Before entering India, Swiss citizens must get a visa. Electronic visas were introduced in India in 2014, allowing nationals of 166 countries, including Swiss citizens, to apply online for a tourist, medical, or business e-Visa. Applying for an India visa for Swiss citizens is a straightforward and quick process that can be done in about 15 minutes from anywhere in the world if the applicant has access to the internet. Every time you turn around, there is something fresh to see and do in India. It is a huge and diverse country filled with natural beauty, surreal architecture, meticulous design, lush landscapes, over 20 World Heritage sites, backwaters, deserts, mountains, religious rites, and food and culture. Continue reading to learn more about the Indian e-Visa requirements for Swiss citizens.
1. India e-Visa for Swiss citizens
To be specific, there are 4 kinds of India e-Visa from Switzerland:
- e-Tourist Visa: used for tourism purposes. The validity of this type is 30 days from the day of entry in India with single-entry only.
- e-Business Visa: used for business trips to India. This is a special type of e-Visa because it has the longest validity which is up to 1 year.
- e-Conference Visa: valid in 30 days with single-entry only.
- e-Medical Visa: valid in 60 days with triple-entry.
In general, applying for an India e-Visa for citizens of Switzerland is a simple and fast process that can be completed with an internet connection from anywhere in the world within 15 minutes. Swiss citizens can apply for an electronic tourist visa, business visa, or medical visa, depending on the purpose of their visit.
2. Which Documents Are Required for Swiss Citizens to Get an Indian Visa?
Apart from the online application, some documents must be submitted for the electronic visa.
The following is a list of the online Indian Visa requirements for Swiss citizens:
- The passport was valid for at least 6 months from the date of intended arrival. With one blank passport page at least for stamps. A digital scan of it would be required.
- A recent front-facing photo with a white background.
- Flight ticket for the return flight or ticket for the next flight (if you already have one) or your itinerary information about your stay. It also could be your business invitation letter if you apply for a business e-Visa.
Please note that you have to have an email address, the one you check regularly. For Swiss citizens, the application for the India e-Visa from Switzerland is recommended to submit 3 days in advance, starting by filling out the online form.
It is highly recommended that you should include Covid-19 Insurance in your document to make your visa approval easier.
3. When traveling to India, how do Swiss citizens apply for an e-Visa?
Applying for an India visa from Switzerland is a simple and quick process that involves merely
- Filling out an online application form.
- Paying the visa fee.
- Attaching the necessary papers.
It eliminates the necessity for appointments and visits to embassies or consulates. The online application process takes no more than 15 minutes in total.
It normally takes a few business days to get the visa approved. The confirmation and status of the visa will be emailed to the email address provided in the application form. Upon permission, passengers can enter India by one of 28 airports or 5 seaports.
It is necessary to go with the same passport that was used to apply for the online electronic Indian visa.
4. When applying for an e-Visa in Switzerland, are there any fees involved?
In order to complete your application, you will have to pay a charging fee. There are 2 kinds of India e-Visa fees you need to know, which are government and service fees. Government fee is regulated by Indian authority and cannot be adjusted, but you can choose a service fee depending on your demands:
- Normal: used in most casual cases when you have enough time to prepare and wait for a response. This basic option will help you get your Visa within 3 business days.
- Urgent: used when you need a Visa in a hurry. This option can help you get approval within 24 hours.
- Super Urgent: suitable for emergencies when you need to get Visa as soon as possible. This option can help you get your Visa in as soon as we can, within 5 business hours.
Payment method: after choosing your service type, proceed to payment and choose your method to complete the whole process you can either choose electronic payment or wire transfer. With electronic payment, there are options for you, such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or PayPal.
India Visa Requirements for Switzerland Citizens FAQs
Can I travel to India from Switzerland?
India is a country famous for its colorful festivals so it has become an attractive tourist destination for every traveler, especially Swiss nationals. Prior to entering India, Swiss citizens must get a visa. Since 2014, the Indian electronic Visa has been introduced, allowing people from 169 different nations, including Switzerland, to apply online for tourism, business and medical visas. This visa allows Swiss travelers to visit India for a short-term stay.
Depending on the purpose of the visit, the short-term stay can last for 30, 90 or 180 days. In addition, before traveling, fully vaccinated Swiss travelers must fill in self-declaration online within 72 hours. Since travelers submit the online form so they would not have to prove themselves negative pre-departure Covid-19 test for vaccinated Swiss citizens.
As long as the applicant has accessed the internet, applying for an e visa is a much faster and more convenient process that can be completed anywhere around the world within just under 15 minutes. You can get an e visa in the quickest way by applying for a visa on the Indian Immigration Services website. This type of visa will only take no more than 3 working days to process and Swiss nationals will obtain an e visa via email.
What visa do I need to visit India from Switzerland?
