Foreign students wishing to stay in Switzerland during their study period must apply for a residence permit for educational purposes. You must submit the application within 14 days of your arrival in Switzerland on the link below.
All foreign students and Swiss students domiciled in Municipalities other than those where they are staying for study purposes, must register with the Office for the Control of Residents of the municipality in which they reside.
Foreign students residing in the frontier zone who return home daily do not need to apply for permission.
A) Application procedure for EU/EFTA students
https://www4.ti.ch/di/home-sp/servizi-online/permessi-per-stranieri/dimora-b/
(click on Richiesta nuovo permesso, cittadini UE/AELS, avvio).
Once completed, the student must print all the documents (NB, not front and back but on a single side), sign them and attach:
- 2 identical photographs (3.5x4.5 cm), taken not more than 6 months before (indicating on the back given name, surname and date of birth)
- Copy of ID (ID card or passport)
- “Notification of Arrival” form
- Certificate of enrolment issued by the University or confirmation of admission
- Declaration by the University indicating the total duration and nature of the studies* (issued by the University on enrolment)
- Copy of Lease of accommodation
- General Certificate of criminal record
All documents must be written and/or translated into Italian.
*The student must declare that he/she has suitable accommodation and sufficient means to attend courses, pay premiums and contributions to the costs of compulsory health insurance (KVG) and for his(/her own needs. He/she must also undertake to leave Switzerland at the end of his/her studies.
Once the application has been submitted, the student is authorised to reside in Switzerland pending the decision.
A foreign student residing in another canton must receive permission from the canton of residence or submit an application for change of canton in Ticino.
The student will be summoned to the Lugano Migration Office (New Arrivals Service, Via Balestra 33) to check his/her documents before being issued with a residence permit for educational purposes.
Any change of address, of nationality, of surname or given name, of transfer to another municipality or canton, any and all changes in marital status or family composition (namely marriage, birth, adoption, divorce, family reunification), and definitive departure from Switzerland or another canton must be notified to the Migration Office within 14 days. This notification does not exclude the obligation to notify other authorities.
The residence permit for study purposes does not grant students automatic entitlement to paid employment. Therefore, foreign students enroled in an academic degree programme at a university in Switzerland are required to obtain a specific authorisation from the competent authorities before they engage in paid employment (no authorization will be granted to Croatian students in the first 6 months from the issuance of the permit). The maximum permitted work load is 15 hours per week.
To proceed with the notification students must follow the online procedure: https://www4.ti.ch/di/home-sp/servizi-online/permessi-per-stranieri/dimora-b/ (click on Notifica inizio attività studenti).
Note: foreign students resident in countries that do not share a common border with Switzerland, must take out Swiss health insurance to work.
Please click here (in Italian only) to read carefully the instructions for foreign citizens holding a residence permit for educational purposes.
B) Application procedure for non-EU/EFTA students
If subject to visa requirements (see link https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/publiservice/weisungen-kreisschreiben/visa/liste1_staatsangehoerigkeit/leg_visum.html) non-EU/EFTA students must apply for Entry Authorisation (visa) at the Swiss Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence. Entry into Switzerland is only possible after the application is approved.
Note: the procedure for issuing the visa can take between one and four months. A tourist visa for Switzerland cannot be converted into a student visa.
Regardless of the visa, the student must apply for a residence permit.
Within 14 days of entry into Switzerland, non-EU/EFTA students must send the following documents to the Migration Office in Bellinzona:
- signed Entry Authorization
- copy of passport
- copy of visa
- copy of lease of accommodation
- photograph (3.5x4.5 cm)
All documents must be written and/or translated into Italian.
The student must declare that he/she has suitable accommodation and sufficient financial means to attend courses, afford payment of premiums and contributions to the costs of compulsory health care insurance (KVG) and for his/her own needs. The University issues such declaration after the enrolment.
The University offers the opportunity to take out health insurance (Academic Care) on arrival in Switzerland. The student must also undertake to leave Switzerland after completing his/her studies.
Students will receive a first summons to the Lugano Migration Office (New Entrants Service, Via Balestra 33) to verify documents and a second summons to the Bellinzona Migration Office to register their biometric data.
Pending the issue of a residence permit for educational purposes, students wishing to leave Switzerland must ensure that the entry visa on their passport is still valid (if not, they must request a new one from the Bellinzona Migration Office).
The residence permit for study purposes does not grant students automatic entitlement to paid employment. Therefore, foreign students enroled in an academic degree programme at a university in Switzerland are required to obtain a specific authorisation from the competent authorities before they engage in paid employment. The maximum permitted work load is 15 hours per week. No authorization will not be issued in the first 6 months from the issuance of the permit.
To proceed with the notification students must follow the online procedure: https://www4.ti.ch/di/home-sp/servizi-online/permessi-per-stranieri/dimora-b/ (click on Notifica inizio attività studenti ).
Please click here (in Italian only) to read carefully the warnings for non-EU foreign citizens holding a residence permit for educational purposes.
C) Procedure for renewing a residence permit for educational purposes
The permit must be renewed each year, at least 14 days before it expires, following the procedure online:
https://www4.ti.ch/di/home-sp/servizi-online/permessi-per-stranieri/dimora-b/
Notice:
The Migration Office exacts fines that can be heavy in the event of failure to comply with the compulsory procedures or deadlines (for example for the extension of the permit or notification of change of address).
Meetings will be organised to assist students in difficulty to carry out the above procedures.
The procedure is instituted by the Migration Office and may be changed at any time without the USI being informed.
