Application for Schengen visa and procedure
As a general rule, a decision is taken by the Consulate within 15 days. This period may, in individual cases, be extended.
Some Schengen States require that they be consulted on visa applications submitted to other Schengen States by citizens of certain countries. The consultation process may take up to 14 calendar days. Such consultation is currently required for nationals of the countries listed here:
It is therefore recommended to submit the visa application early, at the earliest 6 months before the planned journey.
The reasons for refusal are notified to the applicant using a standard form.
You have the right to appeal within 30 days of receipt of the refusal. For information on appeal procedures, please refer to the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration.
Biometric data (fingerprints) are generally collected every 59 months from the age of 12 years from the first recording.
If you are a family member of a Swiss citizen you are entitled to submit your application directly at the responsible Embassy or Consulate of Switzerland.
An appointment is mandatory and must be booked in advance.
If you wish to complain about the behavior of the consular staff and, if applicable, about the external service provider or about the process, please contact the competent representation in writing.
Starting from 20.11.2015 all diplomatic representations of the Schengen member states in the United Kingdom have to capture the biometric data (finger scans and facial image) of persons applying for a Schengen visa. The data will be kept in the Visa Information System (VIS) for 5 years.
If your finger scans have not been collected yet, personal appearances when applying for a Schengen visa is mandatory.
If your finger scans were collected within the last 59 months, then you won’t have to give new fingerprints for your next visa application(s) and personal appearance is not necessary. However, you have to provide a copy of your visa sticker issued after 20.11.2015. If you are not sure or do not remember whether your fingerprints have been captured for a Schengen visa within the last 59 months, you have to appear in person.
You will still have to appear in person to give your fingerprints in case the previously collected fingerprints prove to be of insufficient quality.
Personal appearances and fingerprint scan is not necessary for children under the age of 12.
The Swiss representation still reserves the right to ask the applicant to appear for a personal interview after checking his application.
