Dummy ticket for Switzerland visa: what the checklist asks for

A dummy ticket for Switzerland visa applications is a flight reservation made in the airline's reservation system and held without paying the fare, with a PNR you can look up on the airline's website. The tourist checklist of the Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan asks for a "Flight reservation" "With names of all travelers", and it does not ask for a purchased ticket. Dummy Tickets Visa (DTV) issues this kind of reservation for ₹699 per passenger.

Rules that are the same for all 29 Schengen countries, such as the 90/180-day limit and the general rule on which country to apply to, are on our Schengen visa page. Below is what applies to Switzerland.

What Switzerland's tourist checklist asks for

The checklist asks for a flight reservation naming every traveller and proof of accommodation, not a paid ticket. Under "Flight reservation" it adds, where it applies, "proof of intra-Schengen flights, train itinerary or car rental" for a trip through several countries. Under accommodation it asks for "Confirmation of hotel reservations, package tours, advance payments".

Two instructions are easy to miss. Documents go in "the exact order given" on the checklist, unstapled, and "Only the documents mentioned on the checklist are accepted", although the embassy may still ask for more or call you for an interview. The checklist also asks for an introduction letter from your employer, signed and stamped, with a "No objection statement" about the trip and your travel dates; our NOC letter guide covers the format.

The checklist has no sentence telling applicants not to buy a ticket before the decision, so we do not claim one. The version we read carries the footer "October 24"; check the embassy site for a newer one before you print your file.

Family applications: one flight booking naming everyone

A family applying together submits one flight booking that names every travelling member. The checklist's "Families" section says the applications go in together, and only the head of the family attaches the bank statements, ITR, travel insurance (naming everyone insured), the flight booking and the hotel confirmations, the last only if all the rooms are on one booking in the head of the family's name.

For employed applicants, the checklist asks for the last 3 months' salary slips and bank statements and the ITR-V for the last 2 assessment years. In a family file, the bank statements and ITR come from the head of the family only.

That matches how a DTV order works: up to 9 passengers on one itinerary, at ₹699 each. A couple with two children flying New Delhi to Zurich and back pays ₹2,796 for one reservation naming all four. Our family bookings page explains how names are entered. For the accommodation line, a hotel reservation voucher costs ₹699 per hotel, per passenger; for several rooms or cities, ask on WhatsApp before ordering.

Where to apply: VFS Global centres in India

You apply at a VFS Global Switzerland visa application centre, and the embassy's procedure page gives its processing time for submission "at any VFS application centre in India". Unlike Italy, which splits India between four offices by state, the Swiss pages we read do not tie applicants to a centre by state.

Centre cities and opening hours change, so check the current list on VFS Global's Switzerland site for India before you choose a slot. VFS collects your documents, fingerprints and fees; the decision is the embassy's.

Liechtenstein has no mission in India, so its Schengen visa applications also go through the Swiss channel described here.

Switzerland visa fee, service charge and processing time

The Switzerland visa fee is €90 for an adult and €45 for a child between 6 and 12, and children under 6 pay nothing, according to the checklist, as of September 2026. VFS Global adds its own service charge. The embassy pages we read do not state it; the Visa Code caps it at half the visa fee, €45, so confirm the rupee amount on the VFS site when you book.

The 7 to 10 days run from the day you submit at VFS, so a file lodged on 1 October points to a decision between 8 and 11 October, with courier time on top. For insurance, the checklist links to its list of approved Indian insurers; choose a policy from that list. Our travel insurance guide explains what the €30,000 cover must include.

When to apply and book your VFS appointment

Apply early. The embassy recommends submitting "at the earliest 6 months before the planned journey", and the general Schengen rule is no later than 15 days before travel. The embassy gives no typical wait for an appointment, we found none published by VFS, and we cannot predict how full a given week will be, so check the VFS calendar as soon as your dates are fixed.

Say you plan to fly to Zurich on 18 December 2026. An appointment on 16 November leaves the 7–10 days of processing, any consultation time and the courier well before you fly. Order the reservation for 15 November, the day before. Our appointment guide covers the booking system.

Zurich and Geneva routings, and combining Switzerland with France or Italy

A Switzerland file usually shows a return to Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA), or a trip into one and home from the other. The booking desk chooses the airline and connection. You can name a preferred airline in the notes box, as a request rather than a promise.

Which country you apply to

With France or Italy in the plan, you apply as a rule to the country where you spend the most nights, and if the nights are equal, to the country you enter first. Three examples:

• 5 nights in Switzerland, then 3 in Milan: apply to Switzerland, even if your flight lands in Milan.
• 6 nights in Italy, then 3 in Switzerland: apply to Italy, at the Italian office that covers your state.
• 4 nights in Paris, then 4 in Switzerland: the stays are equal, so apply to France, where you enter first; see our France visa page.

Two-city and multi-country routes are priced as multi-city itineraries, ₹699 per two flights, per passenger, and the checklist asks for proof of any train or car legs in between. Our main-destination guide covers trips where the purpose, not the nights, decides.

Getting a dummy ticket for Switzerland visa applications

Order on the booking form once your VFS appointment is fixed. Enter each traveller's name exactly as in the passport, with date of birth, nationality, route, dates and an email address or WhatsApp number; no passport scan and no account are needed. We book the reservation in the airline's system and send the PDF by email or WhatsApp, typically 10 to 20 minutes after payment is confirmed, or on the date you choose in the "When do you want to receive it?" field.

It costs ₹699 per passenger, one way or return, with up to 9 passengers on one itinerary. It is a reservation, not a paid ticket, and it cannot be used to board; if asked, describe it as a reservation. DTV is not affiliated with the Embassy of Switzerland, VFS Global or any airline.

• Every traveller named on one reservation, spelled as in the passport
• Documents in the checklist's order, unstapled
• Insurance from the embassy's approved list, naming everyone insured
• Reservation scheduled to arrive the day before your appointment
• PNR checked on the airline's website before you submit

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed 27 September 2026 by the DTV Editorial Team. Visa requirements change, so confirm the current checklist with the embassy, consulate or official application centre before you apply. A reservation supports a visa file and cannot guarantee a visa decision.