Beijing has confirmed that Vice-Premier He Lifeng will lead a high-level delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos from 19-22 January—the most senior Chinese visit to Switzerland since 2017. Swiss visa-application centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou report a spike in filings from accompanying business delegations, stretching biometric-appointment slots.
Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration reminds travellers that biometric data in the EU’s Entry/Exit System must match passport details exactly after several Zurich-airport delays caused by Pinyin spelling mismatches. VisaHQ’s China desk has rolled out a rapid-triage service to pre-check documentation, synchronise Pinyin and monitor centre queue times in real time.
For multinationals, the Davos trip signals Beijing’s intent to re-ignite outbound investment dialogues stalled during the pandemic. Meeting rooms in Davos and St Gallen are fully booked, hotel rates have spiked and cantonal police will impose perimeter controls that restrict last-minute vehicle transfers. Mobility managers should ensure Schengen visas are issued or renewed by 17 January and that all delegates appear on WEF security manifests—even visa-exempt passport-holders must register.
![Last-minute rush for Swiss visas as Chinese Vice-Premier heads to Davos]()
To alleviate last-minute stress, VisaHQ’s online platform, accessible at https://www.visahq.com/china/, offers end-to-end Schengen visa management for China-based travelers, including digital document uploads, embassy slot tracking and courier return options—an outsourced solution many corporates are now integrating into their travel-approval workflows.
Travel facilitators report a jump in urgent Schengen filings, and Swiss authorities say they may extend consular hours if demand persists. Companies planning side events in Zurich or Basel should budget extra ground-transfer time owing to drone no-fly zones and random motorway checks.
The episode highlights the importance of synchronising corporate-calendar milestones—like Davos panels or investor roadshows—with Schengen processing timelines, especially during winter when weather disruptions can further compress lead times.
Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration reminds travellers that biometric data in the EU’s Entry/Exit System must match passport details exactly after several Zurich-airport delays caused by Pinyin spelling mismatches. VisaHQ’s China desk has rolled out a rapid-triage service to pre-check documentation, synchronise Pinyin and monitor centre queue times in real time.
For multinationals, the Davos trip signals Beijing’s intent to re-ignite outbound investment dialogues stalled during the pandemic. Meeting rooms in Davos and St Gallen are fully booked, hotel rates have spiked and cantonal police will impose perimeter controls that restrict last-minute vehicle transfers. Mobility managers should ensure Schengen visas are issued or renewed by 17 January and that all delegates appear on WEF security manifests—even visa-exempt passport-holders must register.
To alleviate last-minute stress, VisaHQ’s online platform, accessible at https://www.visahq.com/china/, offers end-to-end Schengen visa management for China-based travelers, including digital document uploads, embassy slot tracking and courier return options—an outsourced solution many corporates are now integrating into their travel-approval workflows.
Travel facilitators report a jump in urgent Schengen filings, and Swiss authorities say they may extend consular hours if demand persists. Companies planning side events in Zurich or Basel should budget extra ground-transfer time owing to drone no-fly zones and random motorway checks.
The episode highlights the importance of synchronising corporate-calendar milestones—like Davos panels or investor roadshows—with Schengen processing timelines, especially during winter when weather disruptions can further compress lead times.
