Citizens of Nigeria, Chad, Benin and Equatorial Guinea are required to apply for a visa to enter Switzerland.

Applications for visas for citizens of Nigeria may be submitted to the Visa Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Abuja from Mondays to Thursdays from 09am till 11am. Citizens of Chad or Benin have to apply to the respective Swiss Consular Representations in Ndjamena and Cotonou. Citizens of Equatorial Guinea have to applied at the Embassy of Switzerland in Abuja.Visa applicants usually have to submit the documentation to the Embassy or the Consular Representations in person.

Application forms can be obtained at the Embassy of Switzerland in Abuja or at one of the Swiss Consular Representations mentioned above, or by downloading and printing - Visa Application Form -, which can be found hereinafter in PDF format. Information regarding the various visa categories and the conditions, which have to be fulfilled in order to obtain a visa, is available at the corresponding information leaflets at the bottom of this page.

General information :

In accordance with the agreement of 6 November 1963 between Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, Swiss entry regulations also apply to applications for entering the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Switzerland is not yet a member of the Schengen Treaty, therefore Swiss visas cannot be used to visit the Schengen countries and Schengen visas are not valid to enter Switzerland.

Each application is checked individually and no guarantee can be given that a visa will be issued. The Embassy cannot be held responsible for costs involved when a visa is refused. Please note that in certain cases the application has to be submitted to the authorities in Switzerland. In such cases, it may take some weeks until a decision is taken (up to 12 weeks).

Basic visa requirements

• One duly filled-in application form signed by the person who wishes to enter Switzerland
• Passport valid at least three months after leaving Switzerland (Please also submit all previous passports, either valid or cancelled)
• One Photocopy of identification pages of passport (Pages 32/33 in Nigerian passport)
• Copy of all valid visas
• One flight reservation (up and return)
• One full face color photograph for each applicant: no head-covering, no dark glasses
• Proof of financial means for the duration of your stay in Switzerland (e.g. bank statement of applicant).
• Visa fee: CHF 55.00 cash (payable in advance in Naira at the prevailing exchange rate, non refundable).

For any further requirements about specifics visas (tourist, visitors, student or business), you must contact the Visa Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Abuja by e-mail

Foreigners who do not wish to engage in a gainful activity in Switzerland may stay for a period of up to three months without a residence permit.

• Visitors who travel repeatedly to Switzerland but stay less than 3 months each time must apply for a permit if their total stay exceeds 6 months within a period of 12 months.
• Persons who do not hold a national passport of their country of residence but are in possession of a refugee document should contact the Embassy to obtain information as to how a visa may be obtained.
• If a visa is required, the fee of CHF 55.-- is payable in local currency at the current exchange rate in cash only (cheques and credit cards are not accepted).
• Nationals who do require a visa should take into consideration that there are various types of visa. These are briefly outlined below.

Tourist Visa
For persons who holiday in Switzerland, staying at a hotel or rented flat or who visit Switzerland on a coach tour

Visitor's Visa
For persons who are going to spend some time with relatives or friends living in Switzerland

Business Visa
For persons who wish to meet their Swiss business partners

Transit Visa
For persons entering Switzerland only for onward travel

Airport Transit Visa
For persons changing flights at a Swiss Airport

No vaccination certificates are required for Switzerland <

To find out whether or not you need a visa for Switzerland, please consult the Web Page of the Swiss office of migration.