Switzerland tourist 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. Travel insurance from approved Indian insurers, minimum EUR 30,000 per person: repatriation, urgent medical, emergency hospital; covers entire Schengen stay
6. Flight reservation with names of all travellers; if applicable proof of intra-Schengen flights, train itinerary or car rental
7. Proof of accommodation in Switzerland/Schengen states: confirmation of hotel reservations, package tours, advance payments
8. Proof of financial status: all documents originals, A4 format, with stamp and signature of the bank
9. Employed: last 3 months salary slips, last 3 months salary-credited bank statements, personal ITR-V for last 2 assessment years
10. Self-employed/company owner: business registration/GST registration/partnership deed/proprietorship proof, 3 months bank statements, 2 years ITR-V
11. Retired: personal pension bank statement for the last 3 months; proof of regular income from property or business ownership
12. Families: apply together; only head of family attaches bank statements, ITR-V, insurance, flight booking, hotel confirmations naming all
13. Students above 16: copy of student college ID card and introduction letter of the school/college/university
14. Children under 18 not travelling with both parents: consent letter of the non-travelling parent/guardian, certified by public notary
15. Children under 18 travelling alone: consent letter of both parents or legal guardians, certified by public notary
16. In all cases (minors): copy of passport of both parents/legal guardians, or PAN card or driving licence
17. 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
• Authorization of third person (Appendix 8 authorization letter) when a representative or agent submits
• Approved list of Indian travel insurance companies (embassy PDF, 1 January 2026)

Notes the mission attaches

• Order rule: 'Please submit the documents in the exact order given below, please do not staple any document.'
• Photo: 'White background, not older than 6 months (size 35 - 40 mm in width, not copied or scanned picture). Picture to be pasted on the application form, stapled or pinned pictures cannot be accepted.'
• Bank documents: 'All documents have to be originals, in A4 format, with stamp and signature of Bank.' ITR: only ITR-V (verification form or acknowledgement) is accepted, for the last 2 assessment years.
• Insurance: 'Minimum coverage of 30,000 Euro per person.' Applicants for a six-month or one-year multiple visa need only cover the first journey.
• 'Only the documents mentioned on the checklist are accepted' and 'The Embassy of Switzerland reserves the right to ask for additional documents and/or for a personal interview'.
• The same file is also hosted by VFS Switzerland India with identical content.

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 tourism the itinerary is the anchor: coherent dates, cities and bookings that stay live through the decision. Cancelled-looking reservations are the classic route to ground 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.