Switzerland Pre-Departure Guide
Your complete checklist and guide for all essential preparations before traveling to Switzerland for your studies.
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An example pre-departure plan
Before you leave for Switzerland
For students from India and Pakistan who will study in Switzerland in 2026-27.
Start early
What to prepare
- Visa and papers: Your national visa for study (type D visa), passport and admission letter.
- Housing: A short stay for your first weeks, then a room in a shared flat or student home.
- Health insurance: Compulsory within 3 months after you arrive.
- Money: Proof of money for your canton, and cash for the first fees.
When to do what
3 or more months before
Get your admission letter, prepare your money proof and hand in your visa papers.
1 month before
Book a short stay, plan your route from the airport and read your study guide.
After you arrive
Register with your town within 14 days and take out health insurance within 3 months.
Your university's rules
Each canton (a Swiss state) has its own rules for visas and money. The visa page of ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich) covers Zurich only.
At EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), you must be on campus by 30 September each year. If you cannot, do not continue the visa.
Pre-departure checklist
Tick these off before you fly.
Documentation
Passport
Valid 3 months after you leave, with 2 blank pages.
Type D visa
Apply at least 3 months before entry.
Admission letter
The one your canton accepts.
Certificates
Originals and copies, with certified translations if not in English or German.
Accommodation
First weeks
A short, cheap stay that is easy to cancel, such as a youth hostel.
Long term
Search for a room in a shared flat once you arrive.
Finances
Money proof
The amount your canton asks for, in the right kind of account.
Cash for fees
Zurich city: CHF 182 in total (CHF 40 to register plus CHF 142 for the permit). Vaud: about CHF 200 in cash.
Travel & Logistics
Route to campus
Plan your public transport from the airport and to campus.
Plugs
230 volts, type C (2-pin) and type J (3-pin) plugs.
Pre-Arrival Learning
Study plan
Read your programme's study guide and course list.
Welcome events
Sign up for your university's welcome day.
Canton rules
Prepare step by step
Open each guide for the details.
Phone and emergency numbers
Get ready to stay in touch.
Important Contacts & Resources
Emergency Contacts in Switzerland
112 works with a foreign SIM card, or a prepaid card with no credit.
Save These Contacts Before Departure
University international office
Knows your canton's rules for visas, permits and work.
Before you fly
Save 112, the emergency number.
Plan to buy a prepaid SIM card at a supermarket or post office.
Keep your university's international office contact with you.
Key tips before you leave
Apply for your type D visa at least 3 months before you plan to enter.
Put the money for your canton in an account in your own name, if your canton asks for that.
Zurich and Basel accept only banks on the list of the Swiss government office that checks banks (FINMA).
Book a cheap, short stay for your first weeks.
Never pay for a room you have not seen, and never without a contract.
Bring your original certificates and copies.
Check that your devices work on 230 volts. Swiss plugs are type C (2 pins) or type J (3 pins).
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