The Switzerland visa from Sri Lanka is for citizens of Sri Lanka who wish to travel to Switzerland. Only those with valid visas can enter Switzerland for whatever reason. The good news is that the Swiss government allows visitors from Sri Lanka to visit, provided they obtain a Switzerland tourist visa from their country before boarding a flight to Europe. On this page, we focus on the visa requirements and application process. Keep reading to learn more.
Traveling To Switzerland From Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan citizens can travel to Switzerland if they have a visa. Visas are travel documents that give foreigners access to a country. Not all foreigners require a visa to enter Switzerland, as there is a visa-exempt list. Citizens of almost every EU country, Schengen countries, and selected countries outside Europe are on this list. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is not on this list, so her citizens must obtain a visa.
Types of Visa For Sri Lankans
As a Sri Lankan passport holder, here are the various visas you can apply for.
Schengen Visa
Switzerland is qualified to issue Schengen visas to visitors as a member of the Schengen area. A Schengen visa is valid for 180 days and allows the visitor to stay in Switzerland for up to 90 days per visit. However, this visa is very dynamic because 25 other Schengen countries in Europe also recognize it. So you can also use it to enter those countries if you wish. The visa is a short term issued solely for tourism, business, or family visits. Another caveat is that you must use it to enter Switzerland before traveling to other nations.
National Visa
While the Schengen visa allows Sri Lankans to travel to other countries besides Switzerland, a national visa is only recognized by Swiss immigration. There are different types of national visas, such as
Tourist Visa: Tourists from Sri Lanka can use it to enter Switzerland for tourism. Tourist visas are valid for 180 days.
Work Visas: Any Sri Lankan who has secured a job in Switzerland doesn’t qualify to work in the country unless they first get a work visa. They must provide evidence of employment to secure the Swiss Schengen visa. When they arrive in Switzerland, the visa permits them to apply for a work and residence permit, so they work legally.
Study Visa: The study visa is for international students from Sri Lanka who have gained admission into a Swiss college or university. The documents allow them to live, work and study in the country until they complete their course.
How To Apply For A Switzerland Visa From Sri Lanka?
If you want to apply for a long-term visa, you must visit the Swiss embassy to submit physical documents and the application form. However, for short-term visas like a tourist of visit visa, you can visit VisaHQ to apply online.
Visit VisaHQ
Choose Switzerland as your destination
Choose Sri Lanka as your country of origin
Select Tourist Visa
Correctly fill out the application form
Upload scanned copies of your travel document
Pay for the applicable visa fee with a credit or debit card
Submit for approval
After completing the online application form, submit it by hitting the Submit icon. The authorities will go through your application, and if you meet all the requirements, they will approve your visa request. You don’t have to visit the embassy or any visa center to get the visa, as it will be forwarded to your email address. All you need to do is print out the visa and bring it on your trip. The immigration officers will review it along with your passport and ask further questions. If all goes well, as it should, they will stamp your passport and let you through.
Do note that despite having a visa, the ultimate right rests with Swiss immigration, and they may disallow entry if they suspect that you obtained the visa under a false pretext or if one or some of your documents are invalid. Therefore, to avoid embarrassment, ensure that you answer questions sincerely and that your documents and information are in order.
Documents For Switzerland Visa From Sri Lanka Application
All applicants must correctly fill out their visa application forms and attach the following documents for processing. They must also pay the required visa fee; otherwise, their application will not be treated.
Sri Lanka passport is valid for at least 6 months and not older than 10 years.
Two recent passport-sized photographs
Bank statement for three months
Travel medical insurance with €30,000 coverage minimum
Cover Letter
Travel bookings
Accommodation booking
The Swiss authorities may request additional documents besides the ones listed above to process your Switzerland visa from Sri Lanka application.