Switzerland Has Not Suspended Visa Applications For Indian Tour Groups

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Switzerland has not halted processing visa applications for Indian tour groups, the Embassy clarified on August 3, 2023.

The Embassy said in their press release that this year, they have processed more visas to date than they did in the same time period in 2019. Additionally, applicants can now apply for their Schengen visa for Switzerland up to six months before their travel.

Earlier, it had been reported that the Switzerland Embassy in India is putting a pause on processing the visas for Indian tour groups because of the high backlog of unprocessed applications. Tour groups had been informed of the update and requested to plan the trips at a later date, reports added.

Switzerland Embassy says it has almost 800 visa appointments daily for Indians until September end

The Swiss Embassy has also increased its overall capacity to issue visas by adding a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Lucknow, the press release said. “Currently, it takes no more than 13 working days between the appointment by our partner VFS and the Embassy’s decision on the application.”

Reports previously stated that one of the reasons for the delay was the practice of visa shopping. It refers to the process of travellers getting a visa for the Schengen country where applying for it is the easiest or the fastest. This is because a Schengen visa gives travellers unrestricted access to all nations in the Schengen area, unless the document states otherwise. It allows travellers to stay in the area for up to 90 days for business or tourism.

Image credit: Nigel Tadyanehondo/Unsplash

Documents needed to apply for a Switzerland visa

Other than a valid passport, you need to submit the completed visa application form, two passport-size photos and copies of your previous visas. You also need to provide your round-trip flight ticket, proof of accommodation in Switzerland (hotel bookings or an address where you will be staying), proof of sufficient finances to fund the trip and valid travel health insurance.

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Related: 37 Non-Schengen Countries Indians Can Visit On Schengen Visa

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