3. Preparing the stay (before arrival)

If you already live in Switzerland, contact the Reception Service 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 to enter Switzerland, so no action is needed on your part before arrival.
• When entering Switzerland, you can show a valid passport or identity card and the confirmation of acceptance.

Citizens of other countries

• Please follow the FCS instructions to apply for your visa.
• Begin your visa application as soon as you¡¯ve confirmed your scholarship and received the necessary instructions from FCS. You can locate the Swiss representation responsible for your place of residence at the link provided: external page Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.
• Obtaining a visa can take up to three months, so it's crucial to begin your application as early as possible.
• Important: Do not travel to Switzerland on a tourist visa. While it permits short-term visits for leisure, it does not allow you to study or establish residency. To pursue your studies and stay longer than 90 days, you must apply for a national visa.
• Typically, a copy of your official FCS notification letter is sufficient to demonstrate that you¡¯ve been invited to Switzerland for your scholarship period. Although all admission formalities as an FCS visiting student are completed before your scholarship is granted, your official admission letter will be issued later and may not be available at the time of your visa application.
• If the Swiss embassy or consulate abroad still requests confirmation of your admission to ETH Zurich as an FCS visiting student¡ªor if you encounter any other issues¡ªplease contact the Reception Service. Be sure to include any relevant email correspondence you've already had with the embassy or consulate.
• For all other inquiries related to the visa process, reach out directly to the appropriate Swiss embassy or consulate abroad.

Visa for family members

• Please note that you are personally responsible for handling all entry formalities for your family members, including providing proof of sufficient financial resources. The FCS and the Reception Service cannot assist with these procedures.
• Additionally, you must independently manage all related arrangements¡ªsuch as securing a residence permit, finding accommodation, obtaining insurance coverage, and enrolling children in school. Make sure that these steps are completed in a timely manner.

• You will receive all necessary information for your registration at ETH Zurich or the research institutes Eawag, Empa, WSL, PSI from the relevant Human Resources department. This includes information on setting up user accounts and email addresses, etc. For related questions, please contact Human Resources directly.
  
• Mobility-Online and the registration data you receive from Human Resources are two separate systems with different logins. Do not mix them up and do not forget them.
  
• Ensure that the postal address you use for your first registration with ETH Human Resources and in Mobility-Online is correct and that you always keep your addresses up-to-date on www.address.ethz.ch during your stay.
  • Postdocs at research institutes: When you first register with the Human Resources and in Mobility-Online, you must also enter correct address details. However, as the two systems are not linked, you must update your addresses separately in both systems if your address changes. 
• If time permits and your supervisor agrees, you can register as an auditor to attend courses. Note that only ETH Zurich employees can register as ETH members (for free). All other scholarship holders must register as non-ETH members and pay the described fees.
• ETH has a "bring your own device" policy and recommends to have a laptop available which meets these requirements.
  

Plan for an arrival in Switzerland on 1 September at the earliest.

If you receive a salary, you have the status of ETH-employee. You then have to 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.

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.

• It is up to your supervisor to decide whether they will grant you additional paid employment. The administrative part will be handled by Human Resources of ETH Zurich or respective research institution. Approval of FCS is required.
• 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 by the latest at the beginning of September (unless otherwise agreed with FCS in exceptional cases).
• As it can take up to two months to obtain the necessary work permit for additional paid employment, all information and documents must be submitted to the relevant Human Resources department by 30 June to ensure a timely start on 1 September. 

ETH is committed to ensure that everyone ¨C with or without disabilities or special needs ¨C can access ETH¡¯s services as far as possible. Direct questions to the Welcome Center.