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Schengen visa application
Schengen Visum, © colourbox
Who needs a visa?
Non-German nationals who are planning a stay for more than three months or who are planning to take up gainful employment generally require a visa. EU citizens, EEA nationals and Swiss nationals are exempt from this requirement.
Other foreign nationals living in Switzerland do not require a visa for a stay in the other -Schengen Community states for tourism, visits and business trips of up to 90 days within a 180-day period if they have
- a passport with sufficient validity for the intended stay and
- a valid residence permit issued by Switzerland authorising you to cross the border.
If you are unsure whether your Swiss residence permit authorises you to make short stays within the Schengen area, please clarify this with the Swiss authority that issued your residence permit.
Where can I apply for a visa?
The representation abroad at the place of habitual residence is responsible for applying for a Schengen visa for Germany. So if you are legally resident in Switzerland, you can apply at the visa centre of the embassy in Bern without having to return to your home country.
You can find an overview of the different visa categories in the Visa Navigator of the Federal Foreign Office.
What requirements must be met?
You can find an overview of the requirements for the issue of Schengen visas for short stays here.
Prepare your application
Prepare your application in the following three steps:
Please complete the application form on your computer using VIDEX at no additional cost. Then print out the receipt with barcode and the remaining pages in full and bring them with you to your appointment.
| ⬜ A current biometric passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light-coloured background) according to the photo sample table of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The photo should not be older than three months. |
| ⬜ Personally signed passport (original with one copy of the passport data page), with at least two completely empty pages and sufficient validity. |
| ⬜ Swiss residence permit |
| ⬜Proof of travel health insurance for the entire duration of the visit in Germany and the Schengen area. It must have a minimum cover of € 30,000. |
| ⬜ Proof of funding for the intended stay (at least €50 per day of stay or a declaration of commitment issued in Germany in accordance with §§ 66-68 AufenthG) |
| ⬜ Proof of the intended purpose of stay |
| ⬜ Proof of accommodation |
| ⬜ Documents relating to the current purpose of residence in Switzerland (e.g. confirmation of studies in the case of au pair contract for au pair stay, employment contract for gainful employment, marriage certificate for residence as a family member, etc.). for residence as a family member, etc.) |
| ⬜ Postage expenses of 7 Swiss Francs and visa fee of 75 Euro payable by cash in Swiss Francs, by Visa or MasterCard (information here). |
The embassy reserves the right to make the decision on the visa application dependent on the submission of further documents in individual cases.
Please book an appointment here to submit your application. New appointments are regularly activated in the appointment system. Unfortunately, there are no additional appointments. Please refrain from enquiries about special appointments. These requests will not be answered.
Appointment booking
To submit your application, please come in person to your pre-booked appointment at the visa centre of the embassy (Willadingweg 78, 3068 Bern). Please book one appointment here per person - also for children. The visa centre will take your complete application documents and the fee and record your fingerprints. It is not possible to apply without an appointment.
During application processing
The visa centre will check whether your complete application meets the legal requirements. As soon as a decision has been made on the application, you will be contacted by the visa centre. Please understand that questions about the visa status will generally not be answered during the processing period. All communication can only take place with the applicant themselves, a legal representative or a person authorised in writing.
Decision on the application
You will be informed as soon as the embassy has decided on your application. Your passport is required for the visa to be issued.
If all the details on your visa label are correct, nothing stands in the way of your journey. Please check this as soon as you have your passport with the visa in your hands. You should inform us immediately of any errors so that we can issue a new visa.