Application for Schengen visa and procedure

As a general rule, a decision is taken by the Consulate within 15 days. This period may, in individual cases, be extended.
Some Schengen States require that they be consulted on visa applications submitted to other Schengen States by citizens of certain countries. The consultation process may take up to 14 calendar days. Such consultation is currently required for nationals of the countries listed here:
List of countries
It is therefore recommended to submit the visa application early, at the earliest 6 months before the planned journey.

The reasons for refusal are notified to the applicant using a standard form.
You have the right to appeal within 30 days of receipt of the refusal. For information on appeal procedures, please refer to the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration.
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Biometric data (fingerprints) are generally collected every 59 months from the age of 12 years from the first recording.

If you are a family member of a Swiss, European Union (EU) or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) citizen, you are entitled to submit your application directly at the responsible Embassy or Consulate of Switzerland. An appointment is mandatory and must be booked in advance.
Citizens of the EU and the EFTA and their family members

If you wish to complain about the behavior of the consular staff and, if applicable, about the external service provider or about the process, please contact the competent representation in writing.

No visas for dual citizens
The Regional Consular Center in Bangkok does not issue a visa to a Swiss citizen or a citizen of a Schengen Member State who additionally holds the nationality of a third state and for holders of a valid Swiss residence permit (permit B or C).
Information for dual citizens
PDF126.25 kB6 August 2025

After the submission of the application, the biometric data of the applicant is captured. It includes the registration of the ten fingerprints and the facial picture. Children under 12 years old are exempt from this obligation.
If your biometric data has already been collected for a previous Schengen visa and the visa has been issued with the remark "VIS", the biometric data remains valid for five years. If previously captured fingerprints are not in good quality, you are requested to provide the biometric data again.
Your application submitted is delivered to the Regional Consular Center in Bangkok together with your biometric data. The decision whether a visa is issued is entirely made by the Regional Consular Center in Bangkok. All visa applications are examined based on the Schengen Visa Code and the regulations concerned which are valid for all Schengen Member States and associated states.

A visa application must be submitted at least 15 days before the planned travel date and can be submitted three months before earliest. It is highly recommended to submit the visa application at an early stage, especially during high season from February until June, when a longer waiting time for an appointment and/or longer processing time can occur.
The processing time for a Schengen visa is between six to ten working days. Please note that this information cannot be guaranteed and depends on the high and low season. Please be informed that inquiries sent to the Regional Consular Center in Bangkok regarding the status of an application for a Schengen visa before expiration of above mentioned processing time cannot be answered.

For questions not answered by our information sheets kindly refer to the Regional Consular Center in Bangkok: ban.visa@eda.admin.ch.