What the Switzerland visa rules mean for New Zealand travellers
New Zealand citizens can enter Switzerland without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. You only need a valid New Zealand passport at the border; immigration officers may still ask for a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation and enough money for your stay. The 90-day limit usually counts calendar days from your arrival, so book your return flight inside that window.
Documents to prepare
Whatever your visa status, Switzerland applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:
- Passport validity: The Schengen Borders Code says a third-country national's travel document must be valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States (this may be waived in a jus…
- Blank passport pages: Your passport needs at least 2 blank pages.
- Travel insurance: The Visa Code says applicants for a uniform visa must prove they hold adequate and valid travel medical insurance (for a multiple-entry visa, covering the first intended visit); it must be valid throughout the territory…
- Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read states that a return or onward ticket is required. The State Secretariat for Migration recommends that visitors also carry a return ticket valid for a maximum of 90 days or a ticket for …
Switzerland entry rules compared
Switzerland lets 93 passports in without a visa and requires an embassy visa from 105. New Zealand citizens are treated the same way as Australia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau. Overall the New Zealand passport ranks #38 in the world with 115 visa-free destinations.
More travel options
Planning a longer trip in Europe? With a New Zealand passport you can also visit 45 countries in the region without a visa, including Andorra, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria and Belarus.
In the other direction, Switzerland citizens need eta to visit New Zealand.