Switzerland family-visit visa from India: the official document checklist, decoded

The checklist, as published

Condensed from the official document linked above; wording is the mission's, shortened. Where the mission names an official form it is listed under "Forms". Always download the current version from the source link on the day you apply.

1. Valid national passport: issued within 10 years, 3 months validity after return, two blank pages; no handwritten or observation passports
2. 1 passport size picture: white background, under 6 months old, 35-40 mm wide, not copied/scanned, pasted on the form
3. Visa application form completed and signed; third-person authorization if applicable; minors: signed by legal guardians with custody proof
4. Introduction letter (original) on employer letterhead, signed/stamped by HR or directorate: position, service duration, no-objection statement, travel dates, purpose
5. Invitation letter from Swiss host: inviter's full name, address, email, phone; original/clear copy, dated, signed; all invitees, duration, relationship, purpose
6. Copy of the passport or identity card, OCI, residential permit of the inviting person
7. Travel insurance from approved Indian insurers, minimum EUR 30,000 per person: repatriation, urgent medical, emergency hospital; covers entire Schengen stay
8. Flight reservation with names of all travellers; if applicable proof of intra-Schengen flights, train itinerary or car rental
9. Proof of financial status: all documents originals, A4 format, with stamp and signature of the bank
10. Employed: last 3 months salary slips, copy of employment contract, 3 months salary-credited bank statements, ITR-V last 2 assessment years
11. Self-employed/company owner: business/GST registration/partnership deed/proprietorship proof, 3 months bank statements, company's and personal ITR-V 2 years
12. Retired: personal pension bank statement for the last 3 months; proof of regular income from property or business ownership
13. Families: apply together; only head of family attaches bank statements, ITR-V, insurance, flight booking (all names), Swiss invitation letter
14. Students above 16: copy of student college ID card and an introduction letter of the school/college/university
15. Children under 18 not travelling with both parents: consent letter from the non-travelling parent/guardian, certified by public notary
16. Children under 18 travelling alone: consent letter from both parents or legal guardians, certified by public notary
17. In all cases (minors): copy of passport of both parents/legal guardians, or PAN card or driving licence
18. Visa fees: adults EUR 90.00; children 6-12 years EUR 45.00; children under 6 free of charge

Forms named by the mission

• SEM Schengen visa application form
• Invitation letter from the host in Switzerland (no prescribed form; SEM factsheet on letters of invitation linked from the embassy page)
• SEM Declaration of Sponsorship information sheet, linked under 'Information for hosts in Switzerland' (not listed as mandatory)
• Authorization of third person (Appendix 8 authorization letter) when a representative or agent submits

Notes the mission attaches

• Invitation letter: 'Including details of the inviter: full name, address, email-ID and telephone number. Needs to be the original or a clear copy, dated and signed, mentioning full names of all the invitees, duration of stay, relationship and purpose of the invitation' plus a copy of the host's passport, ID, OCI or residence permit.
• Self-employed visitors must add the company's ITR-V as well as personal ITR-V for the last 2 assessment years.
• Same photo, bank-original/A4, insurance and minors rules as the tourist checklist; only checklist documents accepted.
• Personal appearance for biometrics is mandatory unless fingerprints were collected within the last 59 months; not required for children under 12.

What each item is for

Every Schengen checklist is Article 14(1) of the Visa Code made specific: (a) purpose of the journey, (b) accommodation, (c) means of subsistence for the stay and the return, (d) information enabling an assessment of your intention to leave before the visa expires. Read the list above with those four heads in mind: bookings and invitations answer (a) and (b); bank statements, salary slips and tax returns answer (c); employment, business, family and property papers answer (d). Our documents guide explains each head, and the cover-letter guide shows how to make them agree.

For a family or friends visit the host's documents carry the weight: proof of the host's status in Switzerland, the relationship, and, where the mission uses one, its own hospitality or sponsorship form. A missing or informal invitation is the classic route to ground 2 or 10 on the refusal form.

Processing time, as stated by the mission

"Processing time for a visa application: 7 to 10 calendar days after submission at any VFS application centre in India; as a general rule a decision is taken by the Consulate within 15 days, extendable in individual cases. The embassy's entry page separately states 10 to 15 calendar days at the moment of arrival at the Embassy." (source) The Visa Code sets 15 calendar days from an admissible application, extendable to 45 (Article 23).

Fee, as stated by the mission

"Embassy price list valid from 01-04-2026: visa adult (EUR 90.00) CHF 82.00 / INR 9,600; visa child 6 to 12 years (EUR 45.00) CHF 41.00 / INR 4,800; VFS Switzerland India shows the same INR amounts." (source) The euro amounts are fixed by Article 16: EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children six to eleven, free under six.

Switzerland's record for applications lodged in India

In 2025 Switzerland decided 226,044 applications lodged in India and refused 13.6% (all-India average 15.7%); 80.6% of visas issued were multiple-entry. Its consulates: Mumbai, New Delhi (13.6%). Which one handles you depends on your state of residence: see the Switzerland country page.