Does a Schengen visa work in Switzerland? Does Switzerland enter Schengen

More than half of Switzerland is occupied by the highest mountains in Europe - the Alps. The country is famous for its high-class ski resorts - the favorite vacation spots of many famous and rich people. Here a high level of service in all sectors.

The most reliable banks in the world, a high-quality education system, first-class medical care - the Swiss have much to be proud of. Residents of the country thoroughly approach any business.

Zurich, Switzerland

Castles of Switzerland have been built for centuries, to this day have retained a beautiful view and look beautiful against the backdrop of the mountains. Their visit is an interesting part of a tourist trip.

Life in the country is expensive, but the income of working citizens, including visitors, is also high. Therefore, people come here for this purpose.

Do Russians need a visa to Switzerland in 2020?

Regardless of the priorities of the trip, Russians need a visa to visit Switzerland, whether it be tourism, study, treatment, work or a business visit.

The main types of visas

A Schengen visa to Switzerland is required if the trip is for the following purposes:

tourism (tourist visa);
private visit (guest);
education (study visa);
professional purpose (business visa);
treatment (medical);
travel through Switzerland (transit visa).

Important! If you plan to visit other countries participating in the Schengen Agreement, then the greatest number of days should be spent in Switzerland.

Violation of this condition may result in refusal at the following requests for entry permission.

Schengen issued for 90 days. This is the amount of time that a traveler has the right to stay in the country for six months.

When you need a longer stay, for example, for university students, working citizens or wanting to reunite with their family, then a national visa is issued.

How much does a visa to Switzerland cost in 2020?

The cost of an entry permit depends on its type and place of filing.

The consular fee for considering a Schengen visa application is a fixed amount of 35 euros. Payment is made in rubles at the exchange rate established by the Embassy of Switzerland.

When applying for a visa center, each applicant must pay 1800 rubles for service and separately for additional services, if any.

The submission of documents for the purpose of obtaining a national visa includes the payment of a visa fee of 4080 rubles for adults and 2400 rubles for children aged 6-12 years.

Children under 6 years old apply for a free consideration of any type of visa application.

Basel, Switzerland

How to make a visa to Switzerland yourself

It is not necessary to agree to expensive assistance from travel agencies in the process of applying for a visa. To cope with the submission of documents through the visa center or consulate to obtain permission to visit the country is a feasible task.

Regardless of the application method, fingerprinting is mandatory according to the new rules of the Visa Information System. The exception is children under 6 years old and people who are temporarily or permanently unable to take fingerprints due to injuries. The frequency of the procedure at least once during 5 years.

Through the visa center

The TLScontact Visa Application Center has the exclusive right to represent the interests of the Swiss Embassy in Russia. The first step to be taken to establish cooperation is to create a personal account.

After forming the account, you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the individual list of documents, select the date and time of the visit to the CC, and find out the status of the application after submitting the documents.

Be sure to print and sign the confirmation of the online appointment at the CC and attach it to the main package of papers.

If the applicant fails to appear at the indicated time, activation of a new account is required to re-submit documents.

During a visit to TLScontact, you need to submit a full package of documents, pay all required fees, and if necessary, submit biometric data. Sign consent to the delivery of documents to the Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow and vice versa. Pick up the passport with the decision in the CC where the application was submitted.

Applications for national visas are not considered - you need to contact the consular department of the Embassy directly.

You can get a visa to Switzerland without even leaving your home. For the delivery of fingerprinting, the VC additional service is provided - mobile biometry, for the submission of a visa application by mail - the courier service of the international company DHL.

Additional services of the visa center

The intention to use additional services is pre-recorded in your personal account. TLScontact customers can order:

“Premium” service: the process of filing documents in a separate comfortable room, individual counseling, free printing and photocopying of documents, the ability to deliver missing papers on the same day (until 5:00 p.m.);
"Super Premium": free parking, the presence of one accompanying relative, employee, security guard is allowed; free Wi-Fi, copying, listing, consultations;
Prime time service: a convenient opportunity to submit documents during non-working hours. In the morning from 8:00 to 9:00, in the evening - 17: 00-19: 00;
“Mobile biometrics”: calling a specialist at the applicant’s address to submit biometric data;
Assistance in registering on the site, filling out the questionnaire, setting the date of the visit;
Delivery of the finished passport by courier;
Provision of a photocabin, a photocopier;
Discount coupons that allow you to save during your visit to Switzerland (excursions, restaurants, cruises and more).

