Basic Travel Requirements for Eritreans visiting
Switzerland
Travelers are required to fulfill the following requirements in order to
apply for a Swiss Visa.
- One copy of the completed visa application form for each applicant. It should be completed online or in writing in capital letters with a blue or black pen.
- A valid Eritrean international passport with least two entirely blank pages issued within the last ten years. The passport must be valid three months after departing Switzerland.
- One copy of the main page of the passport with the applicant’s photograph.
- Copies of previous Schengen visas, if available.
- Two recent identity photographs taken with a white background and with the face uncovered.
- Proof of payment of visa application fee.
- Travel insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 valid for all Schengen states for the total duration of the intended stay. The insurance must take care of accidents or sicknesses.
- Confirmed reservation of a hotel in Switzerland and the complete itinerary of the trip.
- Banking history from the previous 6 months before visa application.
Switzerland Visa for Eritreans
Facts about Switzerland
Switzerland is a top destination for tourists and business people alike. Banking and finance are major industries in the country and it is little wonder the country has the highest nominal wealth per adult in the world. Tourism is no way abandoned in the country. There are a lot of attractions tourists can visit when they are in the country. Ski resorts and hiking trails are aplenty in the country. The country’s landscape is a sight to behold.
An average of 2.2 million visitors arrives in the country monthly to appreciate the beautiful landscape of the country.
In the city of Ticino, which is the Italian-speaking section of Switzerland, it is a crime to veil ones the face in public places. Doing so could attract a fine between the range of CHF100 to CHF10,000.
Types of Switzerland Visa
| Types of Visa | Processing Time | Duration of Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa | Up to 15 days | 90 days |
| Business visa | Up to 15 days | 90 days |
| Transit visa | Up to 3 days | 24 hours |
General Requirements for Switzerland Visa
- One copy of the completed visa application form for each applicant. It should be completed online or in writing in capital letters with a blue or black pen.
- A valid Eritrean international passport with least two entirely blank pages issued within the last ten years. The passport must be valid three months after departing Switzerland.
- One copy of the main page of the passport with the applicant’s photograph.
- Copies of previous Schengen visas, if available.
- Two recent identity photographs taken with a white background and with the face uncovered.
- Proof of payment of visa application fee.
- Travel insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 valid for all Schengen states for the total duration of the intended stay. The insurance must take care of accidents or sicknesses.
- Confirmed reservation of a hotel in Switzerland and the complete itinerary of the trip.
- Banking history from the previous 6 months before visa application.
Switzerland Tourist Visa Eligibility &
Requirements
- This visa is issued to foreigners tourists who are travelling to Switzerland with the intention of relaxing, vacation, sightseeing, recreations, etc…
- Those who have the intention of visiting a friend or relative who is a permanent resident of Switzerland are the ones eligible for this type of visa.
- This visa is otherwise known as a Type C-visa and it is issued as a short-stay visa with a duration not exceeding 90 days. However, you could use this 90 days within 6 months by traveling to the country or other Schengen countries multiple times. Note: your visa fee will be more than 60 Euro for multiple entries.
- You are required to present a copy of the family record which indicates the applicant’s current family situation.
- You can also explore other Schengen countries while travelling with this visa but having initially been in Switzerland.
- Applicants must provide proof of sufficient economic resources for the duration of their stay in Switzerland.
- All applicants who are employed are required to provide a copy of their recent employment contract.
- Social security affiliation certificate or annual salary declaration of the previous year should be provided.
- This visa is granted free to children under the age of 6, 35euros for children of 6-12years and 60euros to Adults.
- Foreigners who are retired should possess the original and photocopy of their certificate of withdrawal or bank statement.
- You should not overstay your visa life-span which could incur penalty should you exceed your stay in the country or other Schengen states you visit with this visa.
- Those who are unemployed must provide proof of their current financial resources.
- Minors should ensure that their visa application is signed by both their parents. Authorization to leave their countries should be provided by their parents.
- Visa fee is to be paid to the Embassy or consulate in your country or the country you are applying from, and must be made in your local currency or the currency of the country you may be applying from.
