Switzerland business visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Switzerland business Schengen visa when you apply from Canada.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇨🇭 Switzerland·····✈·····🇨🇦 from Canada
To
Switzerland
Type
C · BUSINESS
Apply at
CANADA
Centre
VAC
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Action neededBusiness — short stay (Type C) · applying from Canada.
Documents ready00 / 09
Competent authority
Consulate General of Switzerland in Montreal or Vancouver (by province of residence).
Application centre
VFS Global (since 4 Sept 2025)
Recommended — commonly expected even when not on the official list
Cover letterA letter of introduction stating who you are and why you are travelling.
Travel itineraryA day-by-day plan of your trip to attach to the application.
Fees
Consular (Type C)
€90
Service fee
CA$44
Est. total (adult)
CA$179
Long stay (Type D)
—
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in CAD · centre: VFS Global.
Fee notes
Embassy Ottawa + consulates; VFS Global Canada. Also represents Liechtenstein. Schengen but not EU. D unverified.
Timeline
medium confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
3–8 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
No official wait published. Two VFS centres (Vancouver, Montreal); slots typically within ~1-3 weeks (unverified estimate).
Application centre
VFS Global (as of 4 September 2025, replaced TLScontact as Switzerland's provider in Canada). Centres in Vancouver (BC, AB, SK, NWT, Yukon) and Montreal (QC, PEI, MB, NB, NS, ON, NL, Nunavut). Consular competence sits with the Consulates General Montreal and Vancouver (Ottawa embassy has no consular district). Appointment mandatory.
Timeline notes
Operator recently changed: TLScontact replaced by VFS Global effective 4 Sept 2025 — confirm booking on VFS. Processed via Consulates General Montreal and Vancouver; no routing to Washington DC.
Funds to show
high confidenceThe amount you must be able to prove, per the Schengen Borders Code reference amount. It depends only on the destination — not on your nationality or where you apply.
Per day
CHF 100
Minimum
—
In EUR ≈
€107 / day
standard (foreign national bearing own costs, per day)
CHF 100 / day
student with valid student card (per day)
CHF 30 / day
Notes
Swiss Aliens Act of 16 Dec 2005 (RS 142.20), administrative practice: approx. CHF 100/day for those bearing own costs; approx. CHF 30/day for students with a valid student card. Alternatively a host's declaration of liability (Verpflichtungserklaerung) set as an irrecoverable liability of CHF 30,000. EUR equivalent approx at ~1.07 EUR/CHF.
Consulates apply discretion and may expect a buffer above this figure — treat it as a floor, not a guarantee.
Funds source ↗⚠ Special cases & caveats
- Non-Canadian citizensProof of Canadian residency valid at least 3 months after re-entry required.
- Sponsored business travelIf the inviting company covers all costs, personal financial proof and accommodation proof may be waived (invitation must state full sponsorship).