A detailed description of each service, prices can be found here.

Getting a visa by mail

The service is available for customers who have previously submitted biometric data. To organize the process of obtaining a visa by mail without a personal presence at the TLScontact office you need to:

activate an account;
pay a visa, service fee, courier services DHL;
print, fill out and sign: DHL statement, consent to use the courier services and the processing of personal data;
send a package of documents to the TLScontact Exhibition Center in Moscow;
expect a passport.

Please note that DHL couriers do not have the right to provide any information regarding the correct filling out of documents, their number, and the timing of consideration. Employees of the company are solely responsible for the delivery of papers.

Lausanne, Switzerland

Through the consulate

Applying for a visa yourself through the visa department of the Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow can take longer, compared with the Central Exhibition Center, since the daily number of citizens that can be accepted is limited.

Applicants are accepted at the Embassy by appointment only on the TLScontact website.

At the same time, if the visa application is of a short-term type, you must additionally call the TLScontact call center.

Without prior registration, people are accepted who are sent to one of the following international organizations. In this case, a visit to the consular officer should be made from 9:00 to 11:45 on business days.

Registration of a visa through the Embassy in the standard mode provides for: registration, appointment, personal appearance, provision of a full package of documents, obtaining a decision.

Switzerland visa application form

It is permissible to fill out a questionnaire to obtain permission to visit Switzerland in the following languages: Russian or German, English or French.

The national visa application form can be downloaded.

Documents for a visa to Switzerland: a list of 2020

Other persons have the right to submit the prepared package of papers instead of the applicant: relatives (if there are documents confirming kinship), work colleagues (when providing a power of attorney from the organization), representatives of accredited travel agencies with whom the Embassy collaborates.

Documents for obtaining a national visa should be submitted only by the applicant personally, exceptions of any kind are not provided.

List of documents required for applying for a Schengen visa to Switzerland in 2020:

Application form filled out in one of the permitted languages \u200b\u200band signed personally by the applicant;
(issued no more than 10 years ago, expiration from the day of returning from a trip to Switzerland for at least 3 months) with two free pages;
Photos: one glued on the questionnaire in a designated place, the second is attached separately;
Copies of the pages of a civil passport (biographical information, registration, marital status, mark on the issue of a passport);
A health insurance policy in the amount of at least 30 thousand euros, valid for the entire period of stay in Switzerland, as well as in other countries of the Schengen Agreement;
Documents that confirm the presence of a place of residence in the country (hotel reservation, rental apartment);
Documents confirming the intention of the trip (ticket booking);
Evidence of the sufficient amount of money from the applicant at the rate of 100 Swiss francs per day of residence in the country (covering the planned costs, bank statement, sponsorship documentation).

Switzerland visa photo

Attention! Be sure to take the documents that were submitted for a visa with you when traveling, since the likelihood of checking them when entering the country is very high.

How much is a visa to Switzerland

The Consular Section of the Embassy considers visa applications within 3 days. When submitting an application through the CC, the time for sending documents is also taken into account.

In rare cases, a decision is made to transfer the papers to the Swiss authorities for consideration, then the process can drag on for 3 months.

The urgent visa application is not officially available at the Embassy of Switzerland. However, unforeseen difficult life circumstances are still taken into account. These include: a life threat due to illness, death of close relatives, accidents.

To speed up the process, you need to fill out a questionnaire, send an email to [email protected] The applicant will be contacted and told about further actions.

How to check visa availability

You can get information about the readiness of the decision in your personal account. The applicant also receives an email and a text message on the phone.

When you receive a passport, you must provide a Russian passport, a checklist (issued by an authorized employee at the time of filing).

Embassy, \u200b\u200bconsulate, visa centers of Switzerland in the Russian Federation

The final decision on issuing an entry permit is made at the visa department of the Swiss Embassy in Moscow. Residents of the Kaliningrad region can apply for certain types of visas at the consular department.

Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow

Address: Serpukhov Lane, 6
Moscow, 119121

In the modern world, many people do not quite distinguish between two concepts - "membership in the European Union" and "participation in the Schengen agreement."

The difference between Schengen and the EU

Speaking essentially, the Schengen zone is the territory of different countries, between which the borders are erased, and their population can freely move through the lands of these states. The EU is an allied union of countries that has symbols, a flag, and a single currency zone. It follows that the country is not obliged to join the European Union in order to legitimize the rules of the Schengen agreement. But the question remains open. Is Switzerland a Schengen zone or not?

