Switzerland visa requirements for Ethiopians

Travel and visa requirements

Basic Travel Requirements for Ethiopians visiting Switzerland

Travelers are required to fulfill the following requirements in order to apply for a Swiss Visa.

  • Duly completed and signed visa application form.
  • 2 recently taken passport-size photographs, taken with a light background and conforming fully to the Swiss visa photo requirements specifications.
  • An Ethiopian passport with at least two blank pages, valid for at least three months beyond your intended return date, is required. 
  • A round-trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Switzerland.
  • Travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 within Switzerland and the entire Schengen Area to cover for expenses for personal accident, urgent medical treatment or any other medical emergencies.
  • A cover letter, including your itinerary, stating the purpose of your visit to Switzerland.
  • Proof of accommodation for the entire duration of your intended stay in Switzerland.
  • Proof of financial means for the entire period of stay in Switzerland.
  • Proof of paid visa fee. €60 for adults and €35 for children from 6 to 12 years old.

Switzerland Visa for Ethiopians

Facts about Switzerland

Switzerland is a top destination for tourists and business people alike. Banking and finance are major industries in the country and it is little wonder the country has the highest nominal wealth per adult in the world. Tourism is no way abandoned in the country. There are a lot of attractions tourists can visit when they are in the country. Ski resorts and hiking trails are aplenty in the country. The country’s landscape is a sight to behold.

An average of 2.2 million visitors arrives in the country monthly to appreciate the beautiful landscape of the country.

In the city of Ticino, which is the Italian-speaking section of Switzerland, it is a crime to veil ones the face in public places. Doing so could attract a fine between the range of CHF100 to CHF10,000.

Types of Switzerland Visa

Types of Visa Processing Time Duration of Stay
Tourist visa 15 working days 90 days
Business visa 15 working days 90 days
Student visa 8-12 weeks More than 90 days
Work visa 8-12 weeks More than 90 days

General Requirements for Switzerland Visa

  • Duly completed and signed visa application form.
  • 2 recently taken passport-size photographs, taken with a light background and conforming fully to the Swiss visa photo requirements specifications.
  • An Ethiopian passport with at least two blank pages, valid for at least three months beyond your intended return date, is required. 
  • A round-trip reservation or itinerary with dates and flight numbers specifying entry and exit from Switzerland.
  • Travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 within Switzerland and the entire Schengen Area to cover for expenses for personal accident, urgent medical treatment or any other medical emergencies.
  • A cover letter, including your itinerary, stating the purpose of your visit to Switzerland.
  • Proof of accommodation for the entire duration of your intended stay in Switzerland.
  • Proof of financial means for the entire period of stay in Switzerland.
  • Proof of paid visa fee. €60 for adults and €35 for children from 6 to 12 years old.
Switzerland Tourist visa Switzerland Business visa Switzerland Student visa Switzerland Work visa

