Citizens of a number of countries are required to obtain a visa in order to enter Switzerland. The visa must be requested and obtained from the office (embassy or consulate) representing Switzerland in your country or, if there is no such office in your country, from the one that is closest to the country of departure. If problems are encountered, the Union can, at the official request of the administration you represent, approach the competent Swiss authorities in order to facilitate delivery of the visa.
To comply with the procedure applicable for ITU meetings held in Geneva, Designated Focal Points (DFPs) should request visa assistance during the online registration process. The following information is required:
- Name as shown on passport
- Date and place of birth
- Passport number
- Passport issuance and expiry dates
- Country of issuance of passport
There is no need to send any further documentation to ITU as the visa support request procedure will follow automatically.
Visa support confirmations will be sent to the Designated Focal Point, who will be responsible for forwarding each confirmation to the concerned participant. Support confirmations will NOT be sent directly to meeting participants.
The processing of a request for visa support may take up to 21 days.
Please note the message received from the Swiss mission concerning the obtention of visas:
Switzerland has implemented necessary measures to facilitate the issuance of visas for official delegates invited to take part in conferences and international meetings with organizations having concluded a headquarters agreement as well as other persons invited in the framework of good offices.
The time needed for a visa request to be processed may vary from case to case and could also depend on local circumstances. It is therefore strongly recommended to take the necessary steps well in advance so visas can be issued as required. In general, exceptions excluded, visa requests can be lodged at the earliest three months before the departure date and at the latest twenty one days before the departure date. All visa pplicants should submit completed and signed application forms as well as all other necessary documents. Applications which are not complete will be delayed and not registered until complete.
La Suisse a mis en place les mesures nécessaires afin que la délivrance de visas pour la participation à des conférences et réunions internationales organisées par les organisations avec lesquelles un accord de siège a été conclu, ou pour la participation à des rencontres de bons offices puisse se faire dans des conditions aussi favorables que possible.
Le temps nécessaire au traitement des demandes de visa peut varier en fonction de circonstances locales. Par conséquent, il est vivement recommandé d'entreprendre les démarches avec suffisamment d'anticipation pour permettre la délivrance du visa dans les délais requis. D'une manière générale et sous réserve de cas particuliers, une requête peut être déposée au plus tôt trois mois avant et au plus tard vingt et un jours avant la date du voyage. Le dépôt d'un dossier complet facilite le traitement rapide de la demande et est nécessaire pour permettre son enregistrement.
