I got my visa from the French embassy because my trip starts in Paris for 3 days, but I’m actually spending 10 days in Switzerland. I’ve already booked the hotels. Will the Swiss border police give me a hard time since my visa is French? I’m paranoid they’ll think I’m ‘visa shopping’.
You’re supposed to apply for a Schengen visa from the country where you’ll spend the most days. Since you’re spending 10 days in Switzerland and only 3 in France, technically you should have applied through Switzerland.In practice, most travelers enter France first and then go to another Schengen country, and it usually works. However, there is a small risk that Swiss border officers may question you, because your visa is issued by France. Keep all hotel bookings, travel plans, and your return tickets handy to show your itinerary clearly.
You’re fine. Border police care that you have a valid Schengen visa, not which embassy issued it. “Visa shopping” is a consular issue at application stage, not something border officers usually enforce if you’re already holding a valid visa.
Since you’re entering through France and actually staying there first, your visa issuance is defensible anyway. Even if Switzerland is longer, that’s not something they typically challenge at the border.
Just carry your hotel bookings and onward travel in case they ask. This is very common and rarely causes
Logic check. The Schengen algorithm usually prioritizes ‘Main Destination’ (where you spend the most time) over ‘First Entry’. Since your stay is 10 days in Switzerland vs 3 in France, your code is technically unoptimized for the rules. Ideally, the Swiss embassy should have handled this request. However, since you are initializing the trip in France, you satisfy the entry-point condition. Just keep your documentation precise and debug your explanation if they flag it.