How was the Schengen zone created?

In the distant 1985 of the last century, the first documents were signed defining visa-free travel between certain countries. Since the whole procedure took place in a small village with a laconic name - Schengen, which is located on the territory of dwarf Luxembourg, the agreements were named after her.

However, not everything went so easy. The process of formation and amendment of the legislative acts of each state was completed only by 1995. And already in 1996, Switzerland and the Schengen zone merged. They made their borders free from visa delays.

Entry Rules for Switzerland

For many years, tourists can visit Switzerland on a Schengen visa. Along with the other twenty-six countries, you can enter both by aircraft, and by personal car, bus or train. There are no restrictions on crossing the border with this entry document.

But despite the free access to any country that has signed the agreement, it is worth knowing some features of the entry:

If the tourist decided to make an exciting trip to the countries included in the Schengen zone, but the Swiss Confederation is on the first line, then you need to apply for the Swiss "Schengen". All documents are submitted to the official diplomatic mission of the country in the Russian Federation. Accordingly, having received a visa to Switzerland, a tourist will already be obliged to call in through its border. This is called the first entry rule.
The second point is the rule of the main country, that is, the issuance of a visa (to Switzerland, as in this case) at the embassy of the state in which the applicant will be most of the time.

Border control requirements

In order to avoid problems at the border, a number of rules related to passport control should be observed:

The passport must be in proper form. That is, without scuffs, torn, dirty pages, any adhesive visas should not close the friend’s arcs, and all the stamps are not blurred.
Citizen information must be readable.
Passport must be valid for at least three months from the first day of arrival in Switzerland according to "Schengen", and the same after departure.
Visa must be targeted. This moment has already been mentioned above - if a tourist travels to Switzerland, then he must enter by visa to Switzerland, and not to Italy. Otherwise, the border guards may deploy back to their homeland, in particular, if this is the first trip to the Schengen zone.
It is worth being attentive to the visa itself, as it indicates not only the validity period, but also the number of allowed days of stay for a given period. For example, a Swiss “Schengen” was issued to a citizen for six months, but he can stay in the country for only ten days, which means that he can spend these days at any time for six months. He has the right to enter every month for a couple of days or use all days at once.
In the case of an invitation from relatives, the employer or friends, along with the passport, you must show the corresponding supporting document with the personal data of the inviting person (last name, first name, contact number, and so on).
There is a high probability that border guards will be asked to present return tickets for the plane, train, bus.
In the absence of friends or relatives, it is worth printing and putting the hotel reservation closer to the passport.
If it so happened that the tourist did not take with him supporting documents on the two points listed above, then, at the discretion of the border guard, they may require evidence of financial security.

It is worth knowing that with semi-annual, annual and other types of visas there are stay options - ninety days and one hundred eighty. Take the first option for parsing. For six months there is the possibility of a continuous stay in the state for three months, but if there is a need to stay for a longer period, then with the help of the immigration service you can make an extension for another three months. However, after leaving, the opportunity to get into the Swiss “Schengen” will appear only six months later, since the limit has already been exhausted.

Act of 2015

In 2015, new rules for processing documents were introduced for the entire Schengen area, which stipulate the mandatory passage of two procedures: fingerprinting or the provision of fingerprints and a biometric photo. Since the question "is Switzerland included in the Schengen?" we have already figured out, then when applying for an entry document to this country, each applicant must personally come to transmit such data to the leadership of the Schengen Union.

Fingerprinting is performed only for citizens who are twelve years old. Data update is required once every five years. Therefore, for five years, after the next delivery, you can relax and draw up all the documents without additional trips to the embassy or consulate.

What types of Schengen visas does Switzerland provide?

Besides the fact that tourists are often interested in information about whether Schengen is valid in Switzerland, the next thing they are trying to find out is what types of entry documents can be issued.

Single entry visa with which a citizen has the right to enter the country only once.
Double entry visa. It allows you to stay on the territory of the state for three months over a six-month period, but you can only enter the Schengen area twice.
Multivisa. The presence of such a document gives you the right to make an entry countless times. In terms of validity and stay, it depends on the specific type (for example, a work or business visa).

