Do I need a Schengen visa?

My nationality	Obligation to hold a visa (yes/no)
New Zealand (A)	no
Cook Islands (A)	no
Niue (A)	no
Samoa	no (V1)
American Samoa	no (V1)
Tonga	no (V1)
Tuvalu	no (V1 / TUV-1)
Fiji	yes (V)
Other nationalities	Click here

For citizens of New Zealand

There exists a valid visa waiver agreement between Switzerland and New Zealand which allows New Zealand passport holders to spend up to 90 days in Switzerland, without reference to time spent in other Schengen area countries; this agreement therefore overrides the Schengen area restriction of no more than 90 days out of 180 days period in the Schengen area as a whole.

Other nationalities

For other nationalities, please refer to the list on the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

SEM – Overview of ID and visa provisions according to the nationality (Annex 1, List 1: nationality)

If you are obliged to hold a visa, please apply for it and refer to the information on the webpage:

Where to apply for a Schengen visa?

If you are not obliged to hold a visa, you are allowed to enter Switzerland resp. the Schengen territory and stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period without any visa.

A)
All third-country nationals, regardless of their visa obligation status, who wish to enter the Schengen Area through Switzerland must be in possession of a travel document that meets the following two requirements:

The validity of the travel document must extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen Area; and
the travel document must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

The date of issue of the travel document shall be the determining factor, notwithstanding any decision by the authorities to extend the period of validity of the travel document.

Please find travel documents entitling the holder to cross the external borders in Annex 2 of the Visa Guidelines:

Annex 2: Recognized travel documents

To ensure that the most recent documents are available at all times, reference is made to the website of the European Commission. The documents can be found on the right under "Info": (Travel documents issued by third countries and territorial entities (Part I); Travel documents issued by Member States (Part II); Travel documents issued by international organisations and other entities subject to international law (Part III); List of known fantasy and camouflage passports).

V)
Third state members in possession of both a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen member state or a valid type D visa and a recognized travel document are exempt from visa requirements.

List of residence permits issued by Schengen member states

V1)
Obligation to hold a visa with regard to exercising gainful occupation:

in the primary or secondary construction industry and civil engineering, catering and hotel services, industrial and private cleaners, surveillance and security services, and erotic services;
gainful occupation of any another kind, if such occupation exceeds 8 days within a calendar year.

Exemption to hold a visa with regard to exercising gainful occupation:

Holders of a longterm residence permit issued by a Schengen member state or a valid type D visa, provided they also hold a recognized travel document.

List of residence permits issued by Schengen member states

TUV-1)
Visa exemption is a temporary provision, subject to the Federal Council’s approval of the amendment to the Ordinance on Entry and Visa Procedure.