Switzerland family visit visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Switzerland family visit Schengen visa when you apply from United Kingdom.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇨🇭 Switzerland·····✈·····🇬🇧 from United Kingdom
To
Switzerland
Type
C · FAMILY
Apply at
UK
Centre
VAC
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Action neededVisiting family / friends — short stay (Type C) · applying from United Kingdom.
Documents ready00 / 12
Competent authority
Embassy of Switzerland, Regional Consular Centre London (centres in London, Manchester, Edinburgh).
Application centre
VFS Global (since 1 July 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
£20
Est. total (adult)
£101
Long stay (Type D)
—
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in GBP · centre: VFS Global.
Fee notes
Non-EU Schengen. VFS Global; Swiss Regional Consular Centre London. Also handles Liechtenstein.
Timeline
medium confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
3–8 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
Book well in advance — commonly several weeks ahead. Realistically ~2-4 weeks to secure an appointment, more in summer.
Application centre
TLScontact (the Embassy of Switzerland transferred visa intake to TLScontact). London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Prime Time / premium slots offered.
Timeline notes
Processing follows Schengen baseline. TLScontact UK had a past IT-incident appointment disruption — capacity can be volatile.
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
- Host is not a Swiss citizenHost must provide a copy of their Swiss residence permit covering the applicant's stay; if expiring, proof of extension from the cantonal Migration Office.
- Nationals subject to Schengen consultation (Art. 22)Processing may take up to 14 working days.
- MinorsForm signed by both parents; consent letter + passport copy if a parent is abroad; birth certificate; sole-custody documentation where applicable.