Process to apply for a student visa

1. Check if you need an entry visa

To enter Switzerland, nationals of non-Schengen member states must have a type C Schengen visa authorising a short stay (90 days) over a period of 180 days, or a national visa, also called type D, for a long stay (more than 90 days).

If you are a national of a third country, first check whether you are subject to the entry visa requirement according to your country of origin on the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) website. 

If you have more than one nationality, check the conditions that apply to each one, as one of your nationalities could allow you to enter Switzerland without a visa. A valid passport is essential for excursions within the European Union.

If you are not subject to a visa, find out about the conditions for entering and staying in Switzerland at the Swiss embassy in your country of origin or residence.

2. Submit your entry visa application

Do not begin your studies with a tourist visa. It is imperative that you apply for a study visa from abroad and have it with you when you arrive in Switzerland.

To find out which Swiss diplomatic representation you should submit your request to, visit the Confederation's website.

The list of documents to attach with your form as well as the submission procedure will depend on your country of residence. This information will be provided to you by the Swiss embassy or consulate in your country of origin or residence. This is the representation that leads the visa granting procedure and will issue your visa.

You can also check the directives made by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) which give general information on the conditions of entry into Switzerland, or the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAE) website, which provides information by country on the conditions to be met.

Requests are generally processed by the relevant authorities in order of their delivery. This process can take several weeks or even several months, depending on the period and/or type of visa requested. It is therefore your responsibility to submit your request at least three months before you commence your studies. A visa costs 80 euros for an adult and 40 euros for a child between 6 and 12 years old, to be paid when submitting your application to the Swiss representation.

3. Get your entry visa

Entry into Switzerland is subject to certain conditions, and meeting these conditions will not automatically grant you a visa. Only the federal and cantonal authority criteria are valid.

Migration authorities carry out two procedures, governed by two intersecting conditions:

• The visa granting procedure, which is led by the Swiss representation abroad;
• The procedure for granting a residence permit for education purposes, led by the migration authorities known as the “foreigners’ police” (in Geneva, the Cantonal Population Office for Migration (OCPM) and for the Confederation, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)).

If your entry visa application is authorised, it will be issued abroad by the Swiss representation.

At the same time, you will be contacted (probably by e-mail) by the cantonal migration authority to inform you of the additional documents that you need to send with your submission to begin the cantonal residence authorisation procedure. Once in Switzerland, you will need to have your biometric residence permit set up with the cantonal authority and obtain your study residence permit (booklet B or L).

You are required to announce your arrival in Switzerland within 14 days, to be checked by the Immigration Office of the municipality where you live. In Geneva, your permit application can be made online or by mail using E form to the below address:

Office cantonal de la population et des migrations
Service étrangers
Case postale 2652
1211 Genève 2

The conditions for obtaining a residence permit are different for nationals of EU/EFTA member countries and for third-country nationals. In this case, the B or L booklet will display the mention, or not, of the EU/EFTA.

If you are a national of an EU/EFTA member country : Check the list of supporting documents to be attached to your request (in French only). Fees for the residence permit amount to 65 CHF. If you come to Geneva as part of a SEMP exchange, your permit will be free of charge. In this case, in fom E, tick "Exchange student" under "type of request".

If you are a national of a third country : Check the list of supporting documents to be attached to your request (in French only) as well as the fees to be applied for third-country citizens.

For all foreign students: upon receipt of your complete file, an invitation to make an appointment to take biometric data will be sent to you. It will take a few weeks/months for your permit to be granted. If authorized, a B student permit will be sent to you by mail. Don't forget to give your final address in Geneva !

When (definitively) leaving the canton of Geneva, the OCPM requests that form D be completed and returned at least two weeks before your date of departure.This notification procedure must also be followed by Swiss nationals coming from another canton.

Duration       

The L or B permits granted for study reasons differ in their validity period: less than one year for the L booklet; generally one year renewable for the B booklet.

The residence permit is issued for the duration of your training if this amounts to less than one year. If your training extends over several years, authorization is issued for one year and is renewable from year to year, but it is limited to the duration of your studies. The renewal of the residence permit is only authorized if the holder follows a training course whose program includes at least 20 hours of weekly lessons. This permit cannot be converted to a normal residence permit, accompanied by a regular work permit in Switzerland.

At the end of their studies, students have the opportunity to apply for a "job search" permit. The application must be submitted to the OCPM using form K, along with a copy of the diploma and proof of financial means. For students from a state outside the EU/EFTA, the post-training job search permit is valid for 6 months only and is not renewable. In addition, ancillary activity is only authorized up to 15 hours per week.

Travel

Holding an L or B residence permit gives you the right to travel within the Schengen area (for example, during holidays or during a study trip, for a maximum period of 90 days).

Work

Undertaking paid work on an ancillary basis is possible, provided that it does not exceed 15 hours per week, except during the university periods when full-time activity is authorized (40 hours per week). For students who are nationals of a state outside EU-EFTA, ancillary activity is allowed at the earliest six months after the start of studies.

In each case, undertaking paid work requires authorization using form E, which must be filled by the employer. Third-country nationals must wait for a decision from the Immigration Office (OCPM) before starting their activity.

You live in the canton of Vaud

Submit your request for a residence permit to the Population/Immigration Office in your municipality of residence.

You live in neighboring France

Check with the town hall of your municipality.

In the event of an activity (including an unpaid internship) in the canton of Geneva, a work permit must be requested using the online border work permit application form, regardless of the duration of your activity/internship.