Switzerland Tourist Visa Eligibility & Requirements

  • Ethiopians who intend to travel to Switzerland for tourism, sightseeing, and other leisure activities require the Swiss tourist visa. This visa grants a stay of not more than 90 days in the country.
  • A visa application form must be completed accurately. An incomplete visa application form will not be accepted and you will have to make a new appointment.
  • You are advised to make use of the online application and then make an appointment to submit because applicants who apply online and make an appointment will be attended to first.
  • You must submit your visa application form in person as your fingerprints will be captured unless you are under the age of 12 or your finger scans were collected within the last 59 months. Please note that if your previously collected fingerprints prove to be of insufficient quality, you will also have to appear in person.
  • 1 recent clear and coloured passport-size photograph, with a white or grey background, must be submitted with your application form. You are NOT to staple the photo to the form.
  • Your Ethiopian passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the approved duration of your stay in Switzerland and have at least two blank visa pages. If you have been issued a new visa within the last 3 years, you are to provide the original copy of your previous passport.
  • You are to make photocopies of the personal data page of your passport, all visas in it, and your national identity card.
  • You are required to provide proof of hotel accommodation in Switzerland for the entire duration of your stay, such as a confirmed hotel booking clearly showing the name and contact details of the hotel.
  • A tour itinerary of your planned trip showing your schedule of activities, places you plan to visit and how long you intend to stay in Switzerland should be submitted.
  • You should also provide a printout of your air travel itinerary. However, do NOT yet book a flight ticket so as not to incur a financial loss in case you have to return it.
  • To show that you can finance your whole trip and have about 100 to 200 CHF to spend per day, you are to provide proof of financial sufficiency. This could be your recent payslips and your bank account statements for the last 3 months.
  • If you are an employee, you are to provide proof of your employment in the form of a signed and dated employment contract, showing your data and the contact details of your employer as well as a leave of absence letter and the date you are to return to work.
  • If you are self-employed, you should submit proof of business certification such as the Business License and the company's certified bank account statements for the last three months.
  • If you are a student, you must provide a letter from your school containing your name and your parents' names, the date you were enrolled, your present class, a leave of absence from the school, school holidays and the contact details and name of the school representative.
  • If you are retired, you must provide proof that you are receiving a pension or other financial support.
  • Proof that you have paid the visa fee must be submitted.

Switzerland Business Visa Eligibility & Requirements

  • The Swiss Business Visa is issued to foreign nationals who intend to travel to Switzerland to engage in any form of business activity such as a business meeting, business summit, trade fair or other related activities.
  • You are to submit a signed and accurately completed visa application form to the embassy. This visa application form can be downloaded from the embassy website and saved as PDF once completed.
  • If you are travelling to Switzerland for business at the invitation of a business partner, an official contact or by an event organizer in Switzerland, your host must send a signed invitation letter as an email attachment directly to the visa section of the embassy of Switzerland in Addis Ababa.
  • The letter should contain your personal data, complete details of your travel as arranged by the host, such as purpose and duration of stay, travel and accommodation arrangement as well as a financial guarantee.
  • If you are an employee, you are to provide proof of your employment in the form of a signed and dated employment contract, showing your data and the contact details of your employer as well as a leave of absence letter and the date you are to return to work.
  • If you are a civil servant, you are required to submit a signed employer's letter from the Ministry/Organisation you are currently based, stating your purpose and duration of travel, accommodation arrangements and financial guarantee, separate from your travel health insurance. Along with this letter, you must provide an original verbal note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • If you are self-employed, you should submit proof of business certification such as the Business License and the company's certified bank account statements for the last three months.
  • You are required to provide the original copies of all documents with clear double-sided photocopies at the embassy. You should NOT staple the documents together.

Switzerland Student Visa Eligibility & Requirements

  • The Switzerland student visa is required by Ethiopians intending to study in Switzerland for any period exceeding 90 days. This visa is also known as a national visa (Type D visa).
  • 3 visa application forms must be accurately submitted and signed by the applicant in blue or black ink. The form should be filled in BLOCK letters.
  • Applicants are required to submit 3 recently taken passport-size photographs with a white or grey background. The photos must NOT be stapled to the forms.
  • The Ethiopian passport used for the visa application must have at least 2 blank visa pages and remain valid for at least 3 months beyond the approved duration of stay in Switzerland. If you have been issued a new passport within the last 3 years, you are required to submit the previous passport.
  • 2 photocopies of the data page of your passport and of all visas (valid and expired) in your passport must be submitted.
  • You must also send 2 photocopies of a signed and dated acceptance letter with contact details from the school in Switzerland to the visa section of the Switzerland embassy by mail as an attachment. The letter must show the applicants personal data, duration and type of course/research work to be done, financial guarantee and that the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the language the programme will be taken in.
  • You are also required to send as an email attachment 2 copies of a signed confirmation letter stating that you have made a pre-payment of the tuition fees.
  • 2 photocopies of a detailed time table of the subjects you are to study must be submitted.
  • You are required to submit 2 photocopies of all your previous school certificates and diplomas.
  • 2 copies of your curriculum vitae must also be submitted.
  • To obtain a student visa, you must provide  2 copies of a motivation letter written by you, explaining why you would like to pursue your studies in Switzerland, which diploma you intend to pursue, the duration of your study, your address while in the country, your intention once your diploma has been obtained and confirmation that you will leave Switzerland at the end of your studies.
  • As proof that you have the financial resources to sponsor your studies and entire stay in Switzerland, you must provide recent payslips and certified bank account statements for the last 3 months. If someone else will be sponsoring your study/research, you should instead provide a letter signed by the sponsor and a copy of their passport showing their signature.
  • Your biometric data will be collected at the point of submission of your application form. Thus, you are advised to submit in person.

