If you are studying for a period of longer than three months or are coming as a trainee you will need to get a visa or permit to reside in Switzerland. There are many countries with which Switzerland has bilateral contracts which simplify these procedures.

There are different types of visa and you should carefully select and apply for the one that you need.

Important General Comment

The visa application process starts with the letter of acceptance which we will issue and send to you once your application dossier has been processed and accepted.

Once you receive the letter of acceptance, you are advised to contact the Swiss consulate or embassy in your region and ask for instructions on how to apply for a student visa to study in Switzerland as an exchange student for a period of 5-6 months (if you are applying for 1 semester) or 9-10 months (if you are applying for a whole academic year).  They will inform you on how to proceed. We cannot provide students of all nationalities with specific information on visa application and procedures, this is done by the appropriate authorities.

Note on travelling to countries outside Switzerland during your stay

 Students coming from outside the EU need to realise that their Student-Visa does not always apply for travel outside Switzerland. If you have a Schengen Visa then you can travel to those states listed above. But, for instance, problems can arise if a student wishes to travel to the UK on a single entry Swiss visa (UK is not a Schengen member, and the single visa does not allow re-entry into Switzerland) or if the student has a Visa D (only valid for Switzerland, not for Schengen, not for re-entry) or Visa C (valid only for Switzerland and then to travel but not re-enter).If you plan to only come and study then a Student Visa is sufficient. Usually student visa applicants are issued with a so-called Schengen Visa (of which there are different types too) which also enables travel to the Schengen countries in Europe and re-entry into Switzerland - providing that this is within the period limit set by the visa. If you are coming for longer than 3 months and also wish to travel in other European countries and be allowed to re-enter Switzerland, then ensure you apply for a L-Visa. If you have a Schengen visa type C valid for Schengen Staaten you may also travel to Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

You can also apply for a travel visa - but this is a separate process and subject to fees.

For further information go to the Swiss Federal Office for Migration

IMPORTANT: If students finish their studies and then decide to travel after the semester they must ensure their visa is valid for this period after the semester. If not, and they travel outside Switzerland, they will not be allowed to re-enter Switzerland and are likely to be deported immediately back to the home country.