Types of Swiss Visas

In addition to the "Schengen", Switzerland is ready to issue other visas that have their own subspecies:

Entry document for transit. A tourist submits a request for this visa in case of using any Swiss airport as a transfer hub, and he intends to either leave the transit zone or the final destination is not a party to the Schengen agreements.
Long stay visa - national. It can be obtained for up to twelve months with the possibility of extension in the country. This document is a kind of private permission to reside exclusively on the land of the Swiss Confederation.

Fee value

Most often, a “Schengen” can be obtained in five days, and a national visa is considered up to three months. The difference comes not only in terms of registration, but also in price. Of course, the urgent question, after collecting all the documents, is: "How much does a Schengen visa to Switzerland cost?"

So, the sum of the consular fee for "Schengen" is thirty-five euros, if, together, documents for a visa are issued for a child under six years old, then this fee is not paid for it.

When applying for a national visa, the payment increases to sixty euros, but there is a nuance: the fee may not be paid by students who are full-time students in any university in a country in the Schengen zone.

After payment of the fee, a receipt is issued, which must be attached to the rest of the documentation.

Visa to the Swiss Confederation

To apply for a tourist entry document, several points must be observed, according to which the applicant must be provided with the official representatives of Switzerland in the Russian Federation:

A passport with a validity of at least three months after returning from travel.
At least two blank pages for visa and subsequent stamp.
Copies of all pages of an internal Russian passport.
Indication of all previously issued passports and Schengen visas for the last three years.
Two color photographs: 3.5 by 4.5 cm. The shelf life of the photo should not exceed six months from the date of application for a visa. There should not be glasses or a hat on the face, except in cases when medical or religious requirements do not allow a person to take them off. The background should be white.

Purchased round-trip tickets or a printout of their reservation.
Medical insurance with a minimum coverage of thirty thousand euros. Insurance must be valid throughout the Schengen area.
Paper certifying the legality of residence in the country: hotel reservation or other document indicating the address of stay.
Bank statement.
Application form completed in English, German, French or Italian, at the choice of the applicant.
Certificate of employment, which indicates: the contact details of the company, its details, the position of the applicant, the amount of the monthly salary, evidence that, while the citizen is absent, management leaves this workplace for him. The papers are signed by the CEO and chief accountant.
If an application for a visa is submitted in accordance with an invitation from a second party residing in Switzerland, the original of the invitation letter, a copy of the sponsor’s passport or identity card is attached.
In the case of a business trip, copies of the pages of the Commercial Register of the company and an invitation from a company registered in Switzerland are added.
When employing, an original employment contract is required.
If a person is going to study, then the original letter from the leadership of the university or other educational institution, as well as a document proving the admission of the candidate, is reported in the folder with the documentation. If the training is paid, then a receipt is applied according to the charter of the organization.
There are options when a citizen needs medical treatment outside the home state, in this case a copy of the invitation from the medical center where the applicant is going to undergo rehabilitation is attached. The paper is signed by the head physician of the organization.

Switzerland is not part of the EU, so the question often arises, what kind of visa do I need to travel there? Since the end of 2008, this country has joined the Schengen area, therefore russians will need Schengen to enter. A visa to Switzerland is independently done only through the embassy in Moscow and the TLScontact visa centers in the Russian Federation.

Now you can get to Switzerland on a Schengen visa of two types:

Short-term C - for all short-term trips, they allow a maximum of 90 out of 180 days to stay in the Schengen area.
Long-term D (national) - allow you to stay more than 90 days. The list of documents for it is almost the same, but a different questionnaire and more stringent requirements for applicants. Mostly suitable for relatives of EU residents. Does not give the right to work on it.

Instead of the pre-existing categories A and B for transit, short-term ones are now issued with the mark TRANSIT. For Russians, it is not necessary if you fly with a transfer before 24 hours and do not leave the transit zone of the airport. In other cases, it must be obtained in advance.

You can also conditionally divide all visas according to the purpose of the trip: tourist, guest, business, transit, study, etc.

Swiss visa can be single, double and multiple (multi). This means that a single entry can be used only 1 time to enter the zone, and with a multivisa you can enter / leave an unlimited number of times during its operation.

Note! A visa to Switzerland is obtained only if this is the main country of your stay in the Schengen area. If you plan to spend more days in another country on this visa, you may be refused. If the number of days of stay in two countries is the same, you need to contact the embassy in the first of them at the time of entry.

List of Switzerland Visa Documents

In 2020, all Schengen countries require one list of documents, which may differ depending on the purpose of your trip. In embassies of different countries only small differences are permissible.

