Visa requirement for two visits to Europe (Switzerland and Germany) 80 days apart

Question

I'm planning to travel to Switzerland from 20th to 25th October 2019, and then again to Bonn in the time period of 13th to 17th January 2020, both times to attend academic conferences/schools.

I would be applying for the visa in early October 2019 at the Swiss consulate in New York city. I'm an Indian citizen residing in the United States on an F1 student visa.

When applying for the visa at the Swiss consulate, would it be pertinent to let them know of my intent to travel to Germany later, and request them to ensure that the visa which is usually valid for 90 days remains valid till at least 18th January 2020?

Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

@Aritro Pathak, In choosing the country for your Schengen visa application, make sure you follow the dictates of the Schengen Visa Code, Section 1, Article 5. That Article provides:

Article 5

Member State competent for examining and deciding on an application

1. The Member State competent for examining and deciding on an application for a uniform visa shall be:
   • (a) the Member State whose territory constitutes the sole destination of the visit(s);
   • (b) if the visit includes more than one destination, the Member State whose territory constitutes the main destination of the visit(s) in terms of the length or purpose of stay; or
   • (c) if no main destination can be determined, the Member State whose external border the applicant intends to cross in order to enter the territory of the Member States.

Section 1 (above) deals with regular visas for travel; Sections 2 and 3 (which I have not copied in this Answer) address transit visas.

Answer 2

The readiness to give you a multiple-entry, long-validity visa depends in part on your travel history to the Schengen area. So if this is your first application, apply separately for the two visa. If you have a long and incident-free history, ask for a multiple-entry visa.