Visa applicants have to apply in person at the Swiss Embassy in Abidjan

Every applicant has to apply in person for his visa at the Swiss Embassy in Abidjan when registering his biometric data, such as fingerprints, for the first time. The fingerprints will then be conserved for 5 years in the visa information system (VIS), which is effective in the whole Schengen space.

Exceptions of this rule are the following:

• Heads of State or government and members of a national government with accompanying spouses, and the members of their official delegation when they are invited by Member States’ governments or by international organization for an official purpose;
• Sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited by Member States’ government or by international organization for an official purpose;
• applicants travelling in official mission whose digital fingerprints of good quality are already registered in VIS since less than 5 years; their visa application is handed in by the MFA or an international organisation;
• all applicants that received a Schengen visa from the Swiss Embassy in Abidjan in the last two years and whose digital fingerprints of good quality are already registered in VIS since less than 5 years.

For the above mentioned categories, the visa applications have to be deposited at the Consular Agency in Freetown. The visa application will then be sent to Abidjan for processing.

The Swiss representation does not assume any liability for the loss of documents submitted by mail.

Short stay visas (Max 90 days):

•  Tourist visa
•  Visitor's visa
•  Business visa
•  Medical treatment visa

Long stay visas and short stay visa including a work activity:

•  Work visa
•  Student visa
•  Family reunion (fr)