Frequently asked questions

What documents I need to enter Switzerland? How and when should I acquire a student entry visa?

When coming to study in Switzerland for a period exceeding 90 days a student, non-EU resident, shall acquire a national student entry D-type visa (even when he/she has an open tourist Schengen visa.)
The student entry visa shall give one the right to file for a residence permit.

To get a visa one shall need a set of documents.

The Swiss School for International Relations shall supply the student with all the necessary documentary confirmation.
At your request, our staff shall help you to complete the papers, check the set of documents, make an appointment for you with the Swiss Embassy at the place of your residence, and shall further support you following the document consideration procedure.

The Embassy shall dispatch your documents to Geneva Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM) for consideration.
The Embassy shall grant a visa only on receipt of the OCPM approval.

Note that the process may take approximately 6-12 weeks, thus the set of documents should be filed in advance (advisably not later than 4 months prior to the prospective entry date).

How can I acquire a Residence Permit?

Within 14 days on his/her arrival in Geneva the student shall file for a Residence Permit (Permis de Séjour) with the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM) and have his/her biometrics taken (to be photographed and fingerprinted.)

Residence Permit

Gives the right to stay in Switzerland for educational purposes;
Allows for unrestricted travel all over the Schengen zone;
As a rule is granted for one (1) year to be annually renewed.

When first applying for a residence permit one shall fill in the Form E (Formulaire E Séjour à Genève pour études y compris renouvellement) and attach the following set of documents:

Foreign Passport (original and copy, including a copy of the student entry visa);
СV and letter of motivation;
Evidence of the student’s solvency (the student’s bank statement) or his/her guarantor’s solvency — Form O (Formulaire O Attestation de prise en charge financière) and the guarantor’s bank statement);
Copy of the lease or sublease of an apartment/campus accommodation or the lessor’s written confirmation (with a copy of the lessor’s ID);
Written promise to leave Switzerland on the studies’ completion.

The Swiss School for International Relations shall supply the student with all the necessary documentary confirmation.

If one stays on the campus or in an apartment rented from the Swiss School for International Relations, our staff shall attach all the required apartment/campus papers.

The residence permit issuance procedure shall normally take 1 – 2 months.

At your request our staff shall help you to complete the papers, check the set of documents, and shall further support you following the document consideration procedure.

How can I renew a Residence Permit?

To renew the Residence Permit one should not later than one (1) month, but not earlier than 3 months prior to the permit’s expiry date dispatch to the OCPM Form E (Formulaire E Séjour à Genève pour études y compris renouvellement) with the following documents attached:

Foreign Passport (copy);
Residence Permit (copy);
Attestation of School for International Relations,
Evidence of the student’s solvency (the student’s bank statement) or his/her guarantor’s solvency — Form O (Formulaire O Attestation de prise en charge financière) and the guarantor’s bank statement).

When shall I need a Return Visa and how shall I get it?

Should it be necessary for you to leave Switzerland prior to receipt of a residence permit with your student entry visa already expired, you shall need a return visa to leave the country.

To acquire a return visa (Visa de Retour) one should personally visit the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM) a few days prior to the prospective departure date with the Form V (Formulaire V Demande de prolongation de visa ou de visa de retour) filled and one’s passport.

Such a visa may be granted for a term of 3 months.

You should also notify the Swiss School for International Relations of your departure.

Shall I need health insurance? Is it compulsory? What shall I do when falling ill?

Pursuant to the Swiss Federal Law on Health Insurance «Anyone staying in Switzerland must acquire a health insurance policy within three months on first entering the country under a student visa».

A Swiss health insurance policy shall cover the cost of every basic type of treatment.

A student’s health insurance shall be monitored by the proper authority. Should the lack of a policy be discovered, the uninsured student shall be compelled to insure through the Service de l’Assurance-Maladie du canton de Genève, including the uninsured period, with the cost of such insurance considerably higher than the market one.

The Swiss School for International Relations shall render the following services:

Express execution of a health insurance policy;
Dispatch of the file (to avoid double insurance) to the Service de l’Assurance-Maladie du canton de Genève ;
Assistance in having medical expenditure indemnified;
Full documentary support.

Important:

Pharmacy, located at Boulevard de la Cluse, 38, 1205 Genève, is open 24/7.

In an emergency you may turn to the HUG ‐ Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, calling 144.

When unwell turn to the School for International Relations. Our staff shall help you to find a proper specialist, if necessary call an ambulance or take you to a doctor.

Where shall I stay? Who shall I inform of my address?

Students may find accommodation in Geneva (except for under-age students’ limitations.)

Please mind, one must be extra careful when using the Airbnb (there have been cases of improper sublease of a leased property that might lead to an eviction by the owner).

The Swiss School for International Relations offers its students accommodation either on the campuses or in apartments. Our staff shall help you within a reasonable time to find accommodation within your budget and requirements.

When finding accommodation independently, please notify the Swiss School for International Relations of your address.

Please mind that your address shall also be cited on the reference permit application for you to receive formal letters and bills from the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations, etc.

To open a bank account, etc. you may need an Attestation d’Adresse.

To acquire the same one must fill an e-form and pay the fee (online by a card).

What shall I do, if I want to change the address?

One should within two weeks notify the OCPM and the Swiss School for International Relations of every change of one’s permanent address in Canton Geneva.

