Immigration and housing
Entering Switzerland
Most foreign doctoral students coming from outside the European Union or the European Economic Area will require a visa to enter Switzerland. For those with an employment contract or an agreed offer of work, the Human Resources department at ETH Zurich will handle the entry formalities. Please ensure that you register for your doctorate in good time. You will only be given a residence permit once you have been matriculated. That is why registering for your doctorate must take place in parallel with the employment process that is carried out by the Human Resources department. You can find information about entering Switzerland here:
Health insurance
Please also note that anyone staying in Switzerland for more than 3 months must take out health insurance. The compulsory basic insurance covers medical treatment in the event of illness or an accident. You can find full information about this here:
Finding accommodation
Unlike many foreign universities, Swiss universities typically offer little to no on-campus accommodation. As a result, doctoral students are responsible for securing their own housing. It is important to note that accommodation in Zurich is both scarce and expensive. You can find useful information here:
Please note: The information on this page is meant for information purposes only. No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. The rules and regulations may have changed in the meantime. For legally binding information please contact the respective administrative offices.
For information and services on non academic subjects check the Welcome Center's website