We have prepared a summary of this page as a PDF document with details on entry into Switzerland schengen.pdf.

Further details can be found on the official website of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs at - www.bfm.admin.ch

Travel Documents

Every person coming to Switzerland must have travel documents valid for their entire stay.

The rules for travel across Europe and for entry into Switzerland will not be the same for all nationalities and they can also change from one year to the next.

The Ski Company has carefully been through the guidelines and we are happy to advise but we cannot take responsibility for missing, incorrect, invalid or out of date travel documents.

Furthermore, we suggest party leaders should double check the travel documents of members of their group prior to departure as mistakes noticed en-route could incur considerable expense and greatly inconvenience the entire group.

Schengen Visa – NEW RULES FOR SWITZERLAND

The name “Schengen” originates from a small town in Luxembourg where in March 1995, seven European Union countries signed a treaty to simplify travel around Europe and many more countries have since then joined the scheme. 

The Schengen Association Agreement allows member countries to share a common border and would in theory mean a “passport free zone” once you are within the Schengen area. Switzerland became a full member of the Schengen Visa Scheme on Friday 12th December 2008.

Whether you are travelling by air or by coach you will enter the Schengen zone when travelling to Switzerland with The Ski Company.

You do NOT need a visa if you hold a passport or a valid permanent residence permit issued by a country in the MEMBERS LIST, which includes; Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. 

You do NOT need a visa if you hold a passport issued by a country in the EXEMPT LIST, which includes: All European Union countries plus Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela. In addition, Chinese citizens holding a Hong Kong and Macao passport are exempted from visa application.

Please note: The UK is NOT a Schengen Visa member country so if you have a UK permit of residency you may still need a Schengen Visa.

Do you want to know more?

For a country by country list of rules for entry to Switzerland, click here (issued 01/12/09)

Full details about entry into Switzerland are available at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs website - www.bfm.admin.ch.

The web site has lots of detailed information and should be checked carefully. There is a helpful FAQ section and links to a variety of documents in addition to Schengen visa application forms in a multitude of languages.

There is a charge for the visa (about 60 Euro) and the application is normally submitted to the Swiss Embassy in your country of residence. It is likely that you will need additional information from the Ski Company to support your application.

Lastly, The Ski Company is happy to advise but we cannot take responsibility for incorrect, invalid or out of date travel documents.

All information is correct at the time of writing but could change without notice.