What type of Schengen visa should I apply for when to visit Switzerland for a two-day Open House event?
I'm selected for the Ph.D. program at EPFL, Switzerland starting Aug 2017. I was also invited to an Open House visit to meet the faculty in March 2017 for two days. It's an opportunity to learn about the program and know about the campus culture.
What type of Schengen visa I should apply for, Tourist, Business, Visitor?
Best Answer
There is only one type of Schengen visa for short trips: the uniform short-stay visa known as "type C".
Apply for that from the Swiss representation, and describe the trip you plan honestly and accurately. There are checkboxes for "tourism", "business", etc on the application form, but there are not really any different rules about them -- the checkboxes just allow the bureaucracy to sort the applications into broadly similar groups where the same general kind of supporting documentation can usually be expected. You're free to clarify exactly what the purpose of your visit is in an enclosed explanation, and if you do so you won't be denied simply for having guessed "wrong" about the ordinary-case checkboxes.
That being said, it sounds to me like "business" would be a pretty good fit in your case.
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Can I visit Switzerland with Schengen Visa?
To the OP : Yes you can travel to Switzerland with the Schengen Visa. You need not declare any itinerary since you may have provided sufficient documentation when you applied for the Visa. Once you are in the Schengen area which also includes Switzerland you can travel freely.What visa do you need to visit Switzerland?
Do you need a visa? Depending on your nationality, you need a visa to travel to Switzerland. Only short-term visa applications (up to 90 days, Schengen visa) such as tourist, visit or business can be submitted online. A visa application can be submitted at the earliest six months before entering the Schengen area.Should my first trip be to the country which issued my Schengen Visa?
There is no general requirement that you must enter the Schengen Area through the country that issued your visa. Your main destination may be different than your first destination. To prevent complications, stick to your itinerary as best you can.Should my first trip be to the country issued by Schengen Visa can I enter a different Schengen country?
Your first country of entry is the country in which you enter the Schengen Area for the first time from the outside. It does not need to be the country that issued you with a Schengen Visa, as you must apply with the nation where you are planning to spend the majority of your stay in the Schengen Area.THE SCHENGEN ZONE TRAVEL EXPLAINED - DIGITAL NOMAD TV
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Answer 2
What you are describing calls for a Schengen short-stay visa, sub-type Business.
Meetings with university faculty to which you have been invited are a type of business meeting. I.e., you are not a tourist and not visiting friends/relatives, instead you will be at a formal and deliberative assembly of invited people who are sharing information in a structured way.
Include your invitation in your evidence. Your acceptance into the programme can also be helpful.
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