Welcome to Basel Academy of Music

Registration fee CHF 200.– (once)

Semester fee CHF 750.– for Swiss citizens and persons legally domiciled* in Switzerland | CHF 1,000.– for EU/EFTA nationals | CHF 1,250.– for third-country nationals
Material Costs per semester CHF 100.–
Student council per semester (Fachschaft Musik) CHF 10.–

Diploma fee CHF 300.– (once)

* Having a residence for educational reasons in Switzerland does not constitute a residence under civil law.

Please find here all the details regarding tuition fees of FHNW.

A conservative estimate of your monthly living costs while studying at the FHNW Basel Academy of Music is around CHF 1,200 to 1,500. For further information see: https://www.studyinswitzerland.plus/cost-of-living/

Grants for FHNW Basel Academy of Music students
Bachelor and Master students experiencing financial hardship can apply to the FHNW Basel Academy of Music for financial assistance.

The different institutes within the FHNW Basel Academy of Music also offer grants on a limited basis. They also have connections to foundations and public sources of financial aid. In cooperation with them, grant applications will be considered and the candidates chosen. Applications may only be submitted at the beginning of the autumn semester. A FHNW Basel Academy of Music grant will not cover all your living costs during your time in Basel. In most instances, they only cover the cost of the tuition fees, either wholly or partially.

Classical music department: The application form is available from mid August and can be obtained either in the secretariat of the institute or on written request via e-mail: lilian.wiesner@fhnw.ch. The final submission day of the complete application (including enclosures) is Monday in the 2nd week of lectures of the academic year.

SCB: Students will find details on the information board at the beginning of the semester.

Jazz Institute: The application form can be collected from the student administration or requested by email stipendienfonds.jazz.hsm@fhnw.ch

In addition to FHNW Basel Academy of Music scholarships, many Swiss foundations offer financial assistance and scholarships which students can apply directly for. A full list can be found at www.fundraiso.ch
Scholarship advice, Institut Klassik: Azra Ramic
Scholarship advice, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis: Federico Sepúlveda
Scholarship advice, Institut Jazz: Milda Maciulaityte

Additional offers
Scholarship fund of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis teaching staff
A special scholarship fund is administered by the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis teaching staff. Further information is available on the intranet. Contact: Christelle Cazaux

Jazz Scholarship Fund
Students experiencing financial hardship can apply to the FHNW Jazz Institute Scholarship Fund for financial assistance. Students should send an application no later than July 14 for the upcoming academic year to stipendienfonds.jazz.hsm@fhnw.ch. Contact: Milda Maciulaityte

The FHNW Basel Academy of Music/Musik-Akademie Basel does not have any halls of residence/dormitories. We recommend the following websites for rental, sublet and flat share listings:
wgzimmer.ch; wove.ch; markt.unibas.ch.
Short-term accommodation options include: youthhostel.ch/en/hostels/basel/; baselbackpack.com/; hyve.ch/en/hyve

Living in Switzerland

Residence permit

All foreign nationals who intend to stay in Switzerland for more than 90 days require a residence permit. To begin this process, you need to contact the Amt für Bevölkerungsdienste und Migration immediately after you arrive in Switzerland, but not later than 14 days after your arrival. For detailed information about the documents you will have to provide see:

https://www.bs.ch/themen/persoenliches-und-wohnen/zuzug-und-aufenthalt/einreise-und-aufenthalt#schuelerinnen-schueler-und-studierende

https://www.bs.ch/themen/persoenliches-und-wohnen/zuzug-und-aufenthalt/zuzug-den-kanton-basel-stadt

The permit is valid for one year only. However, you can renew it annually until the completion of your studies, provided that you continue to meet the permit requirements.

Working in Basel/Switzerland

Working while studying
To perform part-time work, gigs, and concerts both on and off campus, you will need a residence permit that also covers incidental employment ('Ausbildung mit Nebenerwerb'). The FHNW Basel Academy of Music will provide students from EU-EFTA countries with a 'confirmation of employment' when they begin their studies. Please submit this confirmation together with all other required documents when applying for your residence permit.

For students from non-EU/EFTA states (also known as 'third countries'), the university applies for 'incidental employment at FHNW' permits. We will contact you when you begin your study programme. Please check your FHNW e-mail account for our message  and please respond promptly.

For getting regularly work in Switzerland we recommend in general getting German Level B1 at minimum.
For getting a teaching place at Musikschule or regularly school in Switzerland we rcommend German Level C1 at minimum.

Living in a neighbouring country and working in Switzerland?

You may also choose to live in a neighbouring country while studying in Switzerland.

Residence permit
Contact the local authorities to register your place of residence and, where necessary, apply for a residence permit.

Working while studying
As an EU/EFTA citizen residing outside Switzerland, you may work in Switzerland for up to 90 days/year without a permit. However, your employer must enter your work days in advance on the online portal of the Amt für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (local labour office). For regular gainful employment in Switzerland (more than 90 days/year), please contact the migration office in your canton of employment and apply for a cross-border commuter permit.
If you are not a citizen of an EU/EFTA state (also known as 'third countries') and do not live in Switzerland, you cannot work for more than 8 days/year. Please contact the authorities in your country of residence (France/Germany) for all work permit matters.

Health insurance cover (including accident cover) is required by law in Switzerland and is compulsory for all students living in Switzerland.

Students who normally reside abroad but attend our university for a limited period of time also must take out health insurance for the duration of their stay in Switzerland. Good deals are available at Swiss Care, for example: https://swisscare.com/.
Foreign students living in Switzerland can apply for exemption from Swiss compulsory health insurance, provided that their existing health insurance policy offers cover equivalent to that of a Swiss health insurer. Exemption requirements vary depending on the country of origin (EU/EFTA state vs non-EU/EFTA states). Please note that, with few exceptions, anyone who takes up gainful employment in Switzerland, no matter how many hours they work or the amount they earn, must take out Swiss health insurance.

You can also apply to the Amt für Sozialbeiträge for a premium reduction.

Private liability insurance cover (for property damage and personal injury) is not compulsory in Switzerland. However, we strongly advise that you take out such cover. Be sure to check the scope of your liability insurance policy.

For details see: Health insurance: Foreign students in Switzerland
https://www.kvg.org/en/home.html
Premium Reduction in the canton of Basel-Stadt

FHNW insurance factsheet

The old-age and survivors' insurance (OASI), invalidity insurance (IV) and loss of earnings insurance schemes (LEC) are an integral and fundamental part of Switzerland's social security system. All students whose legal domicile is in Switzerland must pay contributions to the OASI, IV and LEC insurance schemes (minimum amount/year: CHF 503); this legal obligation begins on 1 January following the person's 20th birthday. Foreign students who live in Switzerland exclusively to pursue their education and therefore do not register Switzerland as their legal domicile are exempt from this legal obligation. The compensation office of the canton of Aargau collects these compulsory insurance contributions. Details and exceptions are set out in the factsheet 'OASI/IV/LEC contributions for students' (German and English).
Factsheet Contributions

A Swiss bank account is usually required to receive money (scholarships, salaries). We therefore strongly advise you to open an account as quickly as possible. Almost all banks and the post office offer free accounts for students.