YOUR ROUTE
Saudi
NATIONALITY
Switzerland
DESTINATION
Applying through VFS Global in Saudi Arabia
YOUR ROUTE
Saudi
NATIONALITY
Switzerland
DESTINATION
Applying through VFS Global in Saudi Arabia
Visa type
Required documents
Your personal list for a Switzerland tourist visa · bring originals and one copy
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Your document checklist
11 documents for your trip. Tick each one as you get it ready.
0/11
Your document checklist
11 documents for your trip. Tick each one as you get it ready.
Identity5
Saudi citizens: A digital passport copy downloaded from the Tawakkalna or Absher app is not accepted. Please upload a scan or a clear photo of the original physical passport. Bring the original passport and 2 copies of it to your appointment.
Accepted
- Valid for at least 3 months after your return date
- Issued within the last 10 years
- At least 2 blank pages
- Clean high-resolution scan of the bio page
Not accepted
- Damaged or torn passport
- Less than 3 months validity after your return
- Issued more than 10 years ago
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If your passport does not show your place of birth, a copy of your ID card or your birth certificate is required, with an English translation.
Accepted
- Clean high-resolution photo
- Valid National ID card active at the time of application
- All personal details clearly legible
Not accepted
- Expired Saudi National ID card
- Blurry dark cropped or unreadable copy
See a correct example
If you do not work, the family member who pays for your trip is your sponsor. They must be a first-degree relative: father, mother, spouse, brother or sister. Upload the photo page and the signature page of the sponsor's own passport, whatever their nationality.
Accepted
- Clear copy of the bio page and the signature page of the sponsor's passport
- Sponsor must be a first-degree relative (Father, Mother, Spouse, Brother, or Sister)
- Valid passport active at the time of application
Not accepted
- Passport copy of distant relative or non-family member
- Expired or damaged sponsor passport
- Blurry, cropped, or unreadable scan
See a correct example
Accepted
- One recent colour photo (35x45 mm), not stapled
- Plain white background
- Taken within last 6 months
- Neutral facial expression
- Full face clearly visible facing camera
Not accepted
- Photos older than 6 months
- Blurred or low-resolution prints
- Glasses obscuring eyes or tinted lenses
- Non-white or dark background
- Smiling or head tilted
See a correct example
A copy of the Saudi family card is required when you apply with your family, with an English translation.
Accepted
- Clear high-resolution copy of Saudi Family Card (Family Book)
- Includes all pages displaying applicant and traveling family members
- Valid issue active at the time of application
Not accepted
- Missing pages or excluded family members
- Unclear or cropped image
- Expired or illegible document copy
See a correct example
Financial & Employment6
Two documents from your sponsor (father, mother, spouse, brother or sister). First, a signed letter saying they will cover your trip. Second, their employment letter; if they are retired or own a business, their retirement certificate or CR instead. If the sponsor works in the private sector, the employment letter must be certified by the Chamber of Commerce; government employees do not need this. The sponsor's bank statement is a separate document in this list. Arabic documents must be translated into English.
Accepted
- Signed No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from sponsor confirming full financial liability
- Accompanying official employment letter (with Chamber attestation if private sector)
- OR Commercial Registration (CR) if sponsor is business owner
- OR Retirement Certificate if sponsor is retired
Not accepted
- Unsigned or informal NOC letter
- Sponsor employment letter lacking Chamber attestation for private sector
- Expired CR or missing pension details on retirement certificate
- Mismatched financial details
See a correct example
Your bank statement for the last 3 months, in English, showing your regular monthly salary and your current balance. You can also add credit card copies and credit card statements as extra proof of funds.
Accepted
- Official statement stamped by the bank or downloaded from the bank's app or online banking
- Continuous history covering the last 3 months
- Regular monthly income or salary deposits visible
- Shows your current balance, enough to cover the trip
- Extra proof (recommended): credit card copy and credit card statement
- In English
Not accepted
- Unstamped online screenshots
- Sudden large unexplainable deposits right before application
- Overdrawn or insufficient account balance
- Less than 3 months history
- Arabic-only statement
See a correct example
Your sponsor's bank statement for the last 3 months, downloaded from their bank app or online banking, or stamped by the bank.
