Liechtenstein Travel Forum

I guess that there's no immigration check if you enter Liechtenstein from Switzerland. What about entering it from Austria? As a Thai citizen, I can enter Switzerland with a Schengen visa but I will probably have a problem leaving Switzerland if I don't have an entering stamp.

Are U 100% sure that As a Thai citizen, you can enter Switzerland with a Schengen Visa? I dont think Switzerland is part of the Schangen Countries.
http://www.axa-schengen.com/english/schengen-countries.html

Yes I'm 1000% sure. We're a special case :)

>I dont think Switzerland is part of the Schangen Countries.

It is now :-)

last time I sat on a local train from Switzerland (Buchs) through Liechtenstein to Austria (Feldkirch) there was no border control, no passport check, nothing. On the long distance trains however the Austrian police tend to check passports on entering Austria, Schengen or no Schengen.

Oh Wow! I did'nt knew that .. when did Switzerland .. decided to join hands with the Schangen countries?!

Switzerland is not in Schengen.

Switzerland is not a Schengen country, but they have entered into an agreement to allow free (visa-free) travel, but not transfer of goods. You can read about it (in German) here: http://www.tagesschau.de/aktuell/meldungen/0,1185,OID4406844,00.html

Last time I was in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (2002) I was in my car and they checked for passports between Austria and Liechtenstein. They also checked for passports between Switzerland and Germany. Since the agreement has come into force since then, they may not check on trains or on foot anymore, but if you come in a car they probably will. Also since the world cup is on, they may also be checking anyone who comes though.

As a Thai citizen with Schengen visa you don't need another Visa for switzerland.
And I don't think you will have problems when re-entering the EU (or Schengen countries) even without a special stamp for Switzerland.

In any case, AUSTRIA is a Schengen country! So if you were entering Liechtenstein from Austria, you must have already entered Austria, e.g. by flying to Vienna, and the stamp put in your passport at the first point of entry starts your 90-day tourist stay running, both for the Schengen zone itself and for all the countries bound to it by agreement, which include Liechtenstein (an EEA member) and Switzerland (an EFTA member).

>Oh Wow! I did'nt knew that .. when did Switzerland .. decided to join hands with the Schangen countries?!

In a referendum held in summer 2004.

Oh, what a confusion!

Fact 1) Switzerland is an EFTA member and has joined the Schengen treaty. (The above referedum in 2004).

Fact 2) There are full Schengen members and Schengen members states which will become full Schengen members in the future. Switzerland will become a full Schengen member in Oct 2006.

Fact 3) Since Switzerland is not a full Schengen member yet, the stay in Switzerland doesn't count towards the 90 days in your Schengen visa.

My tip to thelittlevoice: If you are planning to stay the full 90 days in the Schengen states, have your passport stamped coming into Switzerland. (If necassary go to a police station and have them write a letter of proof that you were in Switzerland.) You will then need to get it stamped again in Austria. (If necessary go to the police station again.) Why should you do this: It makes your Schengen visa last longer, because the days in Switzerland are not counted.(But you need to prove that you were there, thus you need the stamps).

BTW: Please make sure you have a mulitple entry Schengen visa.

Thanks guy. I already have a multiple entries visa for Schengen. I will first fly into Stockholm(Sweden) --> Reykjavik(Iceland) --> Friedrichshafen(Germany) --> Dornbirn(Austria) --> Liechtenstein --> Zurich(Swtizerland) --> Milan(Italy).

Unfortunately Schengen visas are no longer issued for 90 days as it used to be. It's issued according to how long your health insurance lasts...at least at German Embassy and Sweden Embassy.

Before this(at least last year), they didn't really look carefully at those documents. If other documents are alright(enough money in bank account) then they would issue 90 days visa right away.

Don't worry, this should not be a problem.
Liechtenstein is swiss customs terretory. The border between Liechtenstein and Austria is watched by swiss customs officers.
If you enter by car you can ask for your passport stamp when you cross the border. If you enter by train you will have customs officers on board ot the train, or you can contact them after arrival at the railwaystation in Buchs, which is in Switzerland, next to Liechtenstein.

Have a great time here
Peter

There is no passport check if you enter liechtenstein from Buchs SG or Truebbach. You can get a stamp at the tourist office in Vaduz.