Even with a visa you can be checked at the border, and if any documents are missing, you have the right to refuse entry.

Only submit a complete list of documents, otherwise they may not accept it from you.

Standard list of documents for all categories of applicants:

Visa application form. It must be filled out online, after registering your personal account on the website of the Visa Center.
2 photos 35 * 45 mm taken recently (< 6 месяцев). Они должны соответствовать стандартным требованиям для шенгенских виз, о которых вы можете прочитать . Одну из них приклейте к анкете, а вторую просто приложите с документами.
A foreign passport valid for more than 90 days at the time of departure from Schengen, with 2 blank pages.
In the presence of other valid or already expired passports with Schengen visas received in the last 3 years, it is recommended to provide their original and copy.
. The medical policy must be valid throughout the Schengen area and the entire duration of the trip. The amount of insurance payments on it should be at least 30 thousand euros. When requesting a multi-visa, insurance should be valid only on the first trip. You guarantee its availability in subsequent visits by putting the appropriate signature on the application form.
Copy of all completed pages of an internal Russian passport.
When applying to the visa center: you need to sign (to the embassy and back).

After filling out the online application, the applicant receives a list of documents required from him. As a rule, they are standard.
For tourists:

Printout of a round-trip ticket reservation. Or other information about your trip purpose and route (for example, documents for a car and a written travel plan).
Confirmation of the reservation of a room, or other document confirming your place of residence.
An extract from the bank for the last 3 months or a statement of the current balance (the original with the seal and signature of the bank's employees). Each applicant must confirm the availability of at least 85 euros for each day of stay.
You can also confirm your income by having a stable job with a salary of more than 30-40000 rubles. To do this, you need to get a job certificate indicating the position, duration of the trip and the average monthly salary.
In the case of low wages and lack of funds, you can arrange where a third party will take responsibility for paying travel expenses. In addition, you will need to attach to it a confirmation of the sponsor's income and a copy of his passport.

When traveling for another purpose, you also need to confirm 3 things: accommodation, availability of finances and the purpose of the trip. This can be done using an invitation from a private person / company, which will guarantee the provision of housing and payment of all expenses. You can see the full list of documents for other purposes by downloading.

Visa cost

The visa fee for considering an application for Russians is 35 euros. For citizens of other states, it is 60 euros. If you need urgent processing of documents by the embassy, \u200b\u200byou need to pay a double fee - 70 euros.
Visa fee for a long-term visa - 60 euros (or 35 for children 6-12 years old).
Additionally, when applying to the visa center, you will need to pay a service fee, which is 1800 rubles.
Some categories of applicants are exempt from paying fees (for example, children under 6 years of age and persons with disabilities).
Payment takes place in rubles at the exchange rate when applying for a visa. In visa centers payment is made at the cash desk, and at the embassy - at the bank. Additionally, the bank can take a commission of 150 rubles for each visa. After payment, do not forget to take the receipt, it will need to be shown on the day the documents are issued.
In case of refusal, fees are not refundable.

Visa Application Dates

The embassy processes all applications usually in 3 business days. In addition, it takes several days for the delivery of documents to visa centers.

If you submit an incomplete set of documents, or if you need a personal interview, the processing time for applications increases.

Documents must be submitted no earlier than 90 days before the planned travel date. At least it is recommended to apply 2 weeks before departure.

Where to apply for a visa to Switzerland

Yekaterinburg, st. Bolshakova, 70 Rostov-on-Don, ul. Suvorova, 91 Novosibirsk, ul. Sibirskaya, 57 St. Petersburg, ul. Liteiny prospect, 26 lit. A Moscow, ul. Syromyatnichesky 2nd lane, 1 St. Petersburg, ul. Chernyshevsky Prospect, 17 Moscow, st. Serpov Lane, 6 Moscow, ul. Prechistenskaya embankment, 31

Only residents of the Northwestern Federal District can submit documents to the Consulate General of Switzerland in St. Petersburg and only for the purpose of marriage (prior registration is needed).

For a visit to the embassy, \u200b\u200byou need to make an appointment by calling +7 495 9958512. The number of seats is limited, so recording is done a few weeks before the visit.

Residents of the Kaliningrad region can obtain a visa at the Embassy of Latvia in Kaliningrad at ul. F. Engels, 52a.

Documents for a family whose members have already passed biometrics earlier can be submitted by a close relative without a power of attorney. To do this, confirm the applicants' family ties. The representative must carry the original and a copy of the passport. In other cases, personal presence is required.

