SwitzerlandEntry and visas

Switzerland entry rules

Citizens of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Israel, the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, Serbia and Australia do not need to arrange a visa for Switzerland in advance: the stay is up to 90 days. Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye need a visa from a consulate before the trip.

Checked against official sources on 9 October 2026.

Entry rules by passport

For a tourist trip. Checked on 9 October 2026 against the official sources listed below the table.

Passport	Entry	Stay	Conditions
Russia	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Belarus	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Ukraine	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa.Source: SEM
Kazakhstan	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Uzbekistan	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Kyrgyzstan	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Tajikistan	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Turkmenistan	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Armenia	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Azerbaijan	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Georgia	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa. Visa-free travel is suspended for official passports until 6 March 2027.Sources: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Regulation (EU) 2026/496
Moldova	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa.Source: SEM
Israel	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	A visa is required for work lasting more than 8 days a year, and from day one in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and the erotic industry.Source: SEM
EU countries	Free movement	—	Free movement under the EU–Switzerland agreement; with a passport or national ID card.Source: EU–Swiss Agreement
United Kingdom	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	No visa is needed even for stays over 90 days, but such stays require a cantonal permit.Source: SEM
United States	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	A visa is required for work lasting more than 8 days a year, and from day one in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and the erotic industry.Source: SEM
Canada	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	A visa is required for work lasting more than 8 days a year, and from day one in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and the erotic industry.Source: SEM
Turkey	Visa required	—	Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
Serbia	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa.Source: SEM
Australia	Visa-free	90 days in any 180 days	No visa is needed even for stays over 90 days, but such stays require a cantonal permit, as a rule applied for before entry.Source: SEM

RussiaVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
BelarusVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
UkraineVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa.
Source: SEM
KazakhstanVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
UzbekistanVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
KyrgyzstanVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
TajikistanVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
TurkmenistanVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
ArmeniaVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
AzerbaijanVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
GeorgiaVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa. Visa-free travel is suspended for official passports until 6 March 2027.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Regulation (EU) 2026/496
MoldovaVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa.
Source: SEM
IsraelVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. A visa is required for work lasting more than 8 days a year, and from day one in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and the erotic industry.
Source: SEM
EU countriesFree movement
Free movement under the EU–Switzerland agreement; with a passport or national ID card.
Source: EU–Swiss Agreement
United KingdomVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. No visa is needed even for stays over 90 days, but such stays require a cantonal permit.
Source: SEM
United StatesVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. A visa is required for work lasting more than 8 days a year, and from day one in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and the erotic industry.
Source: SEM
CanadaVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. A visa is required for work lasting more than 8 days a year, and from day one in construction, hospitality, cleaning, security and the erotic industry.
Source: SEM
TurkeyVisa required
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806
SerbiaVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. Biometric passport only; any work requires a visa.
Source: SEM
AustraliaVisa-free
90 days in any 180 days. No visa is needed even for stays over 90 days, but such stays require a cantonal permit, as a rule applied for before entry.
Source: SEM

The 90-in-180-days limit counts across the whole Schengen area, not Switzerland alone. ETIAS is not running yet: once it starts, visa-free passports will need an online authorisation before travel.

Sources: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annexes I and II · Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) — visa requirements by nationality (Annex CH-1, List 1, version of 03.04.2026) · EU–Switzerland Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, Annex I, Art. 1 — entry of EU citizens · European Commission — ETIAS · EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/496 on Georgian official passports

What is checked at the border

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area and issued within the last 10 years.
Funds for your stay: at least CHF 100 (≈ $120) a day, or CHF 30 (≈ $36) for students with a student card. Cash, cards, traveller's cheques or a bank guarantee count.
You may be asked about the purpose of your trip and where you will stay; without answers or sufficient funds you may be refused entry.
It is advisable to carry a return ticket within 90 days (or an onward ticket out of Schengen), an invitation from your hosts or a hotel booking confirmation — copies are enough.
At the Schengen border, travellers without a residence permit give fingerprints and a facial image for the electronic Entry/Exit System (EES).

How to extend your stay

To extend a visa, contact the migration office of the canton where you are staying. As a rule, you may stay in Switzerland for no more than 90 days in 180; longer stays require a cantonal permit.

Overstay penalties

Staying after your permitted period ends is a criminal offence punishable by up to 1 year in prison or a monetary penalty. If you did not leave on time or were convicted for it, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) bans your entry, as a rule for up to 5 years.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Switzerland?

Citizens of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Israel, the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, Serbia and Australia enter without a visa. Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye get a visa from a consulate before the trip.

How long can I stay in Switzerland without a visa?

90 days in any 180 days for citizens of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Israel, the UK, the US, Canada, Serbia and Australia.

Can the stay be extended?

To extend a visa, contact the migration office of the canton where you are staying. As a rule, you may stay in Switzerland for no more than 90 days in 180; longer stays require a cantonal permit.

What happens if I overstay?

What is checked on entry to Switzerland?

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area and issued within the last 10 years. Funds for your stay: at least CHF 100 (≈ $120) a day, or CHF 30 (≈ $36) for students with a student card. Cash, cards, traveller's cheques or a bank guarantee count. You may be asked about the purpose of your trip and where you will stay; without answers or sufficient funds you may be refused entry. It is advisable to carry a return ticket within 90 days (or an onward ticket out of Schengen), an invitation from your hosts or a hotel booking confirmation — copies are enough. At the Schengen border, travellers without a residence permit give fingerprints and a facial image for the electronic Entry/Exit System (EES).

How can I stay in Switzerland longer?

A visa-free stay does not give the right to live in the country. A longer stay needs a long-term visa or a residence permit: employment, self-employment, education and training, retirees (minimum age and special ties to Switzerland), family reunification, medical treatment.

Sources

Checked on 9 October 2026. Entry rules change: check them on the consulate website before you travel.