3. Preparing the stay (before arrival)
If you already live in Switzerland, contact the Reception Service immediately with the following information:
- Date of arrival in Switzerland
- Residential address in Switzerland
- Copy of your residence permit (if not already uploaded in Mobility-Online)
Citizens of Switzerland, the European Union or EFTA states
- You?do not require a visa?for Switzerland and therefore need to do nothing in this regard before your arrival.?
- It is sufficient to show a valid passport or identity card and the confirmation of acceptance when entering Switzerland.
Citizens of other countries
- You must follow the FCS instructions to apply for your visa.
- Start your visa application immediately after you have confirmed your scholarship and received the information from FCS to apply for your visa. The Swiss representation responsible for your place of residence can be found here: external page Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.
- The process of obtaining a visa will take up to three months, so a timely application for your visa is essential.
- Do not enter Switzerland with a tourist visa. A tourist visa allows you to travel to Switzerland as a tourist for a short stay, but not to study and to take up residence. For this you need a national visa for a stay of more than 90 days.
- A copy of your official FCS notification letter should usually be sufficient to prove that you have been invited to Switzerland for your scholarship period. Although all the formalities for your admission as an FCS visiting student are completed before you receive a scholarship offer, you will receive your official admission letter later and will not have it with you when you apply for your visa.
- If the Swiss embassy or consulate abroad requires nevertheless a confirmation of your admission as an FCS visiting student at ETH Zurich or you run into other issues, contact the Reception Service and enclose the relevant email correspondence you have already had with the embassy / consulate.
- Any other question regarding the visa process must be addressed directly by the respective Swiss embassy / consulate abroad.
Visa for family members
- Be aware that you are responsible for completing the necessary entry formalities for your family members and to provide proof of sufficient financial resources. Neither the FCS nor the Reception Service can assist you with this.
- In addition, you must also take care of related matters yourself (residence permit, accommodation, insurance cover, school enrolment of children, etc.) and ensure that all necessary measures are taken in good time.
Procedure
- You will find all the necessary information in the Guidelines for ESKAS Scholarship Holders or in the separate emails sent by FCS after acceptance of your scholarship. Read this information carefully and act accordingly before your arrival in Switzerland.
- Scholars from third states (non-EU and non-EFTA member states) are insured through FCS: Your insurance contract usually starts by 1 September (or 1 January of the coming year if you are already present in Switzerland and must change your insurance provider). Make sure you are properly insured until you arrive in Switzerland. Pay close attention to the information you receive from Advisor Swiss Insurance. If you have any questions about the information from Advisor Swiss Insurance, contact the insurance company directly.
- Scholars coming from EU and EFTA member states living in Canton of Zurich external page are eligible for an exemption from compulsory health insurance provided they are not gainfully employed during their scholarship stay and were able to obtain the European health insurance card (EHIC) from their home country prior to their arrival in Switzerland. In this case present upon arrival at ETH Zurich a well readable copy of both sides of your EHIC to the?Reception Service. If an exemption from external page compulsory health insurance is not possible, you will have to external page purchase a Swiss insurance by yourself and at your own expenses.
- General note: If you live outside the canton of Zurich, you must comply with the regulations of your canton of residence. These may differ from those of the canton of Zurich. In addition to the information, you will receive from Advisor Swiss Insurance, your supervisor or the human resources department of your research institution may be able to advise you on the correct procedures. Counselling by the Reception Service is limited outside the canton of Zurich, but should you encounter major difficulties, contact the Reception Service at an early stage.
Other insurances
- Organising and paying other types of insurance is your own responsibility, e.g., private liability insurance (if not already included in the provided health insurance product), mandatory car insurance, household insurance etc. To compare premiums and find companies please check out comparis.
- If you travel outside Switzerland, check your health insurance coverage carefully. If you are insured with an Advisor Swiss Insurance health insurance, it is highly advised to check your coverage carefully with the company and to purchase additional (travel-)insurance if necessary.
Procedure
- Doctoral students receive all necessary information for their doctoral studies from the directly.
- For successful doctoral studies, it is essential that you read the information provided by the Doctoral Administration and that you are aware of the legal basis.
- Ensure that your postal address in myStudies is correct and that you always keep it up-to-date.
- Mobility-Online and myStudies are two different platforms for which you need two different user account data. Do not mix them up and do not forget them.
- ETH has a "bring your own device" policy and recommends to have a laptop available which meets these requirements.
Video on semester enrolment & course registration
chevron_right Watch the videoPlan for an arrival in Switzerland on 1 September at the earliest.
Should you consider an earlier entry date, note the following:
- Your residence permit is issued for the duration of the scholarship stay as confirmed by FCS and ETH Zurich.
- If you enter Switzerland earlier, there is a risk that your residence permit will expire before the end of the confirmed scholarship period. You would then have to apply for an extension of your residence permit at your own expense.
- It is your responsibility to clarify your health insurance coverage for the period prior to 1 September.
Should you already have booked your journey with an earlier arrival date, contact the Reception Service.
You are always additionally employed and must therefore register with the residents' registration office “Einwohnermeldeamt” before starting work. As the employment contract is usually linked to the start of the scholarship, the Reception Service recommends that you arrive no earlier than 1 September and no later than 4 September.
Plan your journey according to these instructions.
- At ETH, registration for your doctorate is coordinated with your employment. The start date of the doctorate must therefore coincide with the start date of the scholarship as well as the employment date. Usually, this is 1 September of any given year. If this is not the case, the Reception Service must be informed immediately. Note: The registration process can take up to two months, during summer even longer. It is essential that you also read the legal basis for your doctorate. Direct any kind of specific questions regarding this process either to your supervisor or the Doctoral Administration.
- The assistant of your supervisor or your supervisor will take care of your additional paid employment.
- The Reception Service informs both about the correct registration of scholarship holders. But it is your responsibility to establish contact with them early on and make sure you are properly registered as a doctoral student by the latest at the beginning of September (unless otherwise agreed with FCS in exceptional cases).
ETH is committed to ensure that everyone – with or without disabilities or special needs – can access ETH’s services as far as possible. Direct questions to the Welcome Center.
Language Center of the University of Zurich and ETH
The joint external page Language Center offers courses in several languages.
Language levels
You will benefit the most from a course designed for your level.
Offered courses
- All courses for doctoral students are open to you.
- You pay the regular course fees for doctoral students.
Information for your course registration
- You need to register directly at the Language Center of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.
- For your correct registration choose:
- the desired language
- ETH as your university
- ETH doctoral student as your external page target group
- You will find the course details, including fees and enrolment start date, in the course description.
- The enrolment link can be found at the bottom of each course description.
- Make a note of the registration start date in good time and register as soon as registration opens, as the number of places is limited.