How to apply for a Switzerland Schengen visa from the UAE

Where you apply

Apply to Switzerland if Switzerland or Liechtenstein is your main destination. VFS Global takes the applications at its centres in Dubai (Wafi Mall) and Abu Dhabi (World Trade Center Mall).

On the VFS portal, tourist and family visits are booked under “General Appointment” and business trips under “Business”.

Step by step

1. 1

   Book at VFS Global and fill in the form there

   Since 18 June 2025, VFS Global has you complete the online application form on its booking portal when you book. The VFS service fee is paid online.
2. 2

   Gather the documents

   Against the embassy's checklist; the main UAE-specific points are below.
3. 3

   Attend the appointment

   Bring the documents and the appointment confirmation, and give fingerprints.
4. 4

   Wait for the decision

   Usually 15 calendar days; up to 12 weeks if the file is referred to Switzerland.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a salary certificate or employer letter if you are employed.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, the embassy and its tourist checklist ask UAE residents for:

• A UAE residence visa and Emirates ID that stay valid after your return. The embassy's page says at least one month, or proof of renewal; its March 2026 checklist says three months beyond departure. Plan on three.
• A stamped letter on company letterhead giving your position, joining date, salary and approved leave, and confirming you will keep your job.
• For dependants, a no-objection letter from the sponsor; for the self-employed, the original trade licence.
• Proof of funds, such as bank statements for the last three months.
• Travel insurance issued in the UAE or Bahrain.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90

Children aged 6 to 11

€45

VFS service fee

AED 110.83 at both centres, paid online (VFS Global, November 2026)

Processing

15 calendar days; up to 12 weeks if referred to Switzerland

Apply no later than 15 days before you travel; the embassy repeats the Visa Code's deadline.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Switzerland in the UAE received 25,603 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 8.6% of all those lodged in the UAE, and the 6th most of any Schengen country. They refused 21.3% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UAE the rate was 24.2%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

25,603

Rank in the UAE

6th of 27 Schengen countries

Refused

21.3%

All Schengen countries in the UAE

24.2% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so in the UAE they come mostly from residents of other nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

Not enough applicants in the UAE have reported a Switzerland visa yet to show their own figures; these are the 41 reports from every origin. The median time from appointment to passport back was 8 days.

Reports

41

Appointment to passport back (median)

8 days; typically 6–11 days

Approved

95% of 41 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

3 months

Multiple entry

84%

See every Switzerland report · how the statistics work

How often new dates appear

Dubai. Our monitors saw new Switzerland appointments appear in Dubai 56 times in the last 90 days, on 39 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 19 hours. The latest release we saw was on 29 October at 05:44 UAE time. Over the past year (399 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Abu Dhabi. Our monitors saw new Switzerland appointments appear in Abu Dhabi 17 times in the last 90 days, on 10 different days; the typical gap between two releases was about 17 hours. The latest release we saw was on 5 November at 19:28 UAE time. Over the past year (337 releases) they were spread across the week and the day, with no day or hour that stands out: new dates can appear at any time.

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date at the Switzerland visa application centre: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear. Right now our board shows a waitlist in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Switzerland (last check 1m ago).

These are the ways to get a date, including ours:

The live status of each Switzerland route is on its own page, and every UAE route is on the UAE appointment board. For how the booking portal itself works, see how to book a VFS Global appointment in the UAE.

• Switzerland visa appointment, Dubai
• Switzerland visa appointment, Abu Dhabi

Questions

Who decides Swiss visa applications from the UAE?

The Embassy of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi, for trips where Switzerland or Liechtenstein is the main destination. VFS Global takes the applications in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

How long must my UAE residence visa be valid for a Swiss visa?

The embassy’s page says at least one month after your return, or proof of renewal; its March 2026 tourist checklist says three months beyond departure. Three months meets both.

Does my travel insurance have to be from the UAE?

The embassy’s tourist checklist asks for travel insurance issued in the UAE or Bahrain, with at least €30,000 cover valid across the Schengen Area.

How long does a Swiss visa take from the UAE?

Usually 15 calendar days, and up to 12 weeks if the application is referred to Switzerland.

What is the refusal rate for Switzerland Schengen visas in the UAE?

In 2025, the consulates of Switzerland in the UAE refused 21.3% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 24.2% across all Schengen countries in the UAE, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 25,603 applications, the 6th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Embassy of Switzerland in the UAE: Schengen visa procedure
• State Secretariat for Migration: visa application form
• VFS Global Switzerland, UAE: appointment booking
• VFS Global Switzerland, UAE: centres and fees
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and VFS Global and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Route status and our prices on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with VFS Global or any embassy, consulate or government.