Covid-19 Notice: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Switzerland does not issue visa for tourism or attending conferences at the moment, which means that conference attendees requiring a visa cannot travel to Switzerland. We hope that this restriction will be lifted in the near future.

No visa is required for citizens of the European Union, countries belonging to the Schengen Region, most other European countries (except Belarus and Russia) and many non-European countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, and USA when visiting Switzerland for less than 90 days. A list of entry requirements for all countries is available here. When in doubt, please consult this list.

The Swiss Federal Office for Migration has published an information page about requirements for entering Switzerland and obtaining a visa.

If you need a visa, please file your application early, but not earlier than three months prior to the planned date of entry. Please also check the expiration date of your passport. In order to apply for a visa, your passport must be valid for three months beyond the planned end of your stay in Switzerland.

Authors of accepted papers, members of an RE’20 committee and RE’20 student volunteers will receive a visa recommendation on request. The request form will be available when conference registration opens. Before filing a visa recommendation request, applicants must have registered for RE’20.

Please note that we don’t issue visa recommendations for attendees other than the three categories mentioned above, except in very special cases.

Documents that are required for filing a visa application may vary for different countries. Visit the web site of the Embassy of Switzerland in your country of residence for information about required documents. Typically, at least the following documents have to be submitted:

  • Visa application form
  • Passport
  • Confirmation of return flight to Switzerland
  • Confirmation of hotel booking in Zurich
  • Confirmation of RE’20 registration
  • Visa recommendation (if you are eligible to receive one).