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Application for Schengen visa and procedure

As a general rule, a decision is taken by the Consulate within 15 days. This period may, in individual cases, be extended.

Some Schengen States require that they be consulted on visa applications submitted to other Schengen States by citizens of certain countries. The consultation process may take up to 14 calendar days. Such consultation is currently required for nationals of the countries listed here:

List of countries

It is therefore recommended to submit the visa application early, at the earliest 6 months before the planned journey.  

The reasons for refusal are notified to the applicant using a standard form.

You have the right to appeal within 30 days of receipt of the refusal. For information on appeal procedures, please refer to the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration.

SEM

Biometric data (fingerprints) are generally collected every 59 months from the age of 12 years from the first recording.  

If you are a family member of a Swiss, European Union (EU) or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) citizen, you are entitled to submit your application directly at the responsible Embassy or Consulate of Switzerland. An appointment is mandatory and must be booked in advance.

Citizens of the EU and the EFTA and their family members

This representation offers a program for accredited companies specialized in the group tourism sector with Switzerland as the main destination. For more information, interested travel agencies can contact the representation.

If you wish to complain about the behavior of the consular staff and, if applicable, about the external service provider or about the process, please contact the competent representation in writing.

Dear applicants,

The visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi is responsible for the processing of visa applications of people who are permanent residents of either the United Arab Emirates or the Kingdom of Bahrain and who intend to travel to either Switzerland or Liechtenstein, given one of those countries is their main travel destination. Applications having a different Schengen country listed as the main destination will not be accepted.

Schengen application rules

General information about entering Switzerland as well as the general section of VBC instructions (Visa and Border control) can be found on the website of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

Information on how to obtain a visa through the Embassy of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi can be found on our website.

Applications for Schengen visas (categories A & C) have to be submitted at the premises of our external service provider VFS Global. They will then be forwarded to the Embassy in Abu Dhabi for further processing. Once the application process has been finalized, the passports are returned to the same VFS office they were submitted at. This service is subject to extra charges payable directly to VFS Global - in addition to the visa fee that might be due (equivalent payable in AED).

Please be aware that VFS will charge their own service fee for each application – this fee is not part of the general visa fee.

VFS Global Visa Application Centers (VAC) for Switzerland are located in the following cities: Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, Manama in Bahrain.

The submission of an application is only possible after prior registration and appointment booking via the VFS Global website.

For opening hours, please check the website.

For more detailed information, please contact VFS directly: Call Center VFS Global
Telephone: +971 4 205 58 88
Available Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm GST.
E-Mail: info.swissuae@vfshelpline.com
The processing time of a Schengen visa application (types A & C) is 15 calendar days. 

Relevant information for all visa types

The Embassies and Consulates of the Schengen Member States in the United Arab Emirates have updated and unified the lists of required documents. Starting 2013, the same documents are to be submitted alongside the application for a Schengen visa at all Schengen Embassies and Consulates. The list of documents varies depending on the purpose of travel. Small differences may still occur.

  • Third country nationals: 
    All non-citizens living in the United Arab Emirates or in Bahrain must be legal residents of the UAE or Bahrain and need to present the relevant documents (residence visa and Emirates ID for UAE residents, residence permit and Bahraini identity card for residents of Bahrain). These documents need to be valid for at least one month beyond the planned return from the Schengen area. Otherwise, a document stating that the holder has applied for the renewal of their residency must be provided as part of the application. Holders of a residence permit issued by certain countries are exempt from visa requirements.
  • Working without a relevant work permit is strictly prohibited while visiting Switzerland.
  • At the earliest, applications can be submitted 6 months before the intended travel date, but not later than 15 days before the intended departure.
  • Urgent visa processing will only be performed given high Swiss interests (political reasons or life-threatening medical interventions). Requests for urgent processing need to be communicated in written form to abudhabi.visa@eda.admin.ch or via the online application form for urgent appointments on the website of the Embassy of Switzerland (fast track)
  • Each application is checked individually, and no guarantee can be given that a visa will be issued. The Embassy cannot be held responsible for any costs occurring from a refused visa. Please note that in certain cases the application must be forwarded to the authorities in Switzerland for further processing. In such cases it may take up to 12 weeks until a decision is made.
  • A positive decision results in the issuance of a visa into a valid passport. The passport with the visa will be returned to the applicants by VFS Global.
  • In case of a negative decision (refusal / annulment / revocation), the applicant receives an official letter stating the reason(s) as well as explaining the process should the applicant decide to file an appeal against the decision. Appeals must be lodged within 30 days after receipt of the refusal. The appeal must be submitted with a signed and dated letter written in one of the official languages of Switzerland (German, French, Italian). Alternatively, a letter in English accompanied by a translation into one of the aforementioned languages can be accepted. The appeal must be submitted to either the Swiss representation that processed the application or directly to the State Secretariat for Migration SEM. Address: Quellenweg 6, CH-3003 Bern-Wabern.
  • After an advance payment of the administrative fee amounting to CHF 200 (equivalent payable in AED), the SEM shall issue a contestable decision. This process can take up to 12 weeks. The decision will be communicated in written form, in either German, French or Italian.
  • The administrative fee will be refunded in case of a positive decision by the SEM.
  • In case the SEM confirms the negative decision, the administrative fee will not be refunded and the submitted documents will remain in the visa section.
  • The visa fee amounts to EUR 90.00 for adults and EUR 45.00 for children between 6 and 12 years old.
  • The reduced visa fee of EUR 35.00 is only applicable to nationals of certain countries Switzerland has concluded a respective agreement with: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Serbia, Ukraine
  • Certain categories of applicants can have a visa issued free of charge, see also "Fees Ordinance for the Foreigners and Integration Act”
  • Vaccinations: no vaccination certificates are required.

Visa applicants may be addressed in the surrounding areas of the visa application center of VFS Global or the visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland by questionable individuals who offer various "services" for excessive fees such as sale of travel medical insurances, translations, money exchange, organization of taxis or accommodations. Some of these individuals won’t hesitate to pretend to be employees of the Embassy.

Beware: These individuals are in no way working for the Embassy or VFS Global. They do not act on behalf of or in accordance with the Embassy or VFS Global. The visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland advises to the visitors the following:

  • Avoid contact with people who offer “services” outside the premises of the visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland or outside the application center of VFS Global.
  • Reject any offers for services.
  • Prepare your visa application according to the information on the website of the visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland before you visit the application center of VFS Global or the Visa section.
  • Refuse to pay any money to someone offering you to help accessing the counters of the visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland or of the application center of VFS Global (Appointment bookings are free of charge).

The Embassy of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi doesn’t have any agreement with Travel agencies or other Visa service providers for the deposit of visa applications! Please note that the applicants are fully responsible for the submission of genuine documents and visa applications which need to be signed in person! Any Travel agency has special rights or possibilities to guarantee visas to applicants as the decision is to be taken by the visa section only! The cooperation with such agencies is your own personal decision and generates additional high fees for their services.

On prior fixed appointments applications for residence and study visas (duration of more than 90 days only) as well for family reunion visas have to be submitted in person by the applicant directly at the visa section of the Swiss Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

The visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland reserves the right to request the personal presence of the applicant in all other visa categories too, should it be deemed necessary.

Please be aware that the visa section refuses any responsibility in case of problems or difficulties with insurance companies! The contract with an insurance company is a personal issue and need to be proved carefully by the applicants!

It is strongly recommended to buy insurances only in official offices of concerned valuable and well known insurance companies.

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Last update 19.11.2025