This page documents the necessary information and guidelines for visa applications to enter Switzerland for CI2026. Conference participants are recommended to start their visa application at their earliest convenience, should they need one to enter Switzerland. Normal visa processing time is between 10-15 working days.
Who needs a Swiss tourist visa (category C)?
Citizens of EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) member states do not require a visa to enter Switzerland.
If you are from another country, you may need a visa depending on your nationality. The website of the State Secretariat for Migration provides an overview of ID and visa requirements by nationality.
If you have a Swiss residence permit, you do not require a visa to enter Switzerland for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies regardless of your nationality.
Switzerland belongs to the Schengen Area*. If you have a visa issued by a Schengen member state, you generally do not require an additional tourist visa to enter Switzerland or any other Schengen country. Your stay must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
*The 29 Schengen member states are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
How to get a Swiss tourist visa?
Visa applicants need to make an appointment at the Swiss embassy in their resident countries to start the visa application process. The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration provides a portal to access information on visa applications for various countries.
The required documents for visa applications may vary based on the applicants’ nationality and residence country. However, you may be asked to provide
- Valid national passport with at least 3 months of validity
- Passport size pictures (white background)
- Visa application form
- Introduction letter
- Travel insurance
- Flight reservations and flight plans
- Proof of accommodation in Switzerland
- Proof of financial status
Invitation letters
The CI2026 organization committee can provide letters of invitation in PDF format to registered participants. Letters for people other than the registered participants, e.g., family members, cannot be issued.
The committee can only issue invitations that include the conference time, the day before, and the day after the conference ends.
Participants who wish to receive an official invitation letter from the CI2026 organization committee for visa application purposes should contact ci2026@unil.ch at their earliest convenience with the following information:
- Embassy Address in Applicant’s Residence Country
- Full name: [Name of applicant as in passport]
- Date of Birth: [DD.MM.YYYY]
- Nationality
- Passport Number
- Workplace/Institution: [Applicant’s home institution]
- Occupation: [Applicant’s job title, e.g., PhD researcher]
- Role at the conference: [Speaker / Author / Attendee]
Thank you for your collaboration.