Switzerland is one of the major tourism nations and birthplace of international Banking, High-Tech Industry and Insurance Businesses. Three important European cultures - German, French and Italian – come together in Switzerland and many Swiss speak two or more languages, with English as a fourth unofficial national language. Many international institutions have set their headquarters here. Switzerland is one of the most international countries, allowing students to gain global experience and contacts during multicultural exposure, in a safe and secure environment. Known for world-class quality and efficiency, studying in Switzerland will give you a new understanding of dependability, honesty, trustworthiness, cleanliness, punctuality, and professionalism. Switzerland has an excellent public transportation system. Travel cards from the city transportation system or the SBB (federal railway system) can be easily obtained at a train station or online.

Switzerland has got no natural resources, so education has become very importance resource. Therefore Switzerland claims to have one of the world’s best education systems. Education may vary significantly between cantons. There are eleven universities in Switzerland, nine run by cantons, two are run by the confederation. The universities run by the cantons provide non-technical subjects, whereas the universities run by the confederation provide technical subjects.

Several types of scholarships are available: some are offered by the Swiss state, others by the Universities themselves and still others by various private foundations.

Confederation scholarships are reserved for students who already have a university diploma (postgraduates). There are two types of special postgraduate scholarships, one for certain Central and Eastern European countries, and the other for fine arts and music. The scholarships are generally offered to foreign governments. Applications are submitted to the Swiss diplomatic representative by the national institution responsible for scholarships in the country of origin. Therefore, you should contact your Ministry of Education or the Swiss diplomatic representative.

Exchange scholarships are coordinated by the universities themselves, so you’ll need to find out if your home university has any agreements with Swiss universities.

1. The visa application must be submitted to the Swiss Embassy/Consulate covering your place of residence.
2. You must be in possession of sufficient financial means to cover your cost of living in Switzerland.
3. The Swiss Embassy/Consulate may demand a declaration of guarantee.
4. You may not take up employment during your stay in Switzerland without the required permit nor take up studies exceeding a period of three months.
5. A student permit is valid for the length of the study period.

1. The applicant is coming to Switzerland alone
2. The applicant wants to attend a university or some other institution of higher learning
3. The program of studies is fixed
4. The institution attests in writing that the applicant has been accepted for studies
5. The applicant proves necessary financial means 6. The applicant guarantees departure from Switzerland at the end of studies.

The processing of a visa application may take up to two months, in individual cases even longer, depending on the time of year. You are advised to file your application at least 2 months before your planned visit to Switzerland.

Switzerland has a high quality system of education that is relatively accessible to foreign students. The student population of some universities, for example, consists of over 40% foreign students, and this trend is on the upswing.

There are 12 universities and College of Higher Education in Switzerland.

The universities of Basle, Bern, Saint-Gallen and Zurich , l'Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Zurich and the Haute Ecole universitaire de Lucerne are located in the German-speaking region of Switzerland, and thus the language of instruction is German.

The universities of Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg (some German instruction), Neuchâtel and l'Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne are in French-speaking Switzerland and thus the language of instruction is French.

The Italian-speaking region of Switzerland has only one university, which was founded in 1996, the l'Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano.

The academic year is divided into two semesters: the winter semester begins the last week in October and runs until mid-February; the summer semester runs from mid-March or mid-April through to mid-June or mid-July, depending on the university. The total length of study up to the first academic diploma is generally 4 to 5 years, depending on the program, and 6 years for medical studies.

Swiss Universities actually belong to the public domain and are still financed in large part by Swiss taxpayers, with the exception of the semi-private Italian University of Switzerland. Some universities require foreign students to pay an additional fee, a pittance when compared to the actual cost of a student to the society, which varies by faculty between SFR 50,000 and SFR 150,000 per year.

To obtain your residence permit, you need to prove – first to the Embassy and then to the Aliens Police – that you have the financial means to support yourself during your studies in Switzerland (a bank statement or similar authenticated document will do). The idea is that you cannot finance your studies solely through supplementary work in Switzerland. That is right, this disposition aims to limit the number of requests – certain people having taken advantage of the student status to circumvent contingents of foreign workers admitted into Switzerland. Education must be the main reason for your stay.

However, once you’ve proven you have the financial resources necessary to study in Switzerland, you can work alongside your studies. In fact, the student residence permit allows for profit-earning activity, as long your university provides a statement confirming that your employment will not prolong the length of your studies.

In actual practice, many students – Swiss and foreign alike – work alongside their studies to earn pocket money and gain professional experience. For foreign students, the number of weekly work hours is limited to 15, but this is fairly flexible depending on the canton (in Geneva, for example, you can work up to 30 hours per week). Nevertheless, most people will advise you not to take on extra work, since the university workload is already quite heavy, depending on the faculty.

It is easier to find employment in the large urban centers like Geneva and Zurich. Each university has a job placement office that provides information on student employment. Wages vary between SFR 20 and SFR 35 according to the job and your skills.

Living expenses may vary depending on one’s lifestyle and location. A student’s monthly budget amounts to approximately SFR 1,800: food and upkeep from SFR 800 to SFR 850, lodging SFR 400 to SFR 600, tuition fees and supplies, transportation, insurance (approximately SFR 250). Students should be aware that several payments fall due simultaneously at the onset of their studies, for example:

As such, you can anticipate a minimum cost of SFR 16,000 to SFR 24,000 per year, depending on where you study (Geneva and Zurich being considered as more expensive) and your standard of living.