You can use the services of TLScontact visa centers and accredited travel agencies to transfer documents for short-term visas to the embassy. For long-term visas, you can apply only for a personal visit to the embassy.

There are visa centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don and Novosibirsk. The application can be submitted on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In Samara, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Ufa, Omsk, Perm, Irkutsk, Murmansk, Surgut and Yakutsk, you can transfer visa documents through DHL post offices. Extra charge will be required.

Applying directly to the Embassy

After registration, make an appointment through the website for an appointment with the embassy and print a notification about the entry https://ch.tlscontact.com/en/mow/index.php?l\u003den. You can also sign up without registration by sending a fax to +7 495 225 88 36 with the name, number of applications, desired filing date, your phone and email. The number of seats at the embassy is limited, the priority for admission for long-term visas.
Visit the visa department of the embassy at the appointed time. Come 15 minutes before recording.

Application procedure through the visa center

Collect all the necessary documents for your trip purpose.
Make an appointment through the website and print a notice of entry.
Arrive at the appointed time with a full package of documents, application form and passport in the TLScontact Visa Application Center.
You will need to answer a few questions, go through the biometrics procedure and pay the fees at the box office.
When the passport is ready, you will receive an SMS notification about this, an email, and you can see it in your account on the CC website. Appear in person, or pre-order delivery by courier. In order for a proxy to receive a passport with a visa for you, you need to make a power of attorney and have copies of the passports of the proxy and principal, as well as confirmation of family ties.

Filing an application via mail

Register on the official site of the EC: https://ch.tlscontact.com/en/MOW/register.php.
Collect all the necessary documents for your trip purpose.
Pay all fees online through the CC website. Payment is possible through PayPal and bank cards.
Be sure to call the TLScontact Call Center by phone + 7 495 9958512 or +7 495 2322334 to arrange for the transfer of documents to DHL courier. All documents and passport must be sealed in an envelope.
Pay the cost of courier delivery to the main office of the Exhibition Center and back (you will need to sign it). Address: Moscow, 2nd Syromyatnichesky Lane 1 (BC Delta Plaza), index 105120.
Delivery cost will depend on the number of applications and the city of your residence, prices range from 550 rubles to 3800 rubles. Look at the detailed cost on a photo.
When the passport is ready, you will receive an SMS notification about this, an email, and you can see it in your account on the CC website. It will be sent back via DHL, on their website it will be possible to track delivery by invoice number.

Conclusion

Due to the presence of several ways to apply, you can get a visa to Switzerland easily and independently, being in any city of the Russian Federation. If you confirm your trip goals, the availability of funds and housing with the help of genuine documents, then the chance of getting a refusal becomes almost zero. Also keep these documents when crossing the border; border guards may require them.

The Schengen Agreement entered into force in March 1995, then only within the five powers it was possible to move without passing through passport control. Since then, the borders of the Schengen Union have repeatedly changed, and the list of Schengen countries in 2020 already includes 26 states.

Schengen Area

Many travelers are interested in which countries a Schengen visa applies. After all, if you plan a long trip to Europe, you should find out which countries are members of the Schengen and which require a national visa.

It is worth considering that countries belonging to Schengen are not necessarily members of the European Union (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are not members of the EU). In turn, Ireland and Great Britain signed the Schengen agreement and are EU members, but left passport control. That is, for their visit, tourists need a separate document - a national visa.

Very soon, a single visa-free space can expand; it is not the first year that other EU members have been striving to enter it: Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Cyprus. The exact date of signing the contract and the entry of new participants has not been announced. Now, entry to these countries is open with a Schengen visa, but internal national visas also operate. Moreover, the area of \u200b\u200bvalidity of the internal visa of southern Cyprus may extend to Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania.

