What are the registration requirements?
Registration requirements depend on your academic profile.
What are the registration deadlines?
Depending on your academic profile and your situation, the application deadlines are as follows:
Fall semester
January 15 – February 28 or January 15 – April 30
The February 28 deadline applies to applicants:
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who, according to their nationality, require a visa to enter Switzerland for more than 90 days, according to the regulations of the Swiss Confederation, regardless of their current place of residence, or who do not have a residence permit in Switzerland valid beyond April 30;
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who, according to the country of issue of their upper secondary school diploma, are subject to passing the Swiss University Supplemental Examination (ECUS)
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if the program applied for is subject to a particular deadline or to an additional registration in a faculty/institute/center (see registration conditions).
Spring semester
September 15 – 30 or September 15 – November 30
The September 30 deadline applies to applicants:
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who, according to their nationality, are subject to a visa for a stay of over 90 days in Switzerland, according to the regulations of the Confederation, regardless of their current residence, or who do not have a residence permit in Switzerland valid beyond September 30.
What are the courses offered by the UNIGE?
The UNIGE offers many courses relative to your level of study: bachelors / masters / certificates and diplomas / doctorates.
The academic advisors of the faculties/institutes/centers are also at your disposal for information concerning the study programs that interest you.
What courses are open in the spring semester?
To find out which courses are open in the spring semester, please consult the list available on our website.
I have consulted the UNIGE web pages but I am not sure whether I will be admitted to UNIGE. Can I submit my case to you so that you can tell me if I will be admitted?
No. We only decide on complete applications received according to the procedure and deadlines mentioned. A preliminary analysis is not possible.
How do I send my registration application? Can I send it by e-mail?
The application for registration must be sent by postal mail within the required period only. The mailing address is:
Service des immatriculations
Uni Dufour, rue du Général-Dufour 24
CH - 1211 Geneva 4
The postmark will be used to determine if the file is sent within the deadline. When the registration deadline corresponds to a non-business day, the application must be sent or submitted at the latest on the last business day preceding the deadline. Any application postmarked/filed after the deadline is inadmissible. Applications sent by e-mail will not be accepted.
Exception: For applications for Master’s degrees and complementary certificates at the Faculty of Social Sciences, a specific online portal and procedure apply.
How do I know if you have received my application?
The Admissions Office will send you an acknowledgement of receipt by e-mail as soon as it receives your application file.
UNIGE uses generic addresses (e.g. “immat@unige.ch,” or “noreply-immatriculation@unige.ch”) to write to you. Save these addresses in your contacts to ensure that e-mails sent from these addresses will not go into your spam/junk mail folder.
Exception: For applications for Master’s degrees and complementary certificates at the Faculty of Social Sciences, a specific online portal and procedure apply. An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to you once the application has been submitted on the portal.
What documents do I need to submit for my registration?
The documents required for your application depend on your academic profile. A non-exhaustive list can also be found at the end of the PDF version of the application form.
The Admissions Office reserves the right to request any additional documents necessary for the study of the application and to declare incomplete applications inadmissible. Any omission or submission of falsified documents may lead to the definitive refusal of registration, or to exclusion from UNIGE.
Can I apply for more than one program/training?
Yes. However, if you wish to apply for more than one program or training, you must submit a single online application and pay a single fee.
- At the Bachelor’s level: select the program that requires pre-registration or that has a specific registration deadline (e.g. for Medicine or Translation & Interpretation).
- At the Master’s level: select the program you are most interested in.
Then, on the printed version of the form, indicate by hand all the other courses that you have applied for. It is no longer possible to apply after the deadline.
I can’t create or return to my ORISIS account. What should I do?
We invite you to reset your password and try again from another browser.
If the problem persists, contact us via our platform and attach a screenshot of the problem encountered. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
I can’t create or return to my SWITCH edu-ID account. What should I do?
We invite you to reset your password if necessary and then try again from another browser.
