Student guide to Switzerland

National D visa (study), then residence permit B from cantonal migration office. Financial requirement CHF 21,000-25,000/year depending on canton. PhD positions at ETH and EPFL are formal employment — different visa category (B work permit). Post-study: 6-12 months to find skilled work, depending on canton.

Cantonal + federal + municipal taxes. PhD students with employment contracts pay full tax. Master's students earning under thresholds pay minimal. Quellensteuer (withholding tax at source) applies for foreigners. Federal tax flat ~10%; cantonal varies (Zurich ~20%, Zug ~5%).

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (MFA-funded, ~30 awards for India/year, master's and doctoral). University-specific: ETH Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme, EPFL Excellence Fellowships, UZH Goldschmidt, University of Bern Faculty Awards.

UBS, Credit Suisse (now UBS), PostFinance, Raiffeisen, plus digital Neon, Yuh, Zak. Neon and Yuh are simplest for students. PostFinance has post-office reach for cash deposits. SWIFT international transfers expensive — Wise/Revolut for parental remittance.

Acute shortage in Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Bern, Lugano. WOKO (Zurich), FMEL (Lausanne), and university residential offices. WG-Suche, Homegate, ImmoScout24 for private. Kaution (deposit) 2-3 months' rent in dedicated escrow account.

Mandatory health insurance for residence permit (LAMal). Students under 30 from countries with reciprocal agreement may use student-specific cover (CSS Student, Swisscare). Otherwise basic LAMal CHF 250-500/month.

ETH/EPFL master's and PhD programmes: English-medium, IELTS 7.0+/TOEFL iBT 100+. Bachelor's often German/French/Italian-medium depending on canton — Goethe C1, DELF C1, Lugano Italian. Swiss German daily speech differs from Hochdeutsch.

Indian groceries in Zurich (Langstrasse area), Geneva (Pâquis), Basel, Bern, Lausanne. Coop and Migros chains carry ethnic-aisle. Eating out is genuinely expensive — average meal CHF 25-40. Cooking essential: CHF 350-500/month grocery.

Switzerland ranks among 3 safest countries on Global Peace Index 2025. Late-night travel safe in all major cities. Mountain sports require respecting safety protocols (avalanche/glacier). Drug consumption rooms exist in some cities — separate from student social scene.

Indian community concentrated in Zurich (especially TU Zurich/ETH alumni), Geneva (UN-related), Basel (Roche/Novartis pharma). Indian Embassy in Bern + Consulate in Geneva (UN delegation). Cricket Switzerland has emerging leagues.