Switzerland business visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Switzerland business Schengen visa when you apply from United States.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇨🇭 Switzerland·····✈·····🇺🇸 from United States
To
Switzerland
Type
C · BUSINESS
Apply at
USA
Centre
VAC
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Action neededBusiness — short stay (Type C) · applying from United States.
Documents ready00 / 10
Competent authority
Embassy of Switzerland Washington D.C. / Swiss Consulates General (New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles) by jurisdiction.
Application centre
VFS Global (since 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.
Fees
Consular (Type C)
€90
Service fee
$42
Est. total (adult)
$142
Long stay (Type D)
—
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in USD · centre: VFS Global.
Fee notes
Since Oct 1 2025 Swiss short-stay in USA via VFS Global (NY, Atlanta, SF, DC). Service ~$40-45. Also processes Liechtenstein. National D via cantonal authorities (null).
Timeline
high confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
2–8 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
No official published wait; realistically ~1-3 weeks, more in peak summer.
Application centre
VFS Global — NOT TLScontact (official Swiss EDA/FDFA page confirms). Washington DC, Atlanta, New York, San Francisco. Midwest states (IL, IN, IA, KS, MO, NE, MI, MN, ND, SD, WI, OH) handled via representation through Lithuania's consulate.
Timeline notes
US operator is VFS Global, not TLScontact. Complete applications generally processed within 10-15 days; prior cantonal authorization ~1 week. Several Midwest states represented by Lithuania.
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
- Holders of US B1/B2 visa onlyMust apply in their country of residence, not in the USA.
- Foreign residentsMust hold a valid Green Card or eligible US visa category to apply from the USA.