Published on 31 August 2026

Where to apply for a Schengen visa?

Only persons who have a legal residence status in the United States can apply for visas in the United States (e.g. Green Card holders; F1 (I-20), H1B, G1, J1, etc.). Tourists and visitors on B1/B2 visas must apply in their country of residence.

• VFS Global can only accept applications from persons whose main destination is Switzerland

  Schengen Regulation (Visakodex)

  • If the travel destination is one Member State, that Member State's consulate must deal with the application.
  • If the travel destination includes more than one Member State, the application must be dealt with by the consulate of the main destination. The main destination is understood to be the destination where the applicant intends to spend the longest time or where the main purpose of the intended journey is carried out.
  • If no main destination can be determined, the consulate of the Member whose external border the applicant intends to cross first, must deal with the application (point of first entry).

• Processing Time

  The time needed for a visa request to be processed may vary from case to case. It is therefore strongly recommended to take the necessary steps well in advance, so that the visa can be issued in the time required.

  Short stay visas (tourists, visitors, business):
  Complete applications are in general processed within 10-15 days

  Visa for persons who have already received an authorization from a Swiss cantonal authority (initiated by the employer in Switzerland):
  One week

What are the Schengen visa requirements?

Representation agreement

If a State does not have its proper visa section in a country or region, the delivery of a Schengen visa can be delegated to another Schengen State member with an agreement between both countries concerned.

The agreement allows the appointed representation to represent and handle Schengen visa applications within its own competence without consulting the other represented State.