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Switzerland Visa Requirements for Tanzania Citizens

Visa required

Tanzania passport holders need a visa for Switzerland, issued by an embassy or consulate before travel.

Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing visa-required and visa-exempt nationalities, consolidated text — EUR-Lex · checked 13 Oct 2026

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Flag of SwitzerlandSwitzerland visa options for Tanzania citizens

Schengen visa (category C)

Embassy
Fee
90 EUR
Max stay
90 days
Extension
Possible

Children 6–11: €45; under 6: free. The State Secretariat for Migration says that at most Swiss representations abroad applications are submitted to an external service provider, and that a service fee must then be paid to the provider in addition to the visa fee.

Official application site →

What the Switzerland visa rules mean for Tanzania travellers

Tanzania citizens need a visa issued in advance by an embassy or consulate of Switzerland. Start the application several weeks before departure: you will typically need a passport valid for six months with blank pages, a completed application form, passport photos, a travel itinerary, proof of accommodation and of sufficient funds, and sometimes an invitation letter or bank statements.

The main option is the Schengen visa (category C), which costs 90 EUR with a processing time of —.

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. Tanzania citizens are treated the same way as Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana and Burkina Faso. Overall the Tanzania passport ranks #113 in the world with 44 visa-free destinations.

More travel options

In the other direction, Switzerland citizens need evisa to visit Tanzania.

Flag of SwitzerlandEntry requirements for Switzerland

Passport validity

10 years

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 justified case of emergency) and must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) — FAQ Entry✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Travel insurance

EUR 30,000.

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 of the Member States, cover the entire intended stay or transit, and the minimum coverage is EUR 30,000. The UK Foreign Office tells British travellers that at Swiss border control they may also need to show proof of insurance for their trip.

Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Return or onward ticket

90 days

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 continuing their journey to a country outside the Schengen area, and the UK Foreign Office tells British travellers that at Swiss border control they may also need to show a return or onward ticket.

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) — FAQ Entry✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Proof of funds

CHF 100

The State Secretariat for Migration says third-country nationals who remain in Switzerland at their own expense must be able to demonstrate financial resources of at least CHF 100 per day of their stay (CHF 30 per day for students with a valid student permit), which can be shown in cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards or other collateral such as a bank guarantee.

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) — FAQ Entry✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Arrival cards and declarations: EES — Entry/Exit System (biometric registration)

The UK Foreign Office tells British travellers that when they travel into the Schengen area for short stays they may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo in the EU Entry/Exit System; on the first visit this may be at a special booth before the immigration desk. It says there is no cost for EES registration and nothing to do before you arrive at the border.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Switzerland travel advice: entry requirements✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Arrival cards and declarations: ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System

The EU's ETIAS website says 30 European countries, Switzerland among them, require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation, but ETIAS is not yet in operation and no applications are being collected; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch. The official ETIAS website is travel-europe.europa.eu.

ETIAS — Official EU website✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Registration after arrival

Foreigners without gainful activity staying up to three months within six months of entry need no permit and do not have to register. Anyone who accommodates foreigners commercially must report them to the competent cantonal authority. Anyone who accommodates a foreigner for payment must fill in a registration form from the identity document, have the guest sign it (the guest must show the document) and send it to the competent cantonal authority. Breaching the registration duties is punished with a fine.

Fedlex (Federal Chancellery) — Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment (VZAE), SR 142.201✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Overstay penalties

Anyone who stays in Switzerland unlawfully, in particular after the permit-free or permitted stay has expired, is liable to a custodial sentence of up to one year or a monetary penalty. If the offence is committed negligently, the penalty is a fine (Busse). An entry ban lasts at most five years, or longer if the person is a serious danger to public security and order. Foreigners without gainful activity need no permit for a stay of up to three months within six months of entry (VZAE Art. 9).

Fedlex (Federal Chancellery) — Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (AIG), SR 142.20✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Customs allowances

CHF 10,000

The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security says unrestricted amounts of cash may be carried into, through and out of Switzerland and you are not obliged to declare it. If questioned about cash during a check you must report truthful information; if you are, or are suspected of, carrying CHF 10,000 or more you will be asked to disclose your identity, the source, the intended use of the cash and the beneficial owner, and an amount of CHF 10,000 or more is registered in its information system. Refusing to provide information or giving false information is a customs offence.

FOCBS (Swiss customs) — cash, foreign currency, securities✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do Tanzanian citizens need a visa for Switzerland?

Tanzania passport holders need a visa for Switzerland, issued by an embassy or consulate before travel.

How much does a Switzerland visa cost for Tanzania citizens?

Schengen visa (category C): 90 EUR, processing —.

How do Tanzania citizens apply for a Switzerland visa?

Apply at an embassy or consulate of Switzerland before you travel. Prepare a valid passport, a completed application form, photos and any supporting documents the embassy asks for.

How long must my passport be valid to enter Switzerland?

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 justified case of emergency) and must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0). Entry rules can change — confirm with official sources before travel.