Does an UK WP holder require Swiss visa?
 

Hi

Pls let me know if you guys know of this...

I have a friend in UK , who has a valid Work Permit of UK , which is due to expire in Sep2007. Can he and his family visit Switzerland as a tourist before Sep'07 with this permit? Or do they need to apply for Swiss Visa seperately?

thanks for a quick reply

ST

The UK work permit is probably irrelevant.

If your friend needs a Swiss visa - if he's Chinese, say, - he needs a visa, whatever documentation he's got from the UK. If he's an American on holiday, he almost certainly doesn't need a visa. He should try to phone the Swiss embassy in London, or if he can't afford the fortune they charge, go to their website.

For some nationalities, possession of a UK work permit MIGHT make getting a Swiss visa easier, since they MIGHT be more convinced he'll leave Switzerland at the end of the holiday.

But that's all.

But Flanneruk , I always knew that Switzerland allows tourists from UK and USA without any Swiss visa as such.

It is important that the visitors must have a WP of UK or USA.

Can you confirm this?

thanks

ST

Can I confirm what?

>Switzerland allows tourists from UK and USA without any Swiss visa as such.

Yes.

>It is important that the visitors must have a WP of UK or USA.

Wrong. It is important that the visitors have a CITIZENSHIP of USA or an EU country.

highwall: Q please. I hear that Suisse is going to join the Schengen Accord next Jan? Right or wrong? If so does that mean they will no longer have separate Visa requirements than the rest of Europe? If there are no border checks why require Visas other than to enter the Schengen countries.

thanks for any clarification of this for me.

Always go to the official source for questions on visa, in this case to Swiss Federal Office for Migration (FOM) site:
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/...oerigkeit.html
Look up under the list of nationalities and read the detailed information applicable for a particular nationality. In some cases, holders of long-stay or permanent visa from an EU country or US is exempt from getting a Swiss visa for short visits.

>highwall: Q please. I hear that Suisse is going to join the Schengen Accord next Jan? Right or wrong?

Yes, although I was not sure about the exact date. The referendum got through quite nicely, despite quite intensive controverse from the usual corner.

>If so does that mean they will no longer have separate Visa requirements than the rest of Europe?

AFAIK, yes. On the other side, there won´t be such a thing as a French or German driver ignoring his parking ticket by leaving Switzerland - Schengen is not only about borders. This was btw. the argument that swayed the voters