Which countries are included in the Schengen zone in 2020

The list of countries included in the Schengen zone in 2020 is as follows:

Austria
Belgium
Hungary
Germany. It has the largest population, almost 82 million people live here. The territory of Busingen on the Upper Rhine is not included in the Schengen zone.
Greece (except Athos)
Denmark (with the exception of two autonomous regions - Greenland, Faroe)
Iceland
Spain (without Melilla, Ceuta)
Italy (except for the Levigno enclave)
Latvia
Lithuania
Principality of Liechtenstein. The Principality is the smallest Schengen state, its area is only 160 km²
Luxembourg
Malta
Kingdom of the Netherlands (exception - Caribbean Netherlands, Sint Maarten, Curacao, Aruba)
Norway (except the Bear Islands, Svalbard)
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Finland
France (without overseas possessions). It is the longest Schengen state; the country's area is 674 843 km². Joined the agreement in 1985
Czech Republic
Switzerland
Sweden
Estonia

If you are interested in which countries need a Schengen visa, please note that in addition to the above list of countries on a Schengen visa, you can visit some other states. San Marino, the Vatican, the Principality of Monaco and Andorra, which did not sign the Schengen treaty, are also covered by the Schengen zone. However, if you have a single Schengen visa after visiting, for example, Andorra, certain difficulties may arise. The fact is that Andorra is not a member of the Schengen Union. That is, when entering the principality, a person actually leaves the territory of the union, upon returning to which he needs a repeated visa.

The most popular Schengen countries among tourists this year

The list of Schengen countries in 2020, where the largest influx of travelers is expected, is as follows:

Features of movement between the Schengen states

Even if you intend to visit only countries that need a Schengen visa in 2020, in some cases you should prepare for certain difficulties. Due to the influx of emigrants in order not to spread crime, some Schengen countries introduced in 2016 special border control:

Austria - from Slovenia and Hungary
Germany - on the border with neighboring Austria;
Denmark - on the border with Germany, as well as in seaports where German ferries arrive;
Sweden - Eresun bridge, in the southern and western ports;
Norway - in seaports where ferries from Denmark, Germany and Sweden arrive.
Hungary built a fence on the border not only with Serbia and Croatia, which have not yet entered the Schengen Union, but also with Slovenia, which has signed the Schengen agreement.

Thus, movement within the Schengen area will only be relatively free, and it will become even more difficult for illegal immigrants to enter Schengen territory.

The Schengen countries guarantee free movement within the Schengen zone to both EU citizens and visitors who are in the territory of a united Europe under legal conditions. At the same time, all Schengen countries exercise joint control of visitors. If a tourist previously violated passport control in any of the Schengen states, information about this should be automatically distributed through the databases of all Schengen participants. In the future, by issuing permission to enter any of the powers that are parties to the Schengen agreement, this person may be refused.

The Federal Republic of Switzerland is an unusually beautiful state in Europe. This country is one of the few that is not a member of the European Union. The main feature of this union is that throughout its territory there is one single currency, for all countries included in it - the euro. So, in Switzerland, the main currency is still - the Swiss franc. Nevertheless, since 2004, the country has been included in the Schengen zone, which means that Russian citizens need to get a Schengen visa to visit it.

A visa to Switzerland for Russians is necessary if you plan to visit the country for one of the following purposes:

tourism;
visit on business of own business;
participation in international conferences, symposia, exhibitions, seminars, etc .;
guest visit;
entry for the purpose of employment under a contract for one of the enterprises;
departure to study at one of the country's universities;
departure of a potential bride / groom for the purpose of marriage with a citizen / citizen of Switzerland;
departure for treatment at the clinic;
attending language courses, etc.

You can enter its territory on a Schengen visa issued by another country. Entering Switzerland with a Schengen visa, obtained earlier, is possible only in the following cases:

If it has already been used for its intended purpose, i.e. the first trip was to the country that opened it.
If the new trip is short-term, i.e. does not exceed 90 days established by the rules.

In addition, in order to apply for a visa at the Swiss Embassy, \u200b\u200bthe following basic conditions must be observed:

When applying for a visa at the Embassy of Switzerland, especially if you plan to visit several countries that are members of the Schengen zone, you should make sure that it is the place where most nights are planned.
If the number of nights in each of the planned countries is the same, then the “first entry” rule applies. According to him, if you plan to get a Schengen visa at the consulate of this country, then the first entry should be through its territory.

If the above conditions are not met, the Embassy has the right to refuse to accept documents.

Types of Visas

Switzerland issues the following main types of visas:

With the right to find no more than 90 days within one half year. In another way, it is called short-term.

Such a visa is issued if the purpose of the trip is:

tourism;
language classes;
guest visit;
participation in international sports and cultural events, as well as exhibitions, symposia, conferences;
meeting with a business partner.

