Visa guidelines

These guidelines help students from partner universities outside of Europe apply for their visa. The process might take up to three months.

external page Check if you need a visa

You do not need a visa if:

you hold a valid and recognised travel document AND
you are a non-EU/EFTA citizen who holds a residence permit of a Schengen country, or a D visa of a Schengen country that is valid during your exchange semester.

The Student Exchange Office will apply for the visa authorisation on your behalf. You will receive the application form "Application for entry permit" by email. Fill it in on your computer and upload it to Mobility-Online.
You only need to fill in the form fields where the English translations are marked in orange.
- Students coming from US or Canadian partner universities: In question no. 9 of the form, state the specific Swiss embassy or consulate where you intend to collect your visa (see below).
- All other students: Leave question no. 9 of the form blank. (Once your visa application is approved, you must have decided where to collect your visa.)
The Student Exchange Office forwards your visa application to the responsible migration authorities in Switzerland. They reserve the right to ask you for additional documents and information. Being accepted for an exchange at ETH does not guarantee that the migration authorities will grant you a visa.
Processing your visa application might take up to three months. The Student Exchange Office will notify you once your Swiss visa is ready for collection.

You must collect your visa at an embassy or consulate.
You must decide where you want to collect your visa (place of study or internship, your parents' residence, etc.). Not all embassies and consulates issue visas.
- external page List of embassies of consulates around the world
- To find a list of embassies/consulates where you can collect your visa, visit the external page FDFA website, choose your country in the "Switzerland around the world" dropdown menu at the very top, then select "Visit & entry into Switzerland", then ��Authorized visa�� and ��Authorized long-term stays (over 90 days)��. There you will also find a link to the list of embassies/consulates available for collecting your visa. (For some countries you have to select "National visa for a stay of more than 90 days" if there is no "Authorized visa" option. There you will find the list of embassies at "Where to apply" and the list of required documents.)
Please note that it might be possible to collect your visa by mail. Consult the website of your embassy/consulate and contact them if you are not sure.

Financial means: Although the Immigration Office of the canton of Zurich does not require proof of sufficient financial means from exchange students at ETH, they define the necessary financial means to support oneself. By signing the general terms and conditions, you have confirmed that you have the means available for your exchange period.
Visa and residence permit fees usually amount up to approx. CHF 400. The responsible authority determines these fees. (The Student Exchange Office provides no warranty for the correctness of the mentioned fees.)

Do not enter Switzerland with a tourist visa.
Do not enter Switzerland before the start date stated on your official confirmation of acceptance. This also applies if your visa authorisation allows you an earlier entry into Switzerland. The reason is potential issues with your residence permit.
The visa is not the same as the residence permit. The visa only allows you to enter Switzerland. Therefore, the period indicated on your visa may not necessarily correspond to the duration of your exchange stay in Switzerland.
Since you are expected to stay longer than three months (90 days) in Switzerland, you have to obtain a residence permit after your arrival in Switzerland. You will receive instructions on how to apply in due time.

Questions?