Accepted
- Statement in the sponsor's name, downloaded from the bank app or online banking, or stamped by the bank
- Continuous history covering the last 3 months
- Regular salary or income deposits visible
- Sufficient closing balance to cover the trip
- The sponsor's name matches the sponsor letter and passport copy
Not accepted
- Unformatted phone screenshots
- Statement in another person's name
- Sudden large unexplainable deposits right before application
- Overdrawn or insufficient account balance
- History under 3 full months
See a correct example
If you work in the private sector, the letter must be certified by the Chamber of Commerce. If you work for a government entity, an official letter from your employer is enough; no Chamber certification is needed.
Accepted
- Signed and stamped
- Addressed to the Embassy of Switzerland
- Chamber of Commerce attestation included if private sector
- Direct official issue without Chamber attestation if government sector
- Shows the length of your contract and whether it is renewable
- States the purpose of the trip and who covers the costs (the company or you)
- Confirms position, monthly salary, start date, and approved travel dates
Not accepted
- Private sector letter without Chamber of Commerce attestation
- Issued in Arabic without official English translation
- Not on letterhead
- Not addressed to the Embassy of Switzerland
- Missing stamp or signature
- Missing contract length, renewal or who covers the costs
- Missing salary details or explicit leave approval
- Issued older than 1 month before application
See a correct example
For business owners and partners. Upload two files: your Commercial Registration certificate, and the "Commercial Record Info" page you get by scanning its QR code, saved as PDF. Bring the original and one copy to your appointment, with an English translation.
Accepted
- Commercial Registration certificate from the Ministry of Commerce
- Status Active at the time of application
- Commercial Record Info page showing the applicant as manager, owner or partner
- English version, or certified English translation
Not accepted
- Arabic only, without an English version or translation
- Suspended or cancelled CR
- CR certificate without the Commercial Record Info page
- Applicant name not listed as manager, owner or partner
- Unclear, cropped, or unreadable copy
See a correct example
Arabic documents must be translated into English.
Accepted
- Official certificate issued by the pension authority (e.g., GOSI / PPA)
- Certified English translation included
- Clearly confirms retirement status and monthly pension payout amount
- Signed and stamped
Not accepted
- Informal or handwritten note
- Unofficial pension declaration
- Missing monthly pension amount
- Untranslated Arabic certificate without official translation
- Unclear or cropped document copy
We prepare these for you4
Included in every package. Have your own booking or insurance? You can upload it when you apply.
The form is free of charge. We fill it in for you; you sign it twice where marked.
Accepted
- All required sections filled completely
- Signed twice by the applicant (by both parents or the legal guardian for minors)
- Dated accurately matching appointment date
- Printed clearly without distortions
- If someone else submits the file for you: a signed authorisation
Not accepted
- Incomplete sections or unanswered fields
- Missing signature or date
- Submitted to incorrect embassy or consulate
- Unclear or illegible printout
One insurance certificate for each traveller. It must cover the whole trip, be valid in all Schengen countries and include at least EUR 30,000 for medical emergencies and repatriation.
Accepted
- Minimum coverage of €30,000 (or equivalent in local currency)
- Covers medical emergencies, urgent hospitalization, and repatriation
- Covers COVID-19 infections (not excluded)
- Valid for all Schengen member states and full stay duration
- Issued in English
Not accepted
- Coverage below €30,000
- Policy excluding repatriation or emergency transport
- Policy that excludes COVID-19
- Dates not fully covering travel period
- Missing Schengen coverage clause
- Not in English
See a correct example
A confirmed round-trip flight reservation in your name. You do not need to buy the ticket before the visa is issued.
