Welcome Days
Housing
Welcome Center: http://www.welc.ch/en/
Bureau des logements de l'université: https://www.unige.ch/batiment/service-batiments/logements/accueil/
Coopérative de logement pour personnes en formation: http://cigue.ch
Accommodation for students: https://www.studenthome.ch/index.html
Housing in Geneva (Facebook groups):
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/housingingeneva/
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/2147801725467259/
Residence permit information
You can find all the official information in the following link (https://www.ge.ch/demander-permis-sejour-etudiant), and here another link that might be helpful (https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/sites/default/files/2019-04/Information-Visa.pdf).
Here a short summary and some tips, but important to check the official information as the main reference!
You have to send everything by mail to the address below. If you send it before your stay in Geneva you will have the permit “on time”, otherwise it will probably arrive some months later. For non-EU/EFTA it’s mandatory to be sent before your entry in Switzerland. Visa applications take 3-6 months to be processed, so it is highly advisable to start as early as possible.
Office cantonal de la population et des migrations
Service étrangers
Case postale 2652 - 1211 Genève 2
The related payment will be sent later via a payment slip.
If you are from an EU/EFTA country (https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/themen/fza_schweiz-eu-efta/eu-efta_buerger_schweiz.html), you have to provide the following information:
-E form (request for a residence permit for studies)
-O Form (certificate of financial support)
-A copy of your ID
-1 passport-sized photo with full names written on the back for stays of more than 364 days
-University registration
If you are NOT from EU/EFTA: Same as for EU/EFTA (less the passport-sized picture) plus
-University admission instead of Registration
-CV and letter of motivation
-Detailed study plan
-Copy of lease or landlord’s attestation
-If you plan to do an internship
-Criminal record extract
-Written commitment to leave Switzerland upon studies completion