Preparing Your Entrance Documents

The procedures regulating your entry into Switzerland differ according to nationality, your enrollment, position or type of employment at UZH, and the duration of your stay. Regardless of the details, you will need a valid passport or travel document that is recognized by the Swiss authorities. Below you will find the most frequent questions surrounding entering Switzerland.

Students who are coming to UZH on an exchange program, as trainees or as invited visiting students, are asked to contactGlobal Student Experience.

Students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, academic guests and guest professors of an EU or EFTA country do not require a visa to enter Switzerland and may directly enter with a valid travel document that is recognized by the Swiss authorities.

Citizens of non-EU/EFTA countries require a visa to enter Switzerland. Please note that some non-EU/EFTA nationals do not need a visa if their stay is less than 90 days.

Visa regulations according to country

Important: Do not enter on a tourist visa if you plan on staying in Switzerland for more than 3 months. Tourist visas cannot be extended or renewed, and they cannot be converted into a residence permit.

Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore

Citizens of Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore do not require a visa to enter Switzerland. However, they are required to apply for a document that assures them of a residence permit ("Zusicherung zur Aufenthaltsbewilligung"), issued by the Migration Office of the Canton of Zurich before their arrival. The documents to be submitted are the same as those required for a visa. Instead of the visa form, the first page of the application for an entry permit is required. All documents should be sent directly to the Migration Office via their contact form (2-3 months before the arrival).

Citizens with a valid residence permit for a Schengen country or a valid D visa

Citizens with a valid residence permit for a Schengen country or a valid D visa, in addition to a recognized, valid travel document, are no longer required to apply for a visa. However, they are required to apply for a document that assures them of a residence permit ("Zusicherung zur Aufenthaltsbewilligung"), issued by the Migration Office of the Canton of Zurich before their arrival. The documents to be submitted are the same as those required for a visa. Instead of the visa form, the first page of the application for an entry permit is required as well as a valid Schengen permit or D visa of a Schengen country. All documents should be sent directly to the Migration Office via their contact form (2-3 months before the arrival).

For detailed information on what you need to take into account before travelling to Switzerland, please refer to the following website:

International Students – Entry and Residence / Do I need a Visa?

For visiting scholars (academic guests), the necessary entry and residence documents are either organized by the visiting scholars themselves or by the inviting institutes/clinics. 

If the inviting institute/clinic applies for the visa, the institute/clinic finds further information regarding application process here:Guidelines for Visiting Scholars

If the visiting scholars apply for their visa themselves, they must do so at the Swiss embassy or consulate of their country of residence at least three months before their entry. The current entry regulations are valid and, depending on the Swiss representation in your home country, different documents may be required. Please contact the Swiss representation in your home country or visit the website of the State Secretariat for Migration for more information. We recommend you to ask the inviting institute to fill in the "Beiblatt Qualifikationsstelle" which confirms your stay at UZH and add it to your application. Your contact at the institute can find the form here: Guidelines for Visiting Scholars.

Internationals employed at UZH usually do not have to apply for a visa on their own. Their institute/department at UZH will file for both the visa and the work permit. Please contact the respective institute at UZH in case of questions.

Please note that even if the institute/department or chair handles your visa application, you still must pick up your visa at the Swiss embassy or consulate in your country of residence.

Additional information for PhD candidates:

In addition, PhD candidates need to apply for admission to doctoral studies at the UZH Admissions Office before starting their employment. This is not the same as their admission to a specific PhD program. The admission process can take up to three months, at the end of which you will receive the decision on admission from the UZH Admissions Office. Please do not travel to Switzerland until you have received this decision on admission. It is a prerequisite for obtaining the residence permit in Switzerland.

Admission to Doctoral Studies at UZH

For detailed information on what you need to take into account before travelling to Switzerland, please refer to the following website:

Professorships Department: Entering Switzerland