotel reservations for the full stay — for every Member State if you visit several.
Financial means
Last 3 months salary slips, employment contract, leave-sanction letter, 3 months bank statements stamped by the bank, and ITR or Form 16.
Flight reservation
A confirmed return flight reservation.
Travel medical insurance
Schengen-wide cover of at least EUR 30,000 for the whole trip, from a German-mission-approved Indian insurer.
From each country’s own checklist as published on our country guides. Tap any item for the detail. Requirements change — confirm against the current official checklist before you apply.
Government fees last checked 21 Sept 2026 and shown in the currency they are set in. Processing times are the authorities’ usual figures, not promises. Requirements change — confirm against the current official checklist before you apply. A visa decision always belongs to the embassy or consulate; no comparison can predict it.
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