Fill Form С (Formulaire C Annonce de changement d’adresse) and attach the following:

- Foreign passport (copy) or the residence permit (copy);
- Lease agreement (copy), if you are the lessee, or the lessee’s sublease confirmation and the lessee’s residence permit (copy) or the lease agreement (copy) if you are a sub-lessee;
- Fee receipt. One may pay the fee by a bank transfer or at a post office (see the banking details in Form C), then either mail the documents or take them along with the fee receipt to the OCPM.

When changing one’s permanent address it is important to make the forwarding arrangements with the post authorities (Changement d’adresse en cas de déménagement). This will assure the forwarding of your mail and packages from the old address to the new one. One may file a forwarding application at any post office. (La Poste).

May I reside on the student residence?

The Swiss School for International Relations may provide accommodation at Student Residence «Henri Dunant» (7 minutes walk to the premises) subject to an early booking and payment only.

What shall I do in an emergency?

In an emergency phone the proper authority:

Police 117

Fire Fighters 118

Ambulance 144

You should also get in touch with the Swiss School for International Relations for the staff to give you a hand.

How can one travel in Switzerland? What is the Swiss Pass and how do I acquire it?

In Switzerland one can travel by train (www.cff.ch, swisspass.ch), ferry (cgn.ch), bus (www.gare-routiere.com, www.flixbus.ru) or air.

Amazing routes and the best sights one can find at: www.myswitzerland.com.

Switzerland is famous for its comfortable and safe trains, thus from this heart of Europe one can by train practically in no time get to any location in Switzerland, Germany, France or Italy.

To enjoy all the advantages available to a Swiss resident one should acquire the SwissPass and buy Demi Tarif.

These will give you the right to travel all over Switzerland by train at a 50% discount (except cableways and a private entity’s services). Also you will enjoy special prices for public transport and the Cartes journalières (Day Pass), which will grant you the right to unlimited travel all over Switzerland for a day.

Geneva Cointrin air terminal has 2 exits: to Switzerland and to France; in fact, Switzerland rents its runway from France whose land it lies on. Flights from Geneva or another Swiss airport are also carried out by Easy Jet, at the price starting from CHF 20.

From the airport one can easily get to the city center by bus or trolley, or by any of the outgoing trains (all of them stop in Geneva.) In the luggage claim area, there are special machines issuing free train (to Geneva Cornavin station only), bus or trolley tickets valid for 80 minutes.

Even a non-business-class passenger may, at least a day prior to departure, buy a «Priority Lane» service for CHF 10 thus saving oneself the trouble of waiting in the customs control line. On the same site, one can also book and pay for a cut-price parking and business lounge access.

How does one get a season ticket?

Switzerland enjoys one of the best public transport networks in the world. To nearly any part of the city, one can get by tram, bus, or trolley (www.unireso.ch, www.tpg.ch) while a water bus will easily get you to the opposite shore.

The price of an hour transport pass is CHF 3; for people under 16 and Demi Tarif SwissPass owners — CHF 2. Thus it will pay to buy a season ticket:

The price of a week pass for someone under 25 will be CHF 23,

The price of a month pass for someone under 25 – CHF 45,

The price of an annual pass for someone under 25 – CHF 400.

A Swiss Pass owner does not have to buy a separate card, the relevant information shall be added to the Swiss Pass.

One can buy a ticket and lay the route in advance on TPG, SBB Mobile.

May I learn driving in Geneva? Is it necessary to get a Swiss driving license? May I drive with the foreign license plates in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, one can drive both with a national and an international driving license, but if you reside in Switzerland for over a year you are obliged to get a Swiss driving license and license plates.

A driving test may be taken even in one’s own car. A driving school course will take about six months but its attendance is not obligatory for admittance to the tests. Thus you’d better start learning at home and in Switzerland just take the tests and get a Swiss driving license.

To get a Swiss driving license in the absence of a Russian one you shall have to take a first aid course, medical examination, an eye check, pass a theory exam, and a driving test.

What are the traffic rules in Switzerland? How shall I book a parking place in Geneva?

There is a progressive fine scale for the traffic regulation violations, including an extensive (starting from 3 months) license suspension.

The speed limit in town depends on the zone and is either 30 km/h or 50 km/h, 80 km/h – on national roads, 120km/h – on an autobahn. To drive on an autobahn or a semi-autobahn one should acquire a special mascot available at a post office or a gas station for CHF 40.

Safety belts are obligatory both on the front and back seats of a vehicle. A driver may not use a mobile phone without a headset.

If you are planning to use a car, make the necessary parking arrangements (www.geneve-parking.ch, www.parkgest.ch).

May I open an account with a Swiss bank?

Opening a bank account in Switzerland may seem quite easy but might sometimes turn into a long and exhausting procedure. But it is students who have a unique opportunity to open an account practically free of charge and without depositing a large amount of money.

The most popular among students are: Credit Suisse, UBS, Banque Сantonal de Genève. In Credit Suisse, UBS one can open account online.

The Swiss School for International Relations shall assist students or their parents in opening an account with a Swiss bank.

How shall I arrange for a final departure from Switzerland?

When leaving Switzerland for good (on graduation or otherwise) one should report his/her departure to the Office cantonal de la population et des migrations not later than 14 days prior to the departure date. To do this one should fill Form D (Formulaire D Annonce de départ) and mail it and the copy of the residence permit to the OCPM.

One may also not later than a month prior to the departure date apply for the Final Departure Statement (Attestation de départ). To acquire the same one must fill an e-form and pay the fee (online by a card). This Statement shall allow you to early rescind your mobile service, sports facility, etc. contracts, as well as settle various customs, bank, consular or administrative issues.