- Thread starter jaguarbob
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dominican visit to Switzerland
Switzerland requires a visa for Dominican tourists
Dominicans who want to visit Switzerland as tourists need a visa. There is a General Swiss Consulate in SDQ but they do not have any website. You may ask your questions if you call them to 809 533 37 81 or 809 534 69 44.
It is very difficult to obtain a visitor's visa but try !
Dominicans who want to visit Switzerland as tourists need a visa. There is a General Swiss Consulate in SDQ but they do not have any website. You may ask your questions if you call them to 809 533 37 81 or 809 534 69 44.
It is very difficult to obtain a visitor's visa but try !
Even though a Dominican citizen has ties to Swiss persons living there, a tourist visa will only be granted if certain conditions are given. It is not easy at all !
Just out of curiosity why is it easier to get a visitors visa to Switzerland than to Canada and the US??
I know its hard to get one to Canada as I've looked into it. I just figured it would be the same for any Dominican trying to leave the country
Anyone know why that is???
*Baby Girl
I know its hard to get one to Canada as I've looked into it. I just figured it would be the same for any Dominican trying to leave the country
Anyone know why that is???
*Baby Girl
Baby Girl said:
well, every country has its own rules for entry of course. Even the EU-Schengen countries, which formally have the same rules, apply them differently. It's often easier to get a visa to a European country than the US or Canada. Switzerland is not part of the EU though, so might be different again.
Maybe it's just not sooo attractive after all...
In my opinion it is much more dificult to make a living in Switzerland as an illegal alien than it seems to be in the US. It is almost impossible for Swiss employers to employ people without papers and people of color really stand out much more than they would in the USA. Life is very expensive and unless you make a half way serious living you will end on the street, be picket up and get deported. Language(s) is an other issue. So maybe it is not so attractive and/or the visa issueing consulates can handle are smaller flow of people in a less defensive way.
The wast majority of Dominicans in Switzerland are females. Some got there on a "dancing" visa (which allows them to work in a night club for a resticted time per year) and married there, others came already married with a Swiss husband directly from the island. Some brought their kids along, some created new families. Most seem to have adapted quite well to a very different environement, but never seem to forget their roots (luckingly
). Not only large cities like Z?rich, Bern, Lausanne and Geneva have bars and clubs where they can found dancing bachata and having imported Presidentes and talking ai mi tierra linda stories and trading the latest secrets to perfect concon and arroz con habichuelas using Swiss ingredients, all under a big Dominican flag. Most seek employment after a while and many started their own little (hairdresser or ropa linda) business, attitude which I have great respect for... most Swiss people would not have the guts to get into business on their own in such tight business environement as Switzerland. Interestingly they do not mutate like DomYorks. Still, when coming back most will have to discover that they have changed in mentality somewhat.
It's only after having been introduced into that cyrcle that I developed my interest for the island.
... J-D.
In my opinion it is much more dificult to make a living in Switzerland as an illegal alien than it seems to be in the US. It is almost impossible for Swiss employers to employ people without papers and people of color really stand out much more than they would in the USA. Life is very expensive and unless you make a half way serious living you will end on the street, be picket up and get deported. Language(s) is an other issue. So maybe it is not so attractive and/or the visa issueing consulates can handle are smaller flow of people in a less defensive way.
The wast majority of Dominicans in Switzerland are females. Some got there on a "dancing" visa (which allows them to work in a night club for a resticted time per year) and married there, others came already married with a Swiss husband directly from the island. Some brought their kids along, some created new families. Most seem to have adapted quite well to a very different environement, but never seem to forget their roots (luckingly
). Not only large cities like Z?rich, Bern, Lausanne and Geneva have bars and clubs where they can found dancing bachata and having imported Presidentes and talking ai mi tierra linda stories and trading the latest secrets to perfect concon and arroz con habichuelas using Swiss ingredients, all under a big Dominican flag. Most seek employment after a while and many started their own little (hairdresser or ropa linda) business, attitude which I have great respect for... most Swiss people would not have the guts to get into business on their own in such tight business environement as Switzerland. Interestingly they do not mutate like DomYorks. Still, when coming back most will have to discover that they have changed in mentality somewhat. It's only after having been introduced into that cyrcle that I developed my interest for the island.
... J-D.
The facts
jaguarbob,
I am a Swiss living here in Zurich and have helped a few people get the visa. To be honest it is not so hard to do.
First off it is very very hard to get a visitors visa based completely on the individuals credits. I would advise not to waste the time on this.
Instead what you want to do is get a "sponsered visa" for the lady. Her sister's husband must write an formal invitation stating the exact dates she wants to visit, the purpose, and that he will be 100% liable for her when she stays there. He will also need to fax a copy of his passport and bank statements showing that he has at least 20,000 Swiss franks in his bank account for the past 6 months. All that paperwork needs to be sent to the embassy AND to her.
There is also a visa application form that needs to be submitted at the same time which can be downloaded at http://www.bfm.admin.ch/index.php?id=309&L=3 and there is quite a bit information there also in english explaining the rules and such.
Don't forget that Swtzerland is not part of the EU, so when you book the flights make sure that no visa will be required for "in transit" when switching planes in Europe. Unless you purchase a flight for her on the charter company Edelweiss http://www.edelweissair.ch/e/destinations/plan/?div=DR which does fly direct from the DR to Switzerland.
Hope that helps!
jaguarbob,
I am a Swiss living here in Zurich and have helped a few people get the visa. To be honest it is not so hard to do.
First off it is very very hard to get a visitors visa based completely on the individuals credits. I would advise not to waste the time on this.
Instead what you want to do is get a "sponsered visa" for the lady. Her sister's husband must write an formal invitation stating the exact dates she wants to visit, the purpose, and that he will be 100% liable for her when she stays there. He will also need to fax a copy of his passport and bank statements showing that he has at least 20,000 Swiss franks in his bank account for the past 6 months. All that paperwork needs to be sent to the embassy AND to her.
There is also a visa application form that needs to be submitted at the same time which can be downloaded at http://www.bfm.admin.ch/index.php?id=309&L=3 and there is quite a bit information there also in english explaining the rules and such.
Don't forget that Swtzerland is not part of the EU, so when you book the flights make sure that no visa will be required for "in transit" when switching planes in Europe. Unless you purchase a flight for her on the charter company Edelweiss http://www.edelweissair.ch/e/destinations/plan/?div=DR which does fly direct from the DR to Switzerland.
Hope that helps!
Conditions for the applicant
It is not sufficient to have a sponsor letter from a Swiss person or a foreign resident in Switzerland giving all details of the stay. With the visa application the applicant has to produce documents related to his/her assets and/or a letter of his/her employer specifying the data of the applicant's employment and in particular that the applicant will be on vacation for the period of the stay in Switzerland.
By the way, Switzerland has only a General Consulate in Santo Domingo, there is no embassy.
It is not sufficient to have a sponsor letter from a Swiss person or a foreign resident in Switzerland giving all details of the stay. With the visa application the applicant has to produce documents related to his/her assets and/or a letter of his/her employer specifying the data of the applicant's employment and in particular that the applicant will be on vacation for the period of the stay in Switzerland.
By the way, Switzerland has only a General Consulate in Santo Domingo, there is no embassy.
My Dominican friend's son is in Switzerland right now. His fiancee was in the DR for 6 months until June 2008, then he left this fall 2008 for Switzerland. The process was very fast.