After you’ve completed your studies in Switzerland you can extend your temporary residency permit allowing you to stay for a further six months to look for a full-time, permanent job. During this job search period, you can work for up to 15 hours a week. This permit cannot be extended after six months.
To apply, you’ll need to go to your cantonal migration office and provide:
A certificate or other proof that you have finished your course
Evidence that you can support yourself financially during this time
If you find a job in Switzerland, your employer must submit an application to the cantonal authority where you’ll be working. While foreign graduates from Swiss university-level educational institutions are treated the same as Swiss graduates in terms of entering the job market – that is, the job does not have to be offered to Swiss or EU candidates first – the employer will still have to prove that the job (or you) is of particular economic or scientific importance before you will be issued with a Swiss work permit.
If you want to continue your studies as a postgraduate at a Swiss university, you can apply to extend your residence permit but you must already have an offer of a place. The maximum extension period is two years.
Appeals and complaints about student visas in Switzerland
You can appeal any decisions to refuse you a student visa within 30 days of the refusal. Contact the Swiss embassy or consulate in your home country and explain why you are unhappy with the decision.
If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the SEM, the Swiss authorities who deal with Swiss visas and permits. You will need to pay an advance on costs of CHF 200.
If SEM rejects your appeal, your final avenue is the Federal Administrative Court. You should file your appeal within 30 days. Send your appeal along with any supporting evidence to:
Step 1: Choose a university and a programme
Browse through the official database on www.studyprogrammes.ch. Choose the type of university, the language of instruction, the level and the field of study.
Step 2: Check the admission requirements
Switzerland does not have a centralised admission procedure. With this said each university is autonomous and sets its own admissions criteria. For specific information, you must therefore contact the admissions office of the university of your choice directly.
Here is some general information on admission to universities:
Admission to a bachelor programme: the main requirement is an upper secondary school-leaving certificate considered to be equivalent to the Swiss Matura/Maturité/Maturità. Go to Admission to universities to check whether your certificate is accepted. Please note that additional requirements must be met and that admission to undergraduate programmes in the field of medicine is extremely restricted.
Admission to a master’s programme: the main requirement is a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a specific field of study.
Admission to a doctoral programme: the main requirement is a master’s degree from an accredited university in a relevant field of study.
Language requirements: good knowledge of the language of instruction is the prerequisite for successful studies indeed. Check Step 3 below or the university profiles for more information on the language of instruction of the different universities.
Study in Switzerland ConsultantStep 3: Contact the university
The university of your choice will provide specific information on application deadlines, required documents, admission procedures and enrolment.
The Swiss universities are listed according to university type here.
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has an information page regarding entry into Switzerland and residence, including visa requirements. Other than that it has a helpline attainable by phone, fax or e-mail (Switzerland Entry Residence)
For further information, check out: Entry, Visa & Residence Permits.
We welcome a range of international students from across the world and over 120 different nationalities, who contribute to our thriving international community throughout all our campuses.
Whether you want to work in law or business, studying with us will ensure you’ll get the best possible start to your career.
Whether you want to work in law or business, studying with us will ensure you’ll get the best possible start to your career.
Find out more about our range of courses, language and entry requirements, scholarships, student support services and how to get in contact below.
Please click the image above to check out our international video.
Scholarships
The University of Law offers a variety of scholarships and bursaries to support students. We’re committed to helping the brightest minds achieve their career ambitions, whatever their background. Find out more about our undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships.
Any queries about the scholarships and bursaries available please contact our scholarships team.
We can help you to find suitable accommodation with some of the UK’s leading student providers, to make sure you have a comfortable place to live while you are studying with us. We have an online accommodation portal, which provides helpful advice on choosing different types of accommodation that are available to rent in the UK. You can also search property listings if you have accepted your university place with us.
Estimated living costs
It is important to factor in living costs for living and studying in the UK. As a guide, we suggest rent will cost around £275 per week in London and £125 to £205 per week in locations outside of London.
If you have any enquiries, please email our accommodation team.