Do Sri Lankan passport holders need a transit visa for Zurich (ZRH)?

Visa needed unless exempt

Sri Lanka is on the common Schengen airport transit visa list, so you need one even airside. Exempt if you hold a valid Schengen or EU (including Irish) visa or residence permit, a valid US, Canadian or Japanese visa, or a US, Canadian, Japanese, Andorran or San Marino residence permit. A UK visa does not exempt you.

For an airside connection at Zurich Airport, Switzerland: one ticket, bags checked through, onward flight to another country, no immigration.

Leaving the airport during the layover

Leaving the airport needs a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa.

Watch out

An onward flight to another Schengen country, or a self-transfer where you collect and check in bags again, means entering here on a full Schengen visa; an airside exemption is not enough.

Checked on 25 October 2026 against these sources. Transit rules change often, and the airline and the immigration authority have the final say, so confirm with your airline before you travel.

Check another layover

Other passports at Zurich

Other layovers for Sri Lankan passport holders

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