Switzerland student visa

1. Schengen visa for study or educational training

   Visa needed

   Applicants visiting for study or educational training can receive a visa application fee waiver.

   Stay

   Short stays: up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

   Fee

   No visa application fee. An external service may charge an additional fee.

   Processing

   15 calendar days for an admissible application with no issues.

   1. Apply to the embassy or consulate responsible for your main Schengen destination.
   2. Submit the relevant supporting documents and attend a first-time interview.
   3. Provide fingerprints and a digital photo if required.

2. Visa-free school group trip

   No visa needed

   School pupils who are not European single market nationals but legally live there can qualify when travelling in a school group with a teacher.

   Stay

   A short stay or transit.

   1. Travel with a group from a general education school and a teacher from that school.
   2. Have the teacher carry a List of Travellers form identifying the pupils and explaining the trip.

3. Long-stay study permission

   Other permit

   Students from outside the European single market generally need long-stay permission when staying over 90 days.

   Stay

   Generally, a long-stay visa for stays of less than a year, or a residence permit for longer periods.

1. For a short-stay visa, apply to Switzerland's embassy or consulate if Switzerland is your main destination.
2. Submit no earlier than six months before entry and provide the relevant supporting documents.
3. Attend in person for a first application and provide any required fingerprints and digital photo.

• Travel document.
• Relevant supporting documents for study or educational training.
• Fingerprints and a digital photo, if required.

• Switzerland's funds requirement for students is CHF 30 per day.
• A fee waiver does not remove the need for supporting documents.
• Swiss-specific requirements for a long study stay are not detailed here.

Questions