• The border authorities are obliged to examine whether the conditions for the traveller's entry still apply. If the prerequisites for entry no longer apply or if your are unable to provide the relevant evidence, you may be refused entry although you are in possession of a valid visa.
  It is therefore strongly recommended that you carry copies of the documents (e.g. letters of invitation, travel confirmations) which you supplied with your visa application.
• Please make sure before applying for an appointment or submitting the application that your file contains all the necessary documents. Applications with missing documents won't be accepted at the counter. Rejected and then completed files may be re-submitted without prior appointment any working day from 09:00 to 11:45 a.m. (Monday - Friday, except holidays).

Visa types

• Tourist Visa: for people travelling with the purpose of tourism, staying at a hotel or in a rented flat.
• Visitor Visa: for people who wish to visit relatives or friends, staying in their homes.
• Business Visa: for people invited for business reasons by a company based in Switzerland. 
• Transit Visa: has been abolished. 
  People transiting through Switzerland/the Schengen zone apply for a tourist visa. 
• Student Visa: for people who intend to study in Switzerland. 
• Work Visa: for people intending to work in Switzerland. 
• Medical Treatment Visa: for people undergoing medical treatment or getting medical advice.
• Residence Visa / Family Reunion Visa: for people wishing to take up residence in Switzerland (without employment) or to settle in Switzerland together with an employed family member (spouses and minor children).

People intending to visit Switzerland on an invitation from one of the international organizations (please see the list following the link below) may submit their documents without an appointment any working day from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Travel agencies accredited with the Swiss Embassy in Moscow or the Swiss Consulate General in St. Petersburg may be commissioned with the deposit of an application. The agencies charge an additional fee for this service.

Applications for work, residence and study visas (duration of more than 90 days only) as well as for family reunion visas have to be submitted in person by the applicant.

The Embassy/the Consulate General reserves the right to request the personal presence of the applicant in all other visa categories, too, should it be deemed necessary.

List of accredited travel agencies: see right hand side "Travel Agencies"

Relevant information for all visa types

• Holders of a residence permit of certain countries are exempt from visa requirements.
• Working without the relevant work permit is strictly prohibited while visiting Switzerland.
• Applications are to be deposited not earlier than 3 months prior to the planned travel date.
• Applications need to be submitted at least 15 days before the date of departure. Exceptions are possible.
• Each application is checked individually and no guarantee can be given that a visa will be issued. The Embassy cannot be held responsible for costs involved with a refused visa. Please note that in certain cases the application has to be submitted to the authorities in Switzerland. In such cases it may take up to 12  weeks until a decision is made.
• When an application needs to be sent to the responsible immigration authorities in Switzerland, the Embassy charges CHF 5.00 postage (equivalent in RUB).
• All non-Russian citizens living in Russia have to be legal residents of the Russian Federation and need to present  the relevant documents (original and copy). 
• A stamp affixed to a travel documents regarding the admissibility of an application has no legal effect.
• A negative decision of an application (refusal of visa) is communicated to the applicant with an official form. The applicant has the right to appeal against this decision within 30 days of notication of the refusal. An appeal letter in German, French or Italian - or with a translation into one of these languages - has to be submitted. An advance payment of CHF 150 (equivalent in RUB) is required.  The Federal Office for Migration (FOM) issues then a  contestable decision.
• Vaccination: No vaccination certificates are required.