Travel from Germany to Switzerland on an Australian Refugee Travel Document

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Travelling on an Australian Refugee Travel Document, I am aware that I can enter Germany visa free, but from there am I able to visit/travel to Switzerland?



Best Answer

While Germany does not require a visa for those holding a refugee travel document, Switzerland does.

Verified through Timatic, the database used by the airlines for passport and visa requirements, you can enter Germany with just a refugee travel document, provided you are authorised to return to the country of issue and that the document is valid for at least 4 months when you arrive. You're allowed a maximum stay of 90 days.

For Switzerland, a visa is required for passengers holding travel documents issued to stateless persons or refugees. In practice, immigration checks are not conducted for travel within the Schengen area, going from Germany and Switzerland, but you would not have the legal right to be there. As Switzerland is not an EU member, not a Customs Union with neighboring countries, travelers do tell of random checks being conducted at land borders and railway stations.

Visitors in Switzerland are required to carry a goverment-issued ID at all times. Were you asked to present identification, a refugee travel document without the required Swiss visa would be an issue.




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Can I travel to Europe with Refugee Travel Document?

If you are a refugee under the Geneva Convention, your travel document is accepted by every country that signed the agreement. However, this does not mean that you can travel visa-free to every country- you have to use your travel document to apply for a visitor visa.

Can refugees travel to another country?

A person with refugee or asylum status who wishes to travel outside the United States needs a Refugee Travel Document in order to return to the United States. In most cases, a refugee or asylee may use the Refugee Travel Document for travel in place of a passport.

Can refugees travel in Europe?

This depends on your status: Asylum seekers are generally not entitled to travel freely within the \xbbSchengen Area\xab. If you are recognised refugee, if you have subsidiary protection status or you are a stateless person with a valid residence permit in Slovenia you can travel within the \xbbSchengen Area\xab.

Can I use my Refugee Travel Document?

It is recognized in all countries as a valid travel document. However, you cannot use it to travel to the country that you are a citizen of or the country of claimed persecution.



Blue Passport - Travel Document for Refugees - Blauer Pass - Reiseausweis für Flüchtlinge




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