Switzerland visa requirements for Chinese citizens
Chinese citizens need a visa for Switzerland and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Consular fee
- €90
- Minimum passport validity
- 3 months after departure
How to apply for this visa: the step-by-step process →
How long it takes and how far ahead to book →
If it's refused: grounds and how to appeal →
Last verified: 24 September 2026
How this visa is processed
VFS Global Switzerland visa application centres in China, on behalf of the Embassy in Beijing and the Consulates General in Shanghai and Guangzhou
Since 1 July 2025 every Schengen visa application for Switzerland in China is lodged through VFS Global. The form is completed online before booking the appointment. Only two groups can go directly, by appointment, to the Embassy in Beijing or the Consulates General in Shanghai and Guangzhou: holders of diplomatic or official passports, and family members of Swiss, EU or EFTA citizens. The Swiss mission publishes separate document lists by purpose (business, tourism, visiting family or friends, medical treatment, cultural or sports activities) and a category specific to this corridor: ADS tourist groups, the Approved Destination Status scheme under which groups organised by Chinese travel agencies travel. Hong Kong has its own specifications. As a rule the consulate decides within 15 days, which can be extended in individual cases, and the application can be lodged at the earliest six months before the trip.
Official application site →Application details verified on 24 September 2026. Sources: schweiz-china.eda.admin.ch, Embassy and Consulates General of Switzerland in China: the "Where to apply for a Schengen visa" page (VFS Global since 1 July 2025, online form before the appointment, direct lodging for diplomatic or official passports and family members of Swiss or EU/EFTA citizens in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou) and "Application for Schengen visa and procedure" (document lists by purpose, ADS group category, Hong Kong, 15-day decision period, lodging at the earliest six months ahead). Checked 24 September 2026.
How many visas are refused in China
In 2025, the consulates of Switzerland in China received 84,829 short-stay Schengen visa applications and refused 3,717, 4.4 % of those decided. That is a rate lower than the average of all Schengen States worldwide, which was 14.6 %.
- Applications
- 84,829
- Refused
- 3,717
- Refusal rate
- 4.4 %
- Schengen average
- 14.6 %
This is European Commission data by consulate. It counts applications lodged in China, of any nationality.
Source: European Commission, short-stay visa statistics 2025. If it's refused: grounds and how to appeal →
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Fee
€90
The €90 is the short-stay Schengen visa fee, set by Article 16 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009) as amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415, in force since 11 June 2024. It is not a fee set by Switzerland: the same amount is paid at any Schengen consulate. Children from the age of 6 and under 12 pay €45, and children under 6 are exempt. Travellers entering without a visa pay no fee at all.
Processing time
Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).
Required documents
- A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
- If your funds are insufficient or in doubt, the Swiss consulate (or the border police, for travellers who need no visa) may require a declaration of guarantee signed by your host. It covers costs of illness, accident, return travel and living expenses up to CHF 30,000 in total, for a single person or for a group or family of up to ten people travelling together
- The declaration can be signed by Swiss citizens, foreign nationals holding a Swiss residence or settlement permit, and legal persons listed in the commercial register; the same rules apply to hosts in the Principality of Liechtenstein
How much money you need to show
About CHF 100 per day if you pay for your own stay, or about CHF 30 for students with a valid student card
What each Schengen country asks for →Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026, and State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Checked on 1 November 2026.
Health insurance
Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).
Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓How long you can stay
Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (Switzerland applies the same regime even though it is not an EU member).
Calculate your available Schengen days →More Switzerland rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Switzerland page:
Official portal: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/einreise.html. Destination data verified on 24 August 2026. Sources: sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/einreise.html (SEM: State Secretariat for Migration, entry rules); sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/themen/einreise/ faq.html (SEM: funds of CHF 100 per day and CHF 30 for students); sem.admin.ch/dam/data/sem/einreise/merkblatt_einreise/ mb-verpflicht-erklaerung-d.pdf (SEM: information sheet on the declaration of guarantee, who can sign it and its CHF 30,000 limit); bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/information-individuals/travel-and-purchases-- allowances-and-duty-free-limit/importation-into-switzerland/ duty-free-allowances--foodstuffs--alcohol-and-tobacco.html (BAZG/FOCBS: alcohol and tobacco allowances and minimum age of 17 for alcohol); bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/information-individuals/bans--restrictions- and-authorisations/cash--foreign-currencies--securities.html (BAZG/FOCBS: cash checks and recording from CHF 10,000); fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2007/ 758, Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA), Arts. 67, 68a and 115 (penalty for unlawful stay, entry ban and SIS entry); eur-lex.europa.eu, Regulation (EC) 810/2009 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (visa fee and processing times, entry conditions and grounds for refusal); travel-europe.europa.eu/etias (ETIAS status, applicable to Switzerland as a Schengen member) (checked 29 September 2026).
Insurance for the Schengen visa
The consulate asks for a policy with at least €30,000 of medical cover, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire stay. Check those terms in the policy before you pay.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
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Things to see and do in Switzerland
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Seeing the featured activities here needs advertising cookies. In the meantime, you can open them directly:
Browse activities on GetYourGuide →This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Switzerland can enter China visa-free. See the Switzerland → China page.
Of the 8 passports from Eastern Asia that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Switzerland 5 enter visa-free and 3 need a visa. Same result as China: Mongolia and North Korea.
With a passport from China, in the rest of Western Europe you need a visa for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco and Netherlands.
A passport from China ranks 108 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 77 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Switzerland?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).
What minimum passport validity is required?
At least 3 months of validity beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, and issued within the previous ten years (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a)).
Do I need travel insurance to apply for the Schengen visa?
Yes, to apply for the visa: travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay, is mandatory (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).
Can I lodge the application directly at the Swiss consulate?
Only if you hold a diplomatic or official passport or are a family member of a Swiss, EU or EFTA citizen. Everyone else has lodged through VFS Global since 1 July 2025.
I am travelling in a group organised by an agency. Do the documents change?
Yes. The Swiss mission in China publishes a separate list for ADS tourist groups, distinct from the one for individual tourism.
How long does the decision take?
As a rule 15 days, extendable in individual cases. Apply early, at the earliest six months before the trip.
How much money do Chinese passport holders need to enter Switzerland?
The reference amount is about CHF 100 per day if you pay for your own stay, or about CHF 30 for students with a valid student card.
How many Schengen visas do the consulates of Switzerland refuse in China?
In 2025, the consulates of Switzerland in China received 84,829 short-stay Schengen visa applications and refused 3,717, 4.4 % of those decided. That is a rate lower than the average of all Schengen States worldwide, which was 14.6 %.
What do Chinese passport holders need for the countries near Switzerland?
With a passport from China, in the rest of Western Europe you need a visa for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco and Netherlands.
Related pages
See Switzerland requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.