Switzerland · Visa guide
Switzerland · Visa guideSwitzerland Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Switzerland — up to 90 days.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryFamily & Friends Visit Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
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Switzerland Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview
A Swiss visit visa for family or friends is a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C): up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It is filed through the Swiss visa application centre run by VFS and decided by the Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan.
Two letters carry it. Your host in Switzerland writes an invitation naming every person invited, how they are related, how long they will stay and why — and attaches a copy of their own passport, identity card, OCI or residence permit. If you are employed, your employer adds an original letter with a no-objection statement for the trip.
Earliest slot we saw
Checked by hand · 26 September
- Jalandhar
- 28 Sept
- New Delhi
- 28 Sept
- Mumbai
- 29 Sept
- Chandigarh
- 1 Oct
Tourist / short-stay appointments only. A snapshot from the portal on the date above, not a live feed. Slots move hour to hour and we never hold or sell them. All Switzerland centres & earliest dates
One invitation, every name
A Swiss invitation has to be complete. The host's letter contains two sets of details.
About the host: full name, address, e-mail ID and telephone number — and a copy of their passport or identity card, OCI, or residence permit.
About you: the full names of all the invitees, the duration of stay, the relationship, and the purpose of the invitation. It must be dated and signed. The original or a clear copy is accepted, so it can be scanned and e-mailed rather than couriered.
If both parents are travelling, both are named in full, exactly as in their passports. "My parents" is not a name.
The OCI line is worth noticing
Switzerland lists OCI among the documents a host may provide. If your relative is a Swiss citizen who holds an OCI card, that card is accepted as the host's identity document. Send a copy of it with their passport.
A no-objection statement from the employer
For an applicant with a job, the employer's letter is more than a leave note. Switzerland asks for an original on letterhead, signed and stamped by HR or the directorate, stating your position and duration of service, the travel dates and purpose, and a "no objection statement" regarding the trip to Switzerland and the Schengen states. Retired applicants have no employer to write one; their pension evidence takes its place.
Multiple-entry visas without a year of insurance
Parents who expect to visit a son or daughter more than once often ask for a six-month or one-year multiple-entry visa. Switzerland says plainly that they are not obliged to provide 180 or 365 days of cover — a policy for the first journey is enough, from an insurer on its approved Indian insurers list.
The Swiss handling rules
- Photograph pasted on the form — stapled or pinned pictures are not accepted — 35 × 40 mm, an original print.
- Flight reservation showing the names of all travellers.
- For a minor, the form is signed by the legal guardian(s), with proof of custody where relevant.
Source: Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan — Checklist for Schengen Visa: Visitor, as held in our knowledge base. Requirements change; confirm against the current checklist before you submit.
8 items
Documents you need
Passport
Issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after the scheduled return, at least two blank pages. Handwritten passports, and passports with observations on the front (bio-data) page, cannot be accepted.
One photograph — pasted, not stapled
White background, under 6 months old, 35 × 40 mm, an original print (not copied or scanned), pasted on the form. Stapled or pinned pictures cannot be accepted.
Visa application form
Completed and signed by the applicant. For a minor: signed by the legal guardian or guardians, with proof of custody where relevant (custody order, divorce papers, death certificate).
Invitation letter from your host in Switzerland
The original or a clear copy, dated and signed, with the inviter's full name, address, e-mail and telephone, and naming all invitees in full, the duration of stay, the relationship and the purpose of the invitation.
Your host's identity document
A copy of the inviting person's passport or identity card, OCI, or residence permit.
Introduction letter from your employer — original
On business letterhead, signed and stamped by HR or the directorate, stating your position and duration of service, the travel dates and purpose, and a no-objection statement regarding the planned trip to Switzerland and the Schengen states.
Travel insurance from the approved list
From an insurer on Switzerland's list of approved Indian travel insurers; minimum EUR 30,000 per person; covering repatriation, urgent medical attention and emergency hospital treatment for the entire stay. For a six-month or one-year multiple-entry visa, cover for the first journey is sufficient.
Flight reservation
With the names of all travellers.
5 steps
How the process works
Typical processing: Usually about 15 calendar days from submission — may extend up to 45 calendar days. Apply at least 2-3 weeks before travel.
Step 1
Free eligibility review
We assess your profile and build a document checklist matched to the embassy's requirements.
Step 2
Build the file & cover letter
Every document — finances, bookings, insurance and the cover letter — is prepared and verified.
Step 3
Book the VFS Global appointment
Applications in India are submitted through VFS Global — we schedule your slot.
Step 4
Submit & give biometrics
You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5
Decision & passport return
The embassy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.
Transparent
Costs & fees
Item
Amount
Schengen visa fee (adult)
EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; under 6 exempt. Payable in INR.
EUR 90
VFS Global service charge
Plus optional add-ons such as courier.
Confirmed at booking
Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.
5 answers
Frequently asked questions
Their own full name, address, e-mail and telephone number, and then the full names of everyone invited, the duration of the stay, how they are related to you, and the purpose of the invitation. It must be dated and signed; the original or a clear copy is accepted.
A copy of their passport or identity card, their OCI card, or their Swiss residence permit — whichever shows who they are and their status.
Yes — an original on letterhead, signed and stamped by HR or the directorate, giving your position and length of service, the dates and purpose of travel, and a no-objection statement for the trip.
No. Switzerland says applicants for a six-month or one-year multiple-entry visa are not obliged to provide 180 or 365 days of cover — a policy covering the first journey is sufficient.
The legal guardian or guardians sign a minor's application, and where custody is not shared in the ordinary way Switzerland asks for proof — a custody order, divorce papers or a death certificate.
Why it matters
Going it alone vs filing with us
On your own
- Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
- Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
- No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
- Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
- A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.
With Lifeset Overseas
- An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
- A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
- Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
- Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
- Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.
Refused before?
A refusal isn't the end
A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Switzerland visa has been refused, we:
- Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
- Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
- Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
- Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
- Refused? Your fee back, or a rebuilt application free — your choice.
Other Switzerland visas
Switzerland Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) for tourism and holidays in Switzerland — up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area.
Switzerland Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Switzerland.
Switzerland Study & Research Visa
A visa for study, research or an internship in Switzerland — short stays use a Schengen visa; longer study needs a residence permit.
Switzerland Cultural, Sports & Religious Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for cultural, sporting and religious events and film crews in Switzerland.
Start here · One message away
Switzerland visitor visa: get a straight answer before you pay the fee.
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- Fixed all-in fees
- No handovers between staff
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