Appointments and Inquiries

All appointments for a Schengen visa (type C) can be booked online. Please visit www.swiss-visa.ch.  

The visa desk does not accept walk-ins. Each individual applicant requires an appointment. This also applies to general inquiries and pre-authorized visas. No visa can be issued on the same day. The waiting time for an appointment may be up to 4 months, especially during the high season in summer or during the holiday season. Applicants are therefore advised to book their appointments as early as possible. Making an appointment is free of charge. 

Prior to making your appointment, you are strongly advised to read the requirements relating to the visa type you wish to apply for and prepare the requested application form and all the supporting documents in advance. Please note that only complete applications will be processed. Should the application be incomplete, a new appointment will be needed in order to resubmit the application. Please refer to the general visa information.

For visa inquiries please email us at atlanta.visa@eda.admin.ch.

Visa Process for Schengen Visa applications (Type C, stays up to 90 days and 120-day work visa)

All applicants for a Schengen visa can submit a visa application and book their appointment online with the Consulate General of Switzerland Atlanta. To start your online application and/or to book your appointment please visit www.swiss-visa.ch.

Please note that you will be required to bring your printed application and supporting documents to your appointment at which point your biometric data will also be taken.

Effective May 15, 2014, all diplomatic and consular representations of the Schengen member states in the US issue Schengen visas with biometric data (fingerprinting and facial image). Therefore, Schengen visa applicants within our jurisdiction (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Cayman Islands) will have to appear in person in Atlanta.

Frequent travelers to the Schengen Area do not have to be fingerprinted every time they apply for a new visa. Once fingerprints are collected, they will be saved and stored for up to 59 months. 

Visa Process for National Visas (Type D, stays of longer than 90 days, except 120-day work visas)

Visa applications for stays longer than 90 days (family reunion, student, work, residence permit) do not require fingerprinting and therefore may be submitted by mail. However, a personal interview might still be required. If you wish to apply in person you will need to schedule an appointment at www.swiss-visa.ch. The visa requirements can be found on the following link: Visa Application, National Visa Type D

Visa processing

In general, the processing takes about 10-15 business days once the application is complete. This does not include the time for mailing. However, in some particular cases, the processing time might be longer, especially if the central authorities have to be consulted.

There is no need for you to contact the Consulate General about the status of your application. This office will contact you if further action on your part is required. Please also do not inquire about the arrival of documents you might have sent - if you do send an email, you will receive an automatic reply confirming the receipt; if you have sent a letter, please track it with your tracking number.

Mailing

Issued visas can be picked up in person or will be mailed back with a prepaid, self-addressed, envelope with tracking number which has to be provided by the applicant at the time the application is submitted. Applicants must indicate their name and address both as sender and recipient. It is recommended that applications are mailed with private delivery services such as FedEx or UPS as there were some issues with other carriers. 

Important: The Swiss representation does not assume any liability for the loss of mailed documents.

Payment options

Exact cash and all major credit cards (except American Express) accepted for persons who appear in person. If you apply by mail, fees have to be paid by money order or cashier's check issued to "Consulate General of Switzerland". No personal checks accepted.