Archaeology

What you would need to do

In the order you must act, not the order things get published. Some steps depend on your nationality — tell us where you are from and this list gets sharper.

1. Canton of Zurich — CHF 21,000 per 12 months, from a SWISS-LICENSED bankZurich requires CHF 21,000 for twelve months, and the confirmation must come from a bank authorised in Switzerland. A statement from your home-country bank is rejected outright — an easily missed refusal trigger. · CHF 21,000Migrationsamt Kanton Zuerich ↗
2. Canton of Basel-Stadt — CHF 2,000 per monthBasel-Stadt requires CHF 2,000 per month for living costs and return travel — CHF 24,000 a year, materially more than Zurich's CHF 21,000. Accepts a Swiss bank account, a guarantee from a solvent Swiss resident, or a scholarship. · CHF 2,000Migrationsamt Basel-Stadt ↗
3. Swiss ENIC recognition is NON-BINDING and not an admission gateSwitzerland has no mandatory national credential-recognition step for admission. Swiss ENIC issues only non-binding level confirmations, on request. Admission rests with the institution; formal recognition matters chiefly for regulated professions.Swiss ENIC (swissuniversities) ↗
4. NO national financial figure exists — proven by cantonal divergence⚠ The national figure is null BY DESIGN, not for want of searching. Zurich publishes CHF 21,000 per twelve months; Basel-Stadt publishes CHF 2,000 per month, which is CHF 24,000 a year — not equivalent. Vaud and Geneva publish no amount at all.Cantonal migration offices ↗
5. National long-stay visa (type D) for studiesNon-EU/EFTA students staying over 90 days need a type D visa. The federal migration secretariat does NOT issue visas — Swiss representations abroad do, and the CANTONAL migration authority must first approve the underlying residence purpose.Swiss representation abroad; SEM; cantonal migration authority ↗
6. University of Zurich — explicit surcharge for foreign studentsUZH charges CHF 720 per semester base tuition PLUS a surcharge levied specifically on foreign students: CHF 500 at Bachelor level and CHF 100 at Master, PhD and teacher-training level, plus CHF 59 mandatory semester contributions. · CHF 500Universitaet Zuerich ↗
7. ETH Zurich charges non-residents THREE TIMES the tuition — new since autumn 2025⚠ Tuition is NOT free in Switzerland, contrary to common belief. ETH runs two groups: CHF 730/semester for Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens and those resident when they obtained their entrance qualification, and CHF 2,190/semester for all other foreign student · CHF 2,190ETH Zuerich ↗
8. Residence permit issued by the CANTON — requirements differ between cantons⚠ Switzerland has NO single national student-permit authority. Permits are granted by cantonal migration offices and the substantive conditions, including the financial-proof figure, are set cantonally and differ materially. Checking the wrong canton's rules wCantonal migration offices ↗

Cost

Entry requirements