Switzerland will not issue visas to non-EU nationals for the next 90 days - Tax and Legal blog

Switzerland will not issue visas for non-EU nationals for the next 90 days.banner

For the next 90 days the Swiss authorities will not be issuing Schengen or national visas for non-EU nationals.

What has changed?

All external Schengen borders are closed with a few exceptions and Switzerland is following suit. For the next 90 days, Switzerland will no longer issue Schengen visas and will only issue national visa in exceptional circumstances, for example to family members of Swiss citizens with the right to reside in the country who require a visa and to specialists in the health care sector.

What does it mean?

This means that all non-EU cases for Switzerland are affected and employees will not be able to receive the required entry visa for at least 90 days.
This also means that start dates need to be postponed and potentially processes restarted.

The first experience shows that the cantonal authorities handle the change in different ways. Some cantonal authorities will no longer accept applications (incl. work permit applications) until 15 June and will cancel all currently pending cases. Other cantons still accept applications but will keep them on hold.

Travel with confidence during the epidemic, check out our Deloitte Travel Risk eMap.

A summary of the key Switzerland travel restrictions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

  • All foreign travellers from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are banned from entering the country.
  • All residence and temporary stay permits issued by Switzerland and visas issued by and for Switzerland, remain valid for entry.
  • Schengen and national visas for third country nationals will not be issued for a period of three months.
  •  Foreigners desiring to enter Switzerland by air can only do so at the Zurich, Geneva and Basel airports.
  • Travelers with cross border permits, assurances of stays, and ID cards issued by the Federal Dept. of Foreign Affairs, can be used for entry.
  • A registration confirmation or certificate must be presented by foreign service providers. The registration confirmation requirement applies to all sectors and activities. The registration confirmation requirement also applies to service providers or gainfully employed individuals who were not obligated to register before the new conditions arose. Registration is to be completed by service providers on the first day. The rule providing an eight-day exemption for registration-free employment no longer applies. Before entry, a declaration in accordance with the registration procedure must be made.
  • Until air traffic returns to a normal state, individuals who can not leave the Schengen area or Switzerland due to the COVID-19 situation, before the expirations of their visas or residence permits, or the expiration of a 90-day stay under the permit-free framework, and without other ways of returning, are allowed to stay in the Schengen area.
  •  It is recommended that individuals who are experiencing these conditions report them to the cantonal migration offices in the canton where they are staying.
  • Swiss border control authorities will not consider overstaying in the Schengen area as an overstay, for individuals who are affected by the COVID-19 situation.
  • Individuals who are experiencing travel difficulties, who can’t use their current Swiss visas, and who also want to enter the country at a later date, can apply for new ones. There will be a fee for a new visa. The requirement to have valid travel health insurance will still apply as will the measure of reviewing police databases. For visa re-evaluations within six months after the travel restrictions have ended, and visas that were granted for the same travel purpose, it is anticipated a reasonable amount of goodwill will be extended.
  • Residence and/or work permits that are currently pending will most likely require more time to process. Pending applications processing can be suspended by authorities until further notice, due to the COVID-19 situation.

The new travel restrictions will significantly impact travel to Switzerland. It is possible further restrictions may be announced. Employers should account for affected travellers and rearrange travel schedules accordingly. Significant delays may occur for consular and in-country processing.

If you would like to discuss more on this topic, please do reach out to our key contacts below.

Key contacts

Renaat_Blog

Renaat Van den Eeckhaut – Partner, Global Employer Services Leader Switzerland and EMEA

Renaat leads the Global Employer Services (GES) Practice for Deloitte Switzerland and EMEA. He specialises in international assignment and cross-border employment matters and advises on tax, social security and international mobility policies. Renaat has nearly 20 years of experience with Deloitte Belgium and Switzerland and has worked with many companies across a broad range of industries. Renaat holds a Master in Law and Accounting Law and has authored many publications on international taxation.

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Heck_Blog

Timo Heck - Senior Manager, Immigration

Timo is an Immigration Senior Manager at Deloitte in Switzerland. He advises both domestic and international, listed and private companies on all aspects of Swiss immigration and has deep experience in implementing client-tailored complex immigration processes as well as advising on best-practices to accommodate the specific needs of his clients.

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Stutzer_Blog

Julia Stutzer - Senior Manager, Immigration

Julia is an Immigration Senior Manager at Deloitte in Switzerland. She has been supporting both global companies as well as medium and small sized enterprises with their immigration needs for more than 7 years. Julia puts her focus on immigration advisory services, advising clients on best practice and coordinating complex interdisciplinary requests with the tax and social security teams.

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