Stays of more than 90 days in Switzerland

You are allowed to enter Switzerland and stay in the country due to the agreement of free movement of persons. So you have the possibility to enter Switzerland just with your valid passport or identity card, and you can inquire your authorization to stay in the country directly at your commune of residence.

To enter Switzerland:

• Passport or identity card
• No visa required

Permit of residence in Switzerland:
You have to apply for the permit of residence either at the foreigners’ office of the commune where you will be living, or (if you are not in Switzerland yet) at the population service of the canton where you’ll be staying.

Announce of arrival in Switzerland:
The student has to announce his arrival in Switzerland to the population service of the commune where he will be staying within 8 days after he arrived.

Documents to provide:

1. Report of arrival for students coming from a member country of the ALCP
2. Valid identity documents (e.g. passport)
3. Proof of financial means, namely all documents concerning revenues and fortune
4. Confirmation of definite registration with a school and of the length of studies at this school

Announce of departure from Switzerland:
The departure of the student has to be announced to the service of the population of the commune of residence

To enter Switzerland :
The student has to apply for a student visa at the Swiss embassy in his/her country

Permit of residence in Switzerland :
The permit of residence has to be requested at the service of the population of the canton in Switzerland where the student intends to do his studies. The application for this permit has do be done at the same time as the application for the student visa at the Swiss embassy!!! The student has to wait for the answer to his application for a residence permit in his/her country.

Documents to provide :

1. Form « Application for a temporary residence permit for study purposes in the canton of Vaud»
2. Confirmation of studies from the school - Proof of payment of school fees for the first 6 months
3. Letter of motivation
4. Curriculum vitae
5. Confirmation of language knowledge
6. Financial means (student has to fill out the form of SPOP which is included in the form « application for a temporary resident permit »)
7. Previous Swiss residence permit
8. Written undertaking to leave Switzerland at the end of the planned studies
9. Guardianship of a minor
10. Grant holder
11. Identity documents

Announce of arrival in Switzerland :
The student has to announce his arrival in Switzerland to the population service of the commune where he will be staying within 8 days after he arrived.

Documents to provide:

1. Report of arrival for students coming from country which is NOT member of the ALCP
2. Copy of the identity documents (e.g. passport)
3. Copy of the proof of financial means (namely all documents concerning revenues and fortune)
4. Confirmation of definite registration with a school and of the length of studies at this school

Announce of departure from Switzerland:
The departure of the student has to be announced to the service of the population of the commune of residence

The inquiry of a students’ permit has to be addressed to the service of the population of the canton in which the student will stay. If a student wants to renew his/her permit, he/she will have to make a new inquiry, and go through the whole procedure again. In the case that a student moves to another place within the same commune or moves to another commune, he will have to inform his/her commune of residence.