Swiss visa desk in Washington

The Embassy strongly advises to read the requirements relating to the visa type you wish to apply for and prepare the requested application form and all the supporting documents in advance.

Only applicants residing in the consular district of the Embassy can submit their application at the Embassy:
where to apply?

Representation Agreement for residents of Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas 

The Embassy might be closed without prior notice following the Snow & Dismissal Procedures for Washington, D.C. of the U.S. Office of Personnal Management. More information and the current status can be found also under the following link.

Application Procedure

By Appointment:

All first-time Schengen visa applicants (for stays up to 90 days) require an individual appointment.

Please register and print your online application and appointment on this website: www.swiss-visa.ch. All required documents must be submitted at the interview, at which time the fingerprints will also be collected. Making an appointment is free of charge.

Mail-in:

The following visa applications may be submitted by mail (please choose a secure carrier offering a tracking option):

  • Visa applications type D (for stays longer than 90 days, i.e. family reunion, student, work, residence permit) complete with all required documents
  • Schengen visa applications for persons who have had fingerprints collected for a previous Schengen visa within the last 59 month, and who have submitted and printed the online application complete with all required documents and copies of previous visa stickers. 

The applicable visa fees must be paid by money order or by e-payment when registering the application online.

All mail-in applications must include a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope with a tracking number, which will be used to return the application if not complete or to return the passport once the application has been processed. Please indicate your name and address both as sender and recipient.

The Embassy reserves the right to request the applicant to appear for a personal interview after reviewing the application.

 

Specific visa inquiries:

For specific visa inquiries contact the Embassy by email at was.visa@eda.admin.ch. No visa information will be given by phone.

The Embassy strongly advises to read the visa information before contacting the visa section.

Please do not contact the Embassy about the status of your application - as soon as your application has been submitted, no more contact from the applicants side should be attempted; the Embassy will contact you if needed or with the decision. Please also do not inquire about the arrival of documents you might have sent - if you sent an email, you will receive an automatic reply confirming the receipt; if you have sent a letter, please track it with your tracking number.