Switzerland visa for Kenyan citizens

For the tourist visa, Switzerland’s official sources give a standard fee of €90, and applications are made on sem.admin.ch. Processing time, as Switzerland states it: Normally decided within 15 days, longer in individual cases. Longest stay on the tourist visa: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Switzerland has 2 missions in Kenya, with its embassy in Nairobi. Honorary consulates, which normally do not take visa applications: Mombasa.

In 2025, Switzerland’s embassy and consulates in Kenya (Nairobi) received 4,245 applications for short-stay Schengen visas and issued 3,264. The refusal rate was 18.7%. The refusal rate rose by 3.4 points from 15.3% in 2024. Applications rose by 8% compared with 2024 (3,930).

For comparison, all Schengen states together refused 33.1% of the applications lodged in Kenya that year, from 16.7% at the consulates of the Czech Republic to 60.9% at those of Norway. Switzerland’s consulates worldwide refused 12.5%. Switzerland was the 9th most applied-for Schengen state in Kenya.

You apply to the Schengen state that is your main destination (the longest stay or the main purpose; the state of first entry only when there is none), so a lower rate elsewhere is no reason to apply there. The figures cover applications lodged in Kenya, by any nationality: mostly citizens, but also residents from other countries.

Before travelling from Kenya to Switzerland, it helps to know the official travel advice: the US State Department rates Switzerland at Level 1, exercise normal precautions (updated 13 August 2026), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not advise against travel to Switzerland (updated 11 August 2026) and the German Foreign Office has no travel warning for Switzerland (updated 13 October 2026). The advice is aimed at each government’s own nationals.

How long Kenyan citizens can stay in Switzerland

How long Kenyan citizens may stay in Switzerland is set by the visa issued, and the visa type must match the purpose of the trip.

How Kenyan citizens apply

In Kenya, applications go to the Swiss embassy in Nairobi, or to a visa centre acting for Switzerland; fees, documents and processing times are published by Switzerland.

Switzerland and the Schengen area

A Schengen visa issued by Switzerland lets Kenyan citizens travel in all Schengen states; apply to Switzerland when it is the main destination of the trip.

Switzerland’s neighbours for Kenyan citizens

Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, France and Austria require Kenyan citizens to obtain a visa in advance.

Swiss citizens travelling to Kenya

Swiss citizens do not need a visa for Kenya, but they need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) before departure; it covers stays of up to 90 days.