Switzerland Visa Requirements for South Africans
Switzerland requires a visa for South Africans
South African passport holders require a visa to enter Switzerland. Where you lodge the application, what it costs and how long it takes are set out below.
- Entry requirement
- Visa Required
- Stay allowed
- 90 days in any 180-day period
- Passport validity
- Valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, and issued within the last 10 years
Want someone to handle it? See our Schengen visa application service →
Applying for a Switzerland visa in South Africa
- Where the application is decided
- Regional Consular Centre Southern Africa, Pretoria
- Covers applicants in
- Pretoria covers Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and Free State; the Consulate General in Cape Town covers the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape
- Where you lodge it
- VFS Global
- Application centres
- Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban
- Visa fee (adult)
- EUR 90
- Visa fee (child 6–11)
- EUR 45 (aged 6 to 11)
- Processing time
- About 15 calendar days
Switzerland is in Schengen but not the EU, so a Schengen visa still covers it. Every application is decided at the Regional Consular Centre in Pretoria, whichever centre you lodge at.
If your case is not straightforward
The application is the same for everyone. What differs is how you prove income and ties. These cover the situations that need building differently:
Source: eda.admin.ch. Checked 13 August 2026. If you spot something out of date, tell us at help@getvisa.co.za.
Information last reviewed: . Always verify with the relevant embassy before travelling.