Every Swiss traveler can apply for an e visa on the online application form which is approved by the Indian government. Depending on the reasons of traveling to India, there are 4 main types of e visa for Swiss citizens:
- Tourist e visa for Swiss: is available for 1 month, 1 year and 5 years. The tourist e visa to India is granted for Swiss travelers who want to witness the beauty of attractive destinations in India and those who want to spend a holiday with relatives and friends living in India.
- Business e visa for Swiss: is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. The business e visa is meant for those who want to engage in commercial activities with the purpose of making a profit or engage in business transactions.
- Conference e visa for Swiss: is valid for 4 months from the date of issue. This type of visa is for those who want to hold or attend an international conference or discuss a specific business topic in a meeting.
- Medical e visa for Swiss: is valid for 4 months from the date of issue. The medical e visa is granted for Swiss travelers whose purpose of seeking medical treatment for themselves.
What type of photo is required for an Indian visa online from Switzerland?
For interstate travelers who want to visit India, they have to prepare some of their recent photos with a photo of the biographical page of their passport. For Swiss travelers, the Indian government has enforced some face photo requirements for an e visa. This means that every Swiss applicants’ digital photo for an e visa must adhere to the following standards:
- Format - JPEG
- Photo size - minimum 10 KB and maximum 1 MB
- The picture’s height must match its width
- The photo should show clearly the front head, entire face with an eye open
- The color of the photo must be plain light or white
- The photo must be taken with white background and no shadows
- The photo has no borders
In terms of passport photo, Swiss travelers have to prepare a scan of the biographical page of their passport which is still valid for 6 months from the date of arrival. This photo must be minimum 10 KB and maximum 300 KB in photo size.
With GIS, it is easier for travelers to prepare photos for an e visa. Send your photos to [email protected] if you are having trouble in estimating the correct size. Afterward, we will be delighted to help you. We hope these information will be helpful to you when applying for an e visa on the Indian Immigration Services website.
What are the passport requirements for Swiss citizens when applying for an Indian visa?
No matter which kind of e visa you are applying for, you need to send an electronic or scanned copy of your passport. To receive the required entry authorization into India, you must meet the Indian e visa requirements. You will need a valid passport, an email address and a debit card or credit card, which are among the most crucial requirements. Remember to check whether your passport is still valid.
First of all, all the Swiss applicants must have a valid passport before applying for an e visa. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months on the expected date of arrival in India. Secondly, travelers need to ensure that the passport must have at least 2 blank pages for stamps. Therefore, check your passport before submitting the application online form for an e visa. In addition, all Swiss travelers are required to send a color scan of the biographical page or the first page of their valid passport.
If you already have an Indian e visa that is still valid but your passport has expired, you need to apply for a new passport and carry both old and new passports if you are traveling to India. If your Indian e visa has expired, you should apply for a new e visa by accessing the Indian Immigration Services website.
Will I get a refund if my Indian visa application from Switzerland was rejected?
When applying for an Indian e visa on the Indian Immigration Services website, please make sure that you need an e visa or not. Swiss travelers are required to fill in the exact personal information such as ID, date of birth, flight number, time of arrival, the arrival date, hotel address. We will not refund if any information is false or incorrect at the time of submission.
After applying, it is highly advised that Swiss nationals should cross-reference their passport and personal information with the visa confirmation letter. In case you do not want to get a visa, all the refund requests must be sent to us within 4 hours from the time your order succeeds. After that time, your visa service order will be non-refundable. All the required documents must be sent to us within 3 days. Otherwise, the refund requests will be rejected. The refund process will take approximately 2 - 4 weeks due to banking procedures. The bank fees would be deducted from the refund amount whether the refund is made to the credit card account or bank account.
In addition, the Government fees will not be refunded when your application is rejected because Government fees are non-refundable once paid. We are not responsible for Swiss citizens who provide wrong information.
How long does it take to get an India visa from Switzerland?
Since 2014, Swiss citizens can apply for an e visa for the purpose of tourism, business, conference and medical treatment. With this type of visa, travelers can enter India easier than ever before. Instead of waiting in a long line for scheduling with embassies, the Indian government has introduced the online application system, travelers can apply for an e visa entirely online with just a smartphone or a computer within 15 minutes.
After submitting an application form, Swiss travelers can obtain an e visa via email within no more than 3 working days. Moreover, customers can choose which processing time they want. Nevertheless, they will need to pay a higher fee if they want to get an e visa sooner by applying for the Rush visa service. There are 3 types of processing time frame for waiting to obtain an e visa which provided by Indian Immigration Services as below:
- Normal: This process option will take 3 working days for those who have plenty of time to prepare necessary documents and wait for response.
- Urgent: Swiss citizens will obtain an Indian e visa within 24 hours.
- Super Urgent: This type of visa is for Swiss nationals who want to obtain an e visa within 5 working days hours.