Airport transit visa.
Citizens of some countries, when transit through one of the country's airports, must obtain this visa, even if they do not plan to leave the transit zone. Russians do not need to draw it up at the moment if:
- transit does not exceed a day and exit from the airport zone is not planned;
- the flight is operated by one airline or airline alliance. In this case, baggage check-in is carried out at the starting point, and its collection is carried out at the final point of travel;
- on hand there are boarding passes for all segments of such a flight, which you can ask to print an airline employee at check-in for the flight.
Please note that when flying from Russia to a third country with 2 transfers in Europe, you need to get a Schengen visa! For example, when flying: Russia - Switzerland - Spain - Brazil. This is due to the fact that flights within Europe are carried out on the principle of domestic and do not have a transit zone.
National long-term visa with a stay of more than 90 days.
It is issued in case of:
- long training;
- departure for the purpose of marriage and further residence in Switzerland;
- migration due to family reunion, etc.
Contract work visa.
It is requested upon employment at one of the country's enterprises.

Required Swiss Visa Documents

Visa to Switzerland begins with familiarization with the requirements for documents. This issue should be taken seriously, because incorrectly submitted documents are most often the reason for refusing to issue a visa.

Application form.

It should be noted that it is different for a visa category C and D (short and long). It must be filled in German or English. Italian and French are also allowed. After filling, it is printed out, signed with one's own hand, the photo is pasted in the space provided for it - in the upper right corner.

Digital photos - 2 pieces, made according to the requirements:

background - light (preferably blue or white);
photo size - 35x40 mm;
70-80% of the total area should be a person.

Passport for traveling abroad of the established sample.
For gluing a visa, you must have at least 2 blank pages in it.
Copies of previous Schengen visas.
If it has visa stamps issued by the USA, Canada, Australia, this will be a plus and increase the chances of getting Swiss.
A photocopy of the completed pages of the Russian passport (with personal data, with registration, with a record of children and civil status, with a note on the issue of the passport).

Depending on the purpose of the trip, the list of documents for a Swiss visa may vary.

Tourist visa

In addition to the main package of the above documents, you must provide additional:

Medical policy.

According to the rules, the amount of coverage in it should be 30 thousand euros. Must be valid during the entire period of intended stay.

Certificate from the employer confirming employment.

It should indicate information about the company, its main details (name, phone with area code, address with postal code). It is provided in free form and also contains information about the salary, position held, duration of work. It must be signed by the head or other official with the right to do so. At the bottom of it should be a round stamp.

For the unemployed, as well as for minors - a letter from the sponsor, a certificate of his work, confirming relationship with the applicant documents. For students - a certificate from the university, documents from the sponsor.

For pensioners - a photocopy of the pension certificate.

Confirmation of solvency (certificate from the bank).

Mandatory for all applicants, regardless of their status (unemployed, student, senior citizen). For minors, such a certificate is provided by the parent or legal guardian. The amount should be based on approximately 90 euros per day per person.

Hotel voucher or confirmed reservation.

Copies of round-trip tickets or travel plan.

If it is planned on a personal car - a copy of the green card.

Children must additionally be provided with:

photocopy of birth certificate;
certificate from the educational institution;
in case of departure with only one of the parents - consent to leave the other. In his absence - a document confirming this fact (death certificate, police certificate that his whereabouts could not be established due to search measures, etc.).

Guest Visa

A number of mandatory additional ones are also required to be attached to the main package. These include:

An official invitation with details of the inviting person, a copy of his Swiss passport or residence permit. It is also necessary to indicate the length of stay of the invitee, the nature of their relationship (friend, relative).
If the inviting person is officially married, a signature is required on the application from both spouses.
If the invited relative - copies of documents confirming this fact.
As a confirmation of the solvency of the invitee, an extract from the bank. It will be best if it is with information on the movement of funds over the past few months. This will greatly increase the chances of a positive response.
If the invitee does not have the opportunity to provide a statement of account at the bank, then the inviter can do this, but it will require more time for the entire process of registration.

Where and at what time to apply for a Swiss visa?

For tourists, the easiest and most convenient option is to contact a travel agency. They will help to collect the necessary documents, check them and transfer them to the visa center or Embassy. It will only be necessary at the appointed date and time to come and undergo the mandatory fingerprinting procedure.

It is also easy to apply for a visa to Switzerland yourself. There are 2 ways to do this:

Through the visa center.

Please note that the reception and processing of documents for a Swiss visa from 2017 is carried out in TLScontact.

Its offices operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. The full list can be found on their official website. In addition, you can send documents to one of these offices using the DHL delivery service, but it will cost much more, given that you still have to go to the fingerprint procedure.