Switzerland
Switzerland is located at the confluence of Central, Western and Southern Europe and being bordered by Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, Italy to the south and France to the west which all make it a landlocked country. Instead of sea Switzerland offers numerous large lakes and mountains (Alps in the south, Jura in the northwest). Between mountains lies the Swiss Plateau one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, that makes up ca. 30% of the surface area. Switzerland’s highest mountain (Dufourspitze – 4,634 metres) is the fifth highest in Europe.
Switzerland’s population are mostly Swiss (around 70%), followed by Germans, Italians, Portuguese, French and others. It has multiple official languages: German (or Swiss German) with about 62.6% people speaking, French (23% speakers), Italian and Romansh.
SWISS CUISINE
Is very multifaced because of the many regions that developed their cuisine based on different climate and languages. Even so there are still dishes popular in many regions such as rösti (potato dish, similar to fritter).
Cheese
Many famous Swiss dishes have to do something with cheese. As other European countries also Switzerland produces unique dairy products and cheeses such as well-known Emmental or Gruyère. Cheese dishes omnipresent throughout the whole country are for example fondue or raclette.
Chocolate
Has become extremely popular since 19th century in Switzerland thanks to the inventions of conching (process whereby surface scraping mixer and agitator, known as a conche, evenly distributes cocoa butter within chocolate) and tempering (uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter typically resulting in crystals of varying size). Another breakthrough was Daniel Peter’s invention of solid milk chocolate. Switzerland is the world’s largest consumer of chocolate.
Wine
Is the most popular alcoholic drink in Switzerland. Its vineyards have been cultivated since the Roman era. It’s notable for the differences in grapes thanks to many terroirs (term describing environmental factors that affect the vines), with specific mixes of soil, air light and altitude. The most famous Swiss wines are Chasselas, Pinot noir and Merlot.
Travel Documents and Entry Requirements for non-EU Nationals
All EEA citizens and Swiss citizens can travel to Switzerland under the visa-free regime. Third-country nationals are required to apply for a visa to travel or live in Switzerland. The visa depends on nationality and purpose.
Passport validity
You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe. The document has to be issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Beware that EU members such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area
Schengen Visa
If you do not know if you need a visa to enter Schengen, click here. Download the Schengen Visa Application Form or visit the Swiss Ministry of European and International Affairs to check the current status regarding the visa and the conditions for issuing it here.Schengen Insurance
Confirmation that you have travel and health insurance for Switzerland and the whole territory of Schengen, which meets Visa Code (Regulation EC No. 810/2009) conditions for a Schengen visa. Travel health insurance policies for foreigners travelling to Switzerland that fulfil Swiss Visa requirements can be purchased online from schengen.insure and it‘s accepted by Swiss Embassies and Consulates worldwide.EU or EFTA citizens may present valid personal identification, an ID card or a passport. Depending on the country, Switzerland can recognise other travel documents. Overview of ID and visa provisions according to nationality (EU, EFTA and others).
RESIDENCE PERMITS
Anyone who works during their stay in Switzerland or who remains in Switzerland for longer than three months requires a permit. Residence permits are issued by the Cantonal Migration Offices. A distinction is made between short-term residence permits (less than one year), annual residence permits (limited) and permanent residence permits (unlimited).
The authorisations required for a stay of over three months in Switzerland are dependent on the applicant‘s nationality.
Depending on the place of residence, it is possible to submit visa application either directly at a Swiss representation abroad, by filling out the visa application online, at an external visa service provider or at the representation of another Schengen State.
NON-EU NATIONALS
Only short-term visa applications (up to 90 days, Schengen visa) such as tourist, visit or business can be submitted online. A visa application can be submitted at the earliest six months before entering the Schengen area.Applications for long-term visas (over 90 days, National visa) must be filed directly with the responsible Swiss representation. Depending on the Swiss representation, appointments can be made for both, Schengen and National visas.
Before starting the application process, please consult the website of the responsible Swiss representation to determine whether there is a waiting period to obtain an appointment.
Swiss representations abroad are able to issue certain categories of visa, depending on the length of stay and purpose of the journey in Switzerland.
Schengen visa for a stay of up to 90 days
For people wishing to enter Switzerland for a short stay of up to 90 days within a 180-day period: for example, in a context of tourism, a visit to relatives or friends, short-term language studies, participating in a conference or in sporting/cultural events, etc. Time required to process a visa application for a short stay visa is 10 to 15 days.
National visa for a stay of more than 90 days
For people wishing to enter Switzerland for a stay of more than 90 days within a 180-day period. It is a subject to the authorisation of the cantonal migration authority competent for the intended place of residence. For example: longterm student, family reunification, marriage in Switzerland, etc.
Labour / Work permits
Admission of foreign workers to an employer in Switzerland is a subject to the authorisation of the competent cantonal authority. The entry visa is granted only when the requested authorisations have been delivered.Do not forget to check the actual conditions for visiting Switzerland on official pages of The Federal Council.