- Before applying for the visa at the Embassy, you must be able to present all the required documents.
- A personal interview might be conducted on you by the Swiss embassy or consulate in your country to fetch or verify additional information to the existing information you may have provided.
- Normally, your visa processing should be done within 15 or 2 weeks, but this might take longer if the information you supplied to your visa application form is insufficient.
Switzerland Business Visa Eligibility &
Requirements
- The Switzerland business visa is for foreign nationals who have the intention of engaging in business activities while they are in the country.
- This visa, being a Schengen visa, is also known as the type C-visa and it is issued as a short-stay visa not exceeding 90 days of duration.
- It is for a stay of up to 90 days but spread over a period of 180 days.
- This visa allows foreign business travellers to attend trade fairs, conferences, and congresses that relate to their professional activity.
- You are required to provide an official invitation from your business partners in Switzerland stating the nature of the business to be carried out in the country.
- A cover letter which states in detail the reason for your visit to Switzerland must be provided. The business letter must state who will be responsible for your expenses in the country.
- Invoices and contracts represent proof of a previous commercial and industrial relationship between the companies is required.
- Visa fee receipt is required, and the payment for the visa must be made in your local currency.
- A valid travel health insurance is required from all business travellers travelling to Switzerland.
- Children between the ages of 6 to 12 years are required to pay a fee of €35 while adults are expected to pay €60.
- Citizens who are not of Eritrea should ensure they provide a copy of their valid Eritrean stay permit which remains valid three months after leaving the country.
- All original documents requested by the Swiss Embassy must be accompanied by a photocopy of each document.
- Only completed files will be accepted by the Swiss Embassy. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
- You are not to take up employment in the country when you are travelling on this visa.
- Documents that are in Arabic must be accompanied by their translation in French or English and the documents must be accompanied by their original form with the evidence of translations.
- Return tickets which show that the applicant has the incentive of returning to his/her country should be provided.
- Proof of employment should be provided by the applicants who are employed in their home country.
- You must ensure to leave the country at or before your visa stay expires. Failure to heed to the warning could subject you to be penalized.
Switzerland Transit Visa Eligibility &
Requirements
- A Switzerland transit visa is otherwise called Switzerland airport transit visa, also known as an A-visa.
- The visa allows the carrier or traveller to transit through a Swiss airport in order to catch a connecting flight to a non-Schengen country.
- You must leave blank pages of at least, two pages for your visa stamps.
- The visa falls under the Switzerland short-stay category. That is, a visitor visa with a duration of 90 days of stay in the country.
- The holder of this Switzerland airport transit visa is not allowed to leave the Swiss airport he or she is transiting through.
- The processing is usually within 3 working days if all your requirements are met.
- The Swiss transit visa valid for 24 hours. It is only valid within the transit area of a Swiss airport.
- Children under the age of 6year old are charged the transit visa-free.
- Children aged 6-11 years travelling on Swiss Transit visa, their visa costs $39.00 while adults 12 years above charged $66.00.
- You must wait for your connecting flight in the airport transit area, even if that means waiting in the airport overnight.
- Applicants are expected to apply for this Swiss airport transit visa the same way as for a regular, short-stay Swiss Visa.
- They must apply at the Swiss representation embassy or consulate in their country and the fee is to paid directly to the consulate/embassy.
- You are required to apply at least 15 days prior to your planned trip. It is better to apply as early as possible. However, keep in mind that the earliest you can apply is three months before your planned trip.
- If you failed to transit with your visa till the duration of your visa expires, you are to apply for a new one.
Switzerland Visa Fees
Tourist visa
67.00 (USD)
Business visa
67.00 (USD)
Transit visa
67.00 (USD)
Switzerland Visa Application Centres & Embassies in
Eritrea
Asmara
Swiss Honorary Consulate General in Asmara, Eritrea Street 327, House 2-4 Campo Pollo P.O. Box 3099 Asmara, Eritrea
swisscon@eol.com.er, asmara@sdcnet
(+291) 1 18 17 01