Schengen visa application for stays up to 90 days
Personal Appearance
If your finger scans have not yet been collected, a personal appearance is mandatory when applying for a Schengen visa. You will need to schedule an appointment at www.swiss-visa.ch.
If your fingerprints were collected within the last 59 months for a Schengen visa, you will be able to apply by mail. Please mail your complete Schengen visa application to our consulate and provide a copy of your Schengen visa sticker issued within the last 59 months in addition to all other required documents, see here.
In case the previously collected fingerprints prove to be of insufficient quality, you will have to appear in person to give your fingerprints.
Personal appearance and fingerprint scan is not necessary for children under the age of 12.
The Swiss representation reserves the right to ask the applicant to appear for a personal interview after reviewing the application.
Appointment system
Residents living within our consular district who are applying for their first Schengen visa or have not given fingerprints in the last 59 months will need to apply in person with an appointment.
The appointment must be booked through www.swiss-visa.ch. It can be booked either right after submitting the online application or separately from the online application by itself. Making an appointment is free of charge.
The visa desk does not allow walk-ins. Each individual applicant requires an appointment. This also applies to each member of a group application. No appointments can be scheduled by e-mail, at the counter or by phone.
We kindly ask you to schedule only one appointment per person. Please do not schedule several appointments for yourself. This leads to long waiting times for all visa applicants. We will only reschedule an existing appointment for emergency purposes.
If you need to cancel your appointment, please send an email to newyork.visa@eda.admin.ch with the Subject: Visa Appointment Cancellation.
The waiting time for an appointment may be up to 5 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.
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.
For residents of Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin please check Representation Agreement
Online visa application form
All applicants for a Schengen visa (type C, stays up to 90 days) should submit an online visa application form. Please go to www.swiss-visa.ch to submit your application. At the end of the process you have to print and submit the application.
Should you be unable to complete the online visa application you can also fill out the following application form.
Please note that you will be required to bring your complete application form with supporting documents to the visa desk at the time of your appointment.
Passport
Important notice: In order to apply for a visa, your passport must have been issued within the last ten years and must have at least two empty pages. A passport older than ten years that has been extended for a period exceeding ten years from the time of issuance cannot be accepted. Make sure your passport is signed.