Accepted
- Confirmed round-trip flight booking under applicant name
- Clear PNR / reservation code visible
- Exact entry and exit dates matching accommodation and insurance plans
- Covers all flights including internal connections within Schengen area
- In English
Not accepted
- One-way ticket
- Expired reservation code
- Unconfirmed or cancelled flight booking
- Discrepancy in passenger name or travel dates
- Actual non-refundable purchased ticket (unless explicitly requested by consulate)
See a correct example
Accepted
- Confirmed hotel reservation covering all nights of your stay
- For tourism: copy of a rental contract, or proof of a property you own in your name
- Exact dates matching your flight reservation
- Your name on the booking or contract
Not accepted
- Missing nights or gap days during the trip
- Unconfirmed or cancelled reservations
- Booking name mismatch or applicant name missing
- Rental contract or property proof not in your name
See a correct example
Add if you have them2
Not required. If you have them, they help your application.
Optional, but it helps: it shows you used your earlier visas correctly. If you have never had a Schengen visa, you can skip this.
Accepted
- Clear high-resolution copies of previous Schengen visas issued within the last 3 to 5 years
- Includes entry and exit stamps from previous trips to demonstrate positive travel history
Not accepted
- Unreadable, heavily cropped, or blurred visa copies
- Expired passports containing previous visas not submitted or scanned
See a correct example
For children, the parent or legal guardian also signs the application form, and a copy of their passport is attached.
Accepted
- Original authorisation signed by the parent(s) or legal guardian
- Copy of the passport(s) of the parent(s) or legal guardian
- Shows the child's full name and passport number and the travel dates
- Translated into English
Not accepted
- Authorisation without signature
- Parents' passport copy missing
- No translation into English
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what applicants ask most often.
Apply to the country where you will spend the most nights, or the country of the main purpose of your trip. If your nights are equal, apply to the first Schengen country you will enter.
You can apply up to 6 months before your trip, and no later than 15 days before it. The Swiss Embassy recommends applying about 6 weeks before you travel, because appointments can be limited in busy seasons. If your trip starts in less than 15 days, the centre may refuse to accept your file.
The Swiss Embassy usually decides within 10 to 15 days after your appointment at the centre. It can take longer in busy periods such as summer and school holidays, and the embassy can ask for more documents or an interview. Book non-refundable flights and hotels only after your visa is issued.
It depends on the visa you receive. The Swiss Embassy decides how many days you can stay, the visa dates and the number of entries. It can be less than 90 days, for example only the dates of your trip. Check three fields on your visa sticker: Duration of stay (days), From / Until, and Number of entries. The maximum is 90 days in any 180-day period, even with a multiple-entry visa. If your visa is shorter than your trip, change your return date: staying longer can lead to fines and refusal of future visas.
Saudi citizens living in Saudi Arabia who meet the requirements usually receive a multiple-entry visa valid for 5 years, or until 3 months before the passport expires if that is sooner. Residents of other nationalities usually receive a visa for their trip dates; after using previous Schengen visas correctly, they can receive longer multiple-entry visas. The final decision is always the embassy's.
Yes. A Schengen visa lets you travel in all 29 Schengen countries, unless your visa sticker says otherwise. On this trip, Switzerland should stay your main destination, as stated in your application.
Prices start from 545 SAR for adults with the Basic package. The official visa fee is 390 SAR for adults, 195 SAR for children aged 6–12 and free under 6. It is included in the Normal and Premium packages; with Basic it is paid separately. Open the Prices tab and tap Price breakdown to see exactly what each price includes.
Yes, if your fingerprints were not taken for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months. You visit the VFS Global centre in Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam to submit your file and give your fingerprints and photo. If your fingerprints were taken in the last 59 months, your file can be submitted by a representative. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. We book your appointment and prepare your file.
Yes. The Swiss Embassy asks for all documents to be in English or translated into English. We translate the documents in your file for you.
The refusal letter explains the reason, and how and by when you can appeal. You can appeal, or apply again with a stronger file, and we help you with both. Our service fee is retained, and the official visa fee is not refunded by the embassy.
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