Switzerland Work Visa Eligibility & Requirements

  • Ethiopians who intend to work in Switzerland as employees for a period exceeding 90 days must obtain the Switzerland work visa. This visa is also known as a national visa (Type D visa).
  • 3 visa application forms must be accurately submitted and signed by the applicant in blue or black ink. The form should be filled in BLOCK letters.
  • Applicants are required to submit 3 recently taken passport-size photographs with a white or grey background. The photos must NOT be stapled to the forms.
  • Your Ethiopian passport used for the visa application must have at least 2 blank visa pages and remain valid for at least 3 months beyond the approved duration of stay in Switzerland. If you have been issued a new passport within the last 3 years, you are required to submit the previous passport.
  • 2 photocopies of the data page of your passport and of all visas (valid and expired) in your passport must be submitted.
  • You must also submit 2 photocopies of a signed and dated employment contract signed by both you and your employer in Switzerland. This implies that you must have already received an employment offer before you can apply for a work visa in Switzerland. Your employer must also confirm if you will be travelling with your family.
  • If you will be travelling with your spouse and/or children, you are to submit 2 copies each of a signed letter from your spouse, the data page of their passport, marriage certificate and birth certificate of the child(ren). Please note that each person travelling with you must still fill their visa application form.
  • You should also provide a printout of your air travel itinerary. However, do NOT book a flight ticket yet so as not to incur a financial loss in case you have to return it.
  • The visa application fee of 60 euros must be paid to the embassy at the time you submit your application form. Please note that the application fee is non-refundable.
  • You are not allowed to work in Switzerland without a valid work visa.

Switzerland Visa Fees

Visa Type

Sub Types

Visa Fees

Tourist visa

60.00 (CHF)

Business visa

60.00 (CHF)

Student visa

60.00 (CHF)

Work visa

60.00 (CHF)

Switzerland Visa Application Centres & Embassies in Ethiopia

Location

Address

Addis Ababa

Old Airport, Kolfe Keranyo, Woreda 09, P.O. Box 1106, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

www.eda.admin.ch/countries/ethiopia/en/home/representations/embassy.html

add.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

(+251) 11 371 11 07; (+251) 11 371 05 77

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Euros accepted in Switzerland?

Even though Switzerland is one of the countries in the Schengen Area, it is not part of the European Union and, thus, the Euro is not an official currency in Switzerland. Some establishments easily accept the Euro but you should not expect that all hotels and shops will accept it. You are advised to exchange the Euro to the Swiss Franc at any bank, airports and mosy railways to be on the safe side.

What happens if my visa application is refused?

If your visa application is refused, you have the right to appeal the decision. However, your appeal must be submitted within 30 days of receipt of the refusal in writing (German, French or Italian). The appeal may be submitted by your host in Switzerland. If you do not have a host in Switzerland, the appeal may be submitted to the Swiss representation in your home country.

How can I make a visa application appointment?
You can apply for your Switzerland visa and book an appointment online 9 weeks before your intended travel date. Please note that you must be ready to submit your completed visa application form before seeking an appointment.
What is the crime rate in Switzerland?

The crime rate in Switzerland is considered to be very low as less than 70 people got killed in 2011 and a little over 100 got badly injured. Thus, visitors to Switzerland face no grave danger.

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