Do you need a visa for tourist entry here?

If not it should be fine going to the UK for a w/e... and returning on your normal pp.

If you DO need a visa for tourist entry.. then speak to the permit people and they may issue a letter confirming your "application is in the works".. and you need to travel... etc...

Speak to the South African consulate in Geneva/Bern and take their advice, but I believe you can enter/exit for up to 3 months on your regular passport.

With regard to your B Permit ("but am still waiting") - you'll wait forever if you don't chase them up.  It should take 6-8 weeks maximum (even for a non-EU citizen). 

I finally chased up mine after 2 months, to find it had been sitting in the Commune office for 3 weeks and they couldn't understand why I hadn't come in to collect it.  (No crystal ball at the time, obviously...)

I had a similar problem last year and they suggested to apply for a provisional visa to re-entry in CH

Thanks Jairo, Did you have to apply for the visa here in Switzerland or back home?

Here in Switzerland...in my case in Lausanne

Hi Michelle

I'm also South African. If you're on an SA passport I'm pretty sure you will need another visa to get back here. But check at the consulate first. At any rate, you will need *some* official document to get back here.

Just a question - what temporary visa did you apply for, and why was it so short? I've just moved here with my family and we applied for D visas which are issued for 3 months until you get your residence card. I work at CERN, so the situation is a bit different and my husband will get a Ci permit, but for them they also applied for D visas for the reason of "family reunion"

Hi Claire,

Thanks for the response. I tried to call the permit office without any luck of getting through and not sure if anyone will speak English?  So I evetually called the Swiss Embassy in London where I got my original entry visa from and they said I would have to speak to the permit office here?! So I eventually sent them an email and am awaiting a response.

My visa was also for around 3 months but I first had to finish work in London and then came over at the beginning of June and immediately declared that I was here so I could get my permit. My reason is also "family reunion".

South African government officials, send a prompt email reply? hahaha ;-) On the website it says you can call only between 2 and 4pm though. http://missions.itu.int/~southafr/

I would just go through there and see them in person. They have to speak English help the South Africans who are here.

Not sure how it works for a B permit... could you not get a carte de legitimation? Ours were done in 10 days after we arrived (though cern did it for us)

Sorry I meant the Canton De Genève permit office who are dealing with my permit application.  Apparently, according to the Swiss Embassy London, they are who I need to talk to as the South African Embassy can't give me a Swiss entry visa. So I am waiting for a reply from the Canton De Genève office.

Oh, ugh, ok. Good luck! I hope you get it soon!

Thanks Reka, that seems to be my only option now as they replied with a standard response saying the permit is being processed but did not actually answer my question as to what I need to do to ensure entry when I return?  Now, as you suggest, I think I will need to find a French volunteer to come with and assist me.