Settling in Lausanne

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Students from the European Union (EU) or European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

You must have a passport or valid identity card to study in Switzerland. You do not need to complete any formalities before you arrive in Switzerland but you must report your arrival to the Contrôle des habitants et Bureau des étrangers in the administrative district where you are living, in person, within 14 days. You can submit an application for a residence permit at the same time, by bringing at least two passport-size photos and your passport or identity card with you.

There are fees for these procedures, of between CHF 15 and CHF 30, depending on the district, for the registration fee and CHF 70 for the residence permit fee.

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Students from non-EU or EFTA member states

You must have a valid passport and, according to your nationality, a visa issued by a Swiss consular representation abroad in order to enter Switzerland. Please consult the Swiss Confederation internet site to find out whether you need a visa or not.

If so, you will therefore need to submit an application for entry into Switzerland (visa application) to the relevant representation abroad at least two to three months before you plan to enter Switzerland.

Once you have your visa, you must report your arrival to the Contrôle des habitants et Bureau des étrangers in the administrative district where you are living, in person, within 14 days. You must submit an application for a residence permit, bringing your passport and a passport-size photo with you.

 Download the study permit form here (59 KB)

 

There are fees for these procedures, of between CHF 15 and CHF 30, depending on the district, for the registration fee and around CHF 120 for the residence permit fee. Subsequently, you will be invited to record your biometric data at the biometrics centre. The registration fee payable at the centre is CHF 20.

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For more information about the documents you need to provide and how to register, see your Residents' Office website:

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