Overview
Regardless of your future career plans, while studying at SGSB – Swiss Graduate School of Business in Switzerland you will surely receive top education degree diploma and a qualified certificate of higher Swiss education, you all will have the chance to engage in groundbreaking research work and discovering the highlight of HeIdi country’s nature with the Alps. Apart from having a significant number of highly ranked universities, Switzerland is one of the 20 wealthiest countries in the world and also one of the safest in the world.
If you have one more step to take and have to apply for a student visa for Switzerland, don’t worry! The application procedure is just as simple as Swiss watches are accurate and precise.
If you decided to study abroad in Switzerland and come from an EU/EFTA country, good news! You won’t need a Swiss student visa.
Check out detailed visa requirements for a few nationalities applying for the visa, follow the next steps and prepare to apply for your student visa.
Find out what type of visa you need to study in Switzerland
- C visa – for short courses (summer schools, language schools) that last only for up to three months
- D visa –for courses that last longer than three months
If you apply for a type D visa and plan to stay in Switzerland longer than three months, you will have to arrange to get your residence permit from the cantonal migration offices within 14 days after your arrival.
Processing time:
- Short stay visas: within two weeks (10-15 days), or eight to ten weeks
- Long stay visas: four(4) months
Stage 1
Make sure you are accepted by SGSB Business School (www.sgsb.swiss) and have paid
> as the sum of CHF.10’000 : 1st year tuition fee
• 100% refund policy: Your tuition fees will be 100% refunded in case of the Swiss Embassy in your country refused for your entry visa to study in Switzerland.
Once SGSB Business School verifies that this tuition fee has been paid, it will immediately issue a receipt of transaction to the student. This receipt is required by the Swiss Authorities to indicate that the student is serious about his/her intentions to study in Switzerland.
Note: No Visa application will be considered by the Swiss Authorities (Swiss Embassy or Consulate office in your country) until this receipt of payment has been issued by the SGSB Business School.
Stage 2
When and where to apply for the Swiss visa:
As soon as you get the acceptance letter from the SGSB – Swiss Graduate School of Business, you should schedule an appointment at the Swiss embassy or consulate in your area.
Schedule the appointment for a visa interview as early as 6 months prior to studying in Switzerland but no later than ten weeks before your departure.
Unless the application form and all required documents are in French, German or English, you will need a certified translation of all documents in one of these languages.
Contact the nearest Swiss Embassy or Consulate to your home or place of residence to find out what exactly they require for students from your country and make an appointment with them.
Information about the nearest Embassy or Consulate location can be found in your capital city or 2nd largest city.
Please contact the SGSB Business School Admission Office (admissions@sgsb.swiss) if you are required to present attestations and any other supplement documents from the school for any reason.
Stage 3
Prepare the following to present as well as any supplementary paperwork that is required by your local Embassy/Consulate:
• A fully completed and signed application form. Applications, which are not duly completed, dated and signed, will not be accepted.
o Apply for your visa in the format required by your embassy. Be sure that you give all the required paperwork. Visas will be refused if the application is incomplete.
- Download student visa application form and fill it out to submit.
- Four recent passport photos per applicant (strict requirements please consult the
details on the embassy webpage).
- A copy of the applicant’s valid passport.
- A copy of confirmation/registration letter from SGSB.
- A copy of confirmation of payment of SGSB’ tuition fees.
- Proof of financial resources:
o a) A letter of commitment from your financial guarantor plus his/her recent bank statement, or
o b) Recent bank statements of the applicant if he/she does not need a guarantor.
- Proof of sufficient financial means for coverage of living costs in Switzerland for the duration of schooling; provide an evidence of having Sfr.22,200 (Sfr.1,850 x 12 months) at the beginning of each year of your studies.
- Commitment to leave Switzerland on completion of studies
- Copies of previous diplomas and school certificates.
- A Curriculum Vitae/Resume (biographical data, schools attended, etc.).
- A letter of intent: Letter of motivation
- indicating the reasons for the applicant’s decision to pursue studies in Switzerland
and his/her plans for the future (dated and signed).
- Written commitment to leave Switzerland at the end of the planned studies (dated
and signed).
Note: Language requirements for my study in Switzerland
There are no specific language requirements for a study visa for Switzerland. On the other hand, universities will require a proof of language proficiency when you apply and that proof is usually sufficient for Swiss embassy visa officers.
In some cases, the embassy will want to evaluate your language knowledge based on a short interview at the consulate or even an oral and written test.
The Swiss representation will send the entry application, including documentation and assessment of language proficiency to the relevant cantonal migration authorities for their approval.
Stage 4
After submission there follows a waiting period of typically 4 months before the student will hear back from the Embassy or Consulate.
Once the visa is issued, the student will be contacted and instructed on how to pick up their visa and on the necessary steps for future admission into Switzerland.
Stage 5
As soon as the student receives confirmation and instructions from the Embassy or Consulate, he/she should IMMEDIATELY make their travel arrangements to come to Switzerland and he/she has 3 months’ time to pick up the Student Visa from the Canton Vaud.
Please note that the visa has a specific date of entry, which cannot be negotiated.
It is not SGSB Swiss Graduate School of Business responsibility to assure the receipt of the Student Visa from the Canton Vaud once the student is entered in the Swiss territory.
