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Visa
Welcome to the Website of the visa Office of the German Embassy Berne.
The German Embassy in Bern is the only German Mission in Switzerland offering consular visa services. All national visa applications have to personally be lodged at the German Embassy in Bern, after arranging an appointment.
Depending on the purpose of the journey and the foreseen duration of stay, you either need a national visa for a stay of more than 90 days. Sporadically there may appear cases where a schengen visa may be required.
Swiss residence permits „B“, „C“ or „L“ entitle third party nationals to travel within the Schengen area for up to 90 days per half year. No separate schengen visa is required in these cases.
Which visa do I need? The online Visa Navigator assists to find the right visa category Visa Navigator
Swiss citizens enjoy freedom of movement in terms of the directive 2004/39/EG similar to EU-citizens. Please inquire directly to the local authorities of your future place of residence in Germany.
Details you find here:
Please do not come to the Embassy without arranging an appointment beforehand.
Please book
for national and Schengen visa here
for working Holiday visa here.
A national, long-term visa (D-type visa) allows you to stay in Germany as a resident for more than 90 days and to travel freely within all member states of the Schengen Treaty (including airport transit), while you live in Germany.
You must hold a valid Residence Permit L, B or C for Switzerland to apply for your long term stay at the German Embassy in Bern.
Please check carefully the relevant information and requirement sheets for your type of travel purpose and ensure to submit all requested documents. All documents need to be submitted in 3 sets (1 x Original and 2 x copies). The original set is returned to the applicant at the end of the interview.
Only complete applications can be processed.
Do you have questions, write us here:
Would you like to apply for a visa? You find the application form here:
Do you need an appointment? Please book here
Young people aged 18 to 30 can easily travel around Germany for up to a year and learn more about the culture and everyday life in Germany. How? Quite simply - with the Working Holiday Programme.
„Working Holiday“ programs exist with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan and Uruguay.
This program allows stays of up to 12 months. Holiday jobs can be accepted to supplement the financing of the stay.
Australian, Israeli, Japanese, New Zealand, Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan nationals can also apply for this visa at the Embassy in Bern.
Korean, Taiwanese, Brazilian and Hong Kong nationals may not apply in Bern.
Do you have any questions? Write to us
Would you like apply for a visa, you find the application here
Do you need an Appointment ?
If you possess a regular residential status in Switzerland by a permit B, C or L this permit admits automatically to a short-term stay in all Schengen states for up to 90 days in a 180-days-period.
Sporadically it may appear, that residents of Switzerland don’t possess a permit B, C, or L (f.e. F-permit). In this case it may be considered to issuing a Schengen visa for urgent journeys.
Do you have a question in this regard? Please send us an e-mail
Would you like to apply for a Schengen visa you find the application form here
Do you need an appointment? Please book here