Hello all I possess a Swiss B-Permit (Japanese National). I have to attend a meeting in spain in may 2011. Would I be correct to state that with my B-Permit, I can enter Spain or do I need to apply for a separate Visa for this purpose ? Any suggestions on this issue will be most welcome

B-permit + Japanese passport = travel in Schengen, no problem....

If you have any Switzerland resident permit and want to go to schangen country then go without any hesitation.

You do not need any visa. B Permit and your passport is fine.

This link goes to a page published by the Spanish government regarding visa requirements. For short stays, Japan is exempt from the visa requirement. Plus, as others mentioned, you have authorization from CH to be long term in Schengen zone.

So... not a problem for you! Unless you plan to stay forever.

http://www.maec.es/subwebs/SiteColle...%20visados.pdf

Thanks a lot for your replies. As expected, your responses have eased the tension on my mind of getting a quick visa, which I do not need now, as I have valid B Permit.

In addition to what I already asked, two Indian collegues (Indian Nationals) has also expressed their desire to travel with me for the same conference. They too have a valid B-permit, so I guess it would be fair to presume that they too do not need any visa as well. Please correct me if I am wrong on this.

They don't need a visa either. Just for the record, nationality does not matter, the only thing that matters is the permit.