Admin e-guide procedure : Visa for entry and stays in the Host States
Important
To obtain an Invitation Letter to apply for a visa, you must either :
- Be registered as an Associated Member of Personnel at CERN (User, COAS or VISC)
or
- Be in the process of being registered, via EDH Pre-registration form that the Team Leader or responsible of your Institute can initiate.
If you are in case 2, when filling out the form under "Visa needed", please select the option " I need an official invitation letter to obtain a visa or a Convention d'Accueil ". Once your PREG has been verified by the Users Office, a token link will be generated, allowing you to access the EDH invitation letter form.
Note that even if a visa is not needed, citizens from a country not belonging to EEA or Switzerland, and coming for short stays of less than 90 days will need a ‘Convention d’Accueil’
Please note that for newcomers, it is not possible to submit an application for an invitation letter without at least the EDH pre-registration.
Presentation
The EDH Invitation Letter Application Form has been introduced to simplify the process of generating invitation letters.
Members of the personnel who are citizens of third countries (i.e. not citizens of EEA countries or Switzerland) and are coming to the Host States in the context of their duties for CERN are subject to visa requirements. This also applies to long stays by their family members (e.g. for family reunification purposes).
Make sure to go through the following pages before starting your visa application :
Visa requirements and procedures for France and Switzerland
Steps to obtain a visa before coming to CERN
1. Who is subject to a visa requirement?
Although citizens of Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom do not require a visa to enter or take up residence in Switzerland, they must nevertheless request and carry a Convention d’accueil for any short stay not exceeding 90 days in a 180-day period. The request should be made via the invitation letter procedure, selection the option "I am coming to CERN for one or several short visits not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period.
In accordance with international agreements, some citizens of third countries may also be exempted from the visa requirement, mainly in the case of short stays in Switzerland without gainful employment (e.g. attendance at seminars, conferences or meetings for the exchange of general information).
Furthermore, holders of a valid passport and a valid residence permit or D-type visa issued by a country in the Schengen Area are entitled to travel within or stay in the other countries of the Schengen Area for a maximum period of 90 days per 180-day period. This applies to members of the personnel and their family members who are in possession of legitimation documents issued by the Host States (see the website of the State Secretariat for Migration and the website of the Direction Générale des étrangers en France).
| Person Concerned | Purpose of Invitation Letter | Which document(s) will I receive to support my visa application once the process is completed ? |
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| Member of the Personnel who are citizens of third countries (Main Beneficiary) |
I am coming to CERN for one or several short visits not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period * Even if you are a Third Country National not subject to visa obligations for entry, you must request a Convention d’accueil |
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| I am coming to CERN for more than 90 days |
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I am coming to CERN and need an invitation letter for institute purposes only (no visa required)
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For non-LHC experiments, please contact your experiment secretariat directly |
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VLST (3 to 12 months) – FRANCE For missions lasting between 90 days and 12 months, a French long-term temporary D visa (VLST) should be considered. It obviates the need for a titre de séjour spécial, but it neither allows family reunification nor entitles the holder to “green plates.”
This type of visa application is currently not covered by the EDH document.
ALICE https://alice-invitation-letters.web.cern.ch/ ATLAS : https://atlas-invitation-letters.web.cern.ch/ CMS : https://cms-invitation-letters.web.cern.ch/ LHCb : https://invitation-letters.web.cern.ch/
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Spouse / Partner / Child / Children Please ensure they are registered in the CERN database before proceeding with the visa application |
I am coming to CERN for more than 90 days with my family members |
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| I am already at CERN and my family members would like to join me for more than 90 days |
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2. Routing
The routing of the Invitation Letter request form will normally follow these steps:
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The document can be created on behalf of the requestor.
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The Member of Personnel creates the EDH form and specifies the beneficiary (themselves and/or dependent family member(s)). Complete the required information
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The document is then routed either to the Team Leader for Users or to the Departmental Administrative Officer for COAS and VISC, and to the experiment secretariat for Users.
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Once verified, the document is routed to one of the designated signatories and, depending on the request, to the Host States Relations service.
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After final approval, the person concerned is notified and can download the document. Note : If your request requires a Note Verbale, please note that this document will not be available for download. It will be transmitted directly to the French authorities by the Host State Relations Service.
Step-by-Step guide
Part 1 - Invitation Letter request
1. Requestor information
f you are applying on behalf of someone else, please indicate the name of the person who requires the invitation letter. The individual must already be registered in the system, with at least a pre-registration in progress - although they do not need to be listed as an Associated Member of Personnel at this stage.
2.Purpose
Select one of the purposes.
Given that the Organization is located on the border between France and Switzerland, we strongly recommend that you contact the relevant consulates for information on the entry conditions applicable to you in these two countries, specifying the duration and nature of your work at CERN. Where appropriate, you are invited to take the necessary steps to obtain the requisite documents, in particular a visa for entry to the Schengen member countries.
