Visa to Liechtenstein

A small country bordering Austria and Switzerland does not issue its own visas for foreigners. The Principality of Liechtenstein can be visited on the basis of a Schengen visa. Such a visa entitles you to visit Liechtenstein according to the general rules for the countries of the Schengen Agreement.

Interesting

The area of Liechtenstein is only 160 square kilometers, and the population is less than 40 thousand people. Therefore, the principality jealously protects its identity. It is very difficult to obtain a residence permit and citizenship of Liechtenstein, even for citizens of EU countries. The financial well-being of the country is based on the fact that it is an offshore zone (the state is not part of the EU), and taxes are levied at a minimum amount.

Freelancer Visa

Neither Switzerland nor Liechtenstein offer a Digital Nomad visa, which is easily explained by the logic of its introduction. Nomadic foreigners pay taxes in the employer's country. The country that provides them with a place to live and work benefits in terms of boosting economic life, since according to statistics, nomads spend 2/3 of their earnings in their place of residence. Switzerland and Liechtenstein are countries with a very high standard of living that do not need additional investment inflows.

Digital nomads wishing to live and work in Liechtenstein can use a Schengen visa, but the period of stay under it is no more than 90 days during each half-year. Financially secure foreigners receive a Swiss «golden visa», in fact a residence permit, when investing 200,000 Swiss francs in the canton (region) of residence.

How much does a visa cost?

According to information published on the website of the Swiss Embassy, the amount of the fee for issuing a Schengen visa from June 11, 2024 is 90€ for an adult and 45€ for children over 6 years old.

Similar fees are claimed for a long-term national D visa, which allows you to reside in Switzerland and, accordingly, Liechtenstein for 180 consecutive days during the year. The visa fee is paid upon submission of documents and will not be refunded if they are revoked or refused a visa.

Types of visas to Liechtenstein

The classification and coding of visas in Switzerland and Liechtenstein are the same. Since the signing of the Schengen Agreement, it has been significantly simplified. Several types of visas are issued to the country:

• Short–term (type C) - actually, this is a Schengen visa, which is issued for 90 days of stay for guest purposes of tourism, treatment, and business issues.
• National (type D) is a long–term visa with the possibility of staying in the country continuously for 185 days, issued for a period of at least a year, extended to 5 years. 
• Transit (type A, B) – issued for 5 days if the applicant crosses the territory of the country when traveling to a non-EU member state. 

Important

According to EU rules, a Schengen visa (with which you can visit 27 countries) is issued at the Embassy of the country in which the traveler plans to spend the most time – at least 51% of the total duration of the trip. If this rule is violated, the applicant will be sent to receive the next visa at the Embassy of the country where the tourist stayed for the maximum number of days.

Student's

Most often, such a visa is issued for studying at higher educational institutions in Switzerland, even if the student plans to live in Liechtenstein. Due to the short distances, daily trips to study are not difficult. For the purposes of study, a national D visa is issued in the case when the university has already agreed to enroll.

Tuition for foreigners is paid, the amount is paid immediately for the first year. It is necessary to confirm the financial security of the student for the year (bank statement). The visa fee for a student visa is 60€. The submission of biometric data is mandatory (free of charge). You will also need to take out medical insurance in the amount of 42,500€.

Tourist

When it comes to a tourist visa, most often they mean a Swiss Schengen with a stay of 90 days. This travel document permits a visit to any of the European countries, or to several that are parties to the agreement. In particular, such a visa is used to travel to Liechtenstein.

Attention

When issuing a Schengen visa for the first time, the period of stay in Europe is usually set at 2-3 months. For example, if the visa is valid for 90 days, you can stay in the Schengen countries for 45 days. In the future, the period is extended to the standard (3 months), and the dates of return tickets are taken into account.

Business (for business trips)

A Liechtenstein business visa is a type of short-term permit to visit the country and is issued for 90 days, which must be used within six months. The purposes of the visit may be negotiating, opening accounts, attending exhibitions, presentations, fairs, and professional training.

It is not allowed to conclude employment contracts for the period of being on a business trip. The visa applicant must indicate the place of residence, sufficient financial security and submit an invitation letter from the organizers of the event, a business partner, which can be an individual or a legal entity.

Working (employment)

Before applying for a work visa, it is necessary to obtain an agreement with an employer who is ready to provide a workplace. The employer must request a special permit to hire a foreigner from the territorial body of the State Secretariat for Migration.

You can get a visa for employment:

• A – for seasonal work for 5 months;
• B – issued for a year with the possibility of extension;
• C – is a long–term visa for 5 years.

The documents for applying for a visa include a completed employment contract. More detailed information is available on the website of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Required documents

The package of documents for obtaining a tourist, work, or student visa to Liechtenstein differs slightly, since in each case it is necessary to document the stated reasons for the visit. In the standard case, the set of documents will be as follows:

• The application form of the visa applicant. It is filled in in German, French, Italian or English. It can be prepared with the help of a professional translator, but the signature must be handwritten.
• 2 color photos measuring 3.5*4.5 cm. The picture should match the applicant's current appearance as much as possible (beard, mustache, etc.).
• A valid passport. Copies of the first page and with visa marks are attached to it. It must have at least 2 blank pages, and the validity period must be 3 months longer than the date of departure from the Schengen countries.
• A photocopy of the passport (all pages with information).
• Documents confirming sufficient income (salary certificates, bank statements, rental agreements).
• Documents on marital status (marriage, presence of children), on the existence of an operating business, on real estate ownership.
• A medical insurance policy issued by an accredited center with a validity period of 15 days exceeding the period of stay in the Schengen countries. The coverage amount is at least 30,000€.

The documents must be translated into one of the official languages, the translation is notarized.