🇨🇭 How to apply to university in Switzerland

There is no central application system: you apply to each institution directly. Programmes usually start: Mid-September (bachelor's start in the autumn semester only).

Checked on 20 October 2026 against the official sources listed below.

The essentials

Application system: None — apply to each institution on its own website.
When programmes start: Mid-September (bachelor's start in the autumn semester only).
International applicants: International students apply directly to each university under country-specific admission rules; some are admitted directly, others need an entrance exam. Medicine is closed to applicants who don't live in Switzerland.
Language: The language of instruction (German, French, Italian or, for a few programmes, English) at the level each university sets.

Key dates

Add all these dates to my calendar (.ics)

Every other university publishes its own deadline; 30 April is common, with earlier dates for foreign certificates at many. Students from abroad can't be admitted to medicine because places are limited.

Date	What	Who	Intake	Source	Calendar
15 February 2027	Pre-registration for medicine (numerus clausus universities)	Swiss citizens and foreigners legally resident in Switzerland only	Autumn 2027 entry	swissuniversities — Admission procedure with numerus clausus
1 December 2026 –31 March 2027	ETH Zurich bachelor's application (23:59 CET) — one university's example	ETH Zurich applicants with a foreign school-leaving certificate	Autumn 2027 entry	ETH Zurich — eApply

A window shows its opening date above its closing date. Individual universities and programmes can set earlier dates of their own — always confirm on the official page before you rely on a date. The calendar file adds each date as an all-day event with a reminder a week before.

Your checklist

The usual steps for an international student applying to a bachelor's in Switzerland, in order. Tick them off as you go — your ticks stay in this browser, with no account.

1.Check swissuniversities' admission requirements for your country's certificate — some need extra exams or a university place at home.
2.Choose a university and programme; most bachelor's are taught in German, French or Italian.
3.Prove the language of instruction by the university's deadline.
4.Apply online to each university and pay its application fee.
5.Sit an entrance or supplementary exam if the university requires it.
6.Receive your admission and send original documents if asked.
7.Apply for a category D visa at the Swiss representation; the cantonal migration office issues the residence permit (allow one to several months).
8.Arrange housing.

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Next steps

Sources

Written by CollegeMatcher in our own words from these official pages, checked on 20 October 2026. Dates change every year.