In addition to the invitation letter, an official Convention d’Accueil (which serves as a work permit for France) will be issued. This document must be carried with your passport at all times. Once downloaded, it must be signed by you and presented to the Users Office upon arrival for final signature.
3. Select the start and end dates of your stay :
4. For those coming for one or more visits not exceeding 90 days within any 180-day period, please indicate the number of your foreseeable visits
5. For those staying more than 90 days
If you already know where you will be living, please select the appropriate country (France or Switzerland). This will ensure that the system generates the correct documents for your situation.
If you are unsure of your residence location and select "Unknown," the system will by default generate documents as if you will be residing in France.
Note: Choosing the correct country in advance will simplify your arrival process. In particular, if you will be taking up residence in France, you will need a special visa called "Carte PROMEAE à solliciter à l’arrivée".
6. If you are coming to CERN for more than 90 days, and you have selected France as place of residence
please record the city and country of the French embassy where you will apply for your visa.
7. Submission of the form
Once the mandatory fields have been completed click on the "Submit" button at the top of the page.
8. How to get my documents ?
Once the EDH has been approved by all required parties, you will receive an EDH notification inviting you to download your document(s).
Please note:
For individuals who will be taking up residence in France, the Note Verbale will be sent directly to the Consulate by the Relations Service. You will not need be able to download it yourself.
9. What next ?
After downloading your document, you may proceed to start your visa application
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Part 2 - Application for dependent family members:
All registered family members will appear in the document once you have selected a purpose related to a family member. Please tick the box for those concerned by the invitation letter.
Select the family member relevant to the application and provide any missing information.
If the family member is not listed, please register them using the Change of Family and Personal situation document or contact the Users Office.
Support
1. Issues and assistance
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Use this link to Report a technical issue with the EDH document
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For other assistance, contact your Experiment Secretariat or your Departementale Secretariat |
2. Frequently asked questions
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FAQ |
Answer |
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I am not subject to short-stay C visa requirements and can visit Switzerland for up to 90 days without a visa. Do I still need to submit an invitation letter reques? |
Third country nationals (including US citizens) not subject to short-stay C visa requirements as tourists must obtain a short-stay C visa for Switzerland when staying at CERN for a total of more than 8 days within the same calendar year and engaging in gainful occupation (including when the employer is based outside of Switzerland). Please refer to the Swiss authorities' overview of visa provisions according to nationality, paying particular attention to the "V1" specification. |
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I hold a residence permit issued by a Schengen state. Should I apply for a C visa or a D visa, depending on the length of my stay in Switzerland? |
N.B.: Holders of a residence permit issued by one of the Schengen states are entitled to stay for a maximum of 90 days in other Schengen state(s) within any 180-day period. |
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I do not yet know where my place of residence will be. Can I choose Switzerland in order to speed up the process ? |
We discourage you from choosing Switzerland solely to speed up the process, as this may affect your eligibility to remain in the local area. Once you arrived at CERN, ff you eventually decide to take up residence in France, you will be required to wait three months before becoming eligible to apply for the appropriate visa (carte PROMEAE à solliciter à l’arrivée). Additionally, for certain third-country nationals, such as UK citizens, a visa is not required to take up residence in Switzerland, while it is mandatory for France. Therefore, we strongly advise you to secure your intended place of residence first, and if you don't know, choose France. |
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I will be temporarily staying at the CERN Hostel in Meyrin. Can I apply for a D French Visa ? |
Yes, you can apply for a French D visa even if you are temporarily staying at the CERN hostel. The only condition is that your stay does not exceed 90 days in Switzerland. |
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I will be temporarily staying at the Résidence Schuman in France. Can I apply for a D Swiss Visa ? |
Yes, you can apply for a Swiss D visa even if you are temporarily staying at Résidence Foyer Schuman. The only condition is that your stay does not exceed 90 days. |
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I have applied for a Short-Stay Schengen Visa (type C) and plan to visit several Schengen countries before arriving at CERN. How can I check how many days I have remaining on my visa ?
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You can use the official Swiss Schengen Short-Stay Visa Calculator. This tool helps you track how many days you've already spent in the Schengen Area and how many are left under the 90 days in any 180-day period rule. ✅ Steps to Use the Swiss Visa Calculator:
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I am planning to come to CERN for less than one year and take up residence in France. Should I apply for a Type D visa?
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If your stay at CERN will exceed 90 days but remain under 12 months, and you plan to reside in France, you should apply for a French long-stay visa (Type D), specifically the temporary long-stay visa (VLST). This visa allows for stays between 90 days and 12 months. Please note:
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My Type D visa is valid for only 90 days. Which documents will replace my visa after arrival ?
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After your arrival, your visa will be replaced by a work permit and a residence permit. |
| I am moving from Switzerland to France. Should I apply for a D Visa "Carte PROMEAE à solliciter à l'arrivée" ? |
Yes, if you are subject to a visa requirement for taking up residence in France, you must apply for a type D visa: “Carte de séjour PROMEAE à solliciter à l’arrivée.” To proceed, you should:
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