Swiss Visa Rules Tighten—More Rejections Likely

The Swiss embassy in India has introduced stricter Schengen visa submission rules that could lead to a higher rejection rate for certain categories of Indian applicants, particularly freelancers, business owners, and those with non-traditional income documentation.

Under the new policy, effective August 2025, Visa Application Centres (VFS Global) will accept only the documents listed on Switzerland’s official Schengen visa checklist. Any additional supporting materials—such as property papers, extra income proofs, or explanatory letters—will be disregarded.

The updated guidelines also impose new limits on bank statement submissions. For a six-month account history, applicants may now submit only the first three and last three pages. For shorter statements, only the most recent pages are accepted.

Swiss authorities say the change is aimed at streamlining processing and avoiding unnecessary delays. However, travel industry experts warn that the stricter format could disadvantage applicants with unconventional work profiles, who often rely on extra documentation to strengthen their cases.

In 2024, Switzerland rejected about 15% of Schengen visa applications from India—one of the highest rates among Schengen states. The latest rules could push that figure higher unless applicants adapt to the new requirements.

While Switzerland is tightening its process, the broader European Union is moving in the opposite direction for frequent Indian travellers. Under the EU’s “cascade regime,” those with two previously used Schengen visas in the past three years can now apply for multi-year, multiple-entry visas valid for up to two years, extendable to five years.