If the problem persists, contact us via our platform and attach a screenshot of the problem encountered. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
How much does the registration fee cost?
The registration fee is CHF 65. This fee is charged to candidates who do not hold, or are about to hold, a recognized Swiss or Liechtenstein high school diploma.
The registration fee is deducted from the university fees for the first semester of study. It is neither refunded nor carried over to another semester, even in the case of an erroneous, withdrawn, or refused registration application.
How do I pay the registration fee?
Payment must be made online only, as soon as the registration application has been confirmed. Payment can only be made by one of the following methods: credit card, PostFinance, Paysafecard, or PayPal. No other means of payment are accepted.
Applications for which the required registration fee has not been paid are inadmissible.
What is the level of French required to study at the UNIGE?
As French is (mostly) the language of instruction, especially at the Bachelor's level, good skills in French (level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - CEFR) are required to study at UNIGE.
Registration conditions define which candidate is subject to the exam according to nationality, secondary education, university education, and level of chosen education or program.
More information on the French exam and possible exemptions can be found on our website.
When and where do the French exams take place?
- For the fall semester: the French exam takes place at the end of August or at the beginning of September.
- For the spring semester: the French exam takes place in early February.
More information on the dates of the UNIGE French exam on our website.
Is my level of English sufficient?
The UNIGE’s registration requirements do not define a specific level of English for applicants. However, some Master's programs do equire a certain level (GMAT/GRE tests, TOEFL/IELTS/CAE, etc.). We invite you to contact the person in charge of the program you are interested in to find out what conditions apply.
Can I obtain an equivalence for my previous studies at the Bachelor’s level?
It is possible to validate previous academic achievements in the context of a Bachelor’s degree by obtaining an equivalence. Only the faculty/institute can decide if and how many ECTS credits will be considered as equivalent. The request must be made at the time of application for registration (except for exceptions mentioned on the form), by filling out the equivalence request form.
I would like to register at UNIGE and at another Swiss higher education institution. Is this possible?
No. Dual enrolment at UNIGE and at another Swiss higher education institution is not permitted. Candidates admitted after having begun studies at another institution must provide proof that they are no longer registered at that institution in order to confirm their registration at UNIGE.
How can I find out about the status of my application process?
Once we have received all the required documents, your application will be processed and you will receive a written decision, either by e-mail or by postal mail. No information regarding the progress of the registration process will be given by e-mail or telephone.
What is the ECUS and can I take it?
The Supplementary Examination of the Swiss Universities (ECUS) concerns only candidates for a Bachelor’s degree. It is an examination required in addition to the foreign higher secondary school diploma when the latter is not recognized as equivalent to a Swiss Matura diploma by UNIGE.
It is complementary to the diploma, which must first meet the UNIGE registration requirements. In no case can it exempt the candidate from producing the secondary school diploma required per our conditions. Successful completion of the ECUS is a prerequisite for admission to the university. A second failure is eliminatory.
When will I hear about my application?
We strive to process each application as quickly as possible. Your application will be reviewed within a few weeks of receipt.
In case of application for the Faculty of Translation & Interpretation, the Master of Science in Learning and Teaching Technologies (MALTT), or the Master’s degree at the Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM), at the Global Studies Institute (GSI), at the Faculty of Social Sciences, in biomedical science at the Faculty of Sciences institute, at the Environmental Sciences Institute (MUSE) and in neuroscience at the Faculty of Sciences, the process can take up to 3 months.
How do I know if my application has been rejected?
Your application is rejected if:
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You do not meet the requirements for enrollment. In that case, you will be notified by registered mail by the Admissions Office;
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You do not meet the requirements for enrollment at the faculty/institute/center/school of your choice. In that case, you will be informed by the faculty/institute/center/school in question.
If I am admitted to a UNIGE master’s program this year and I decide not to enroll, is my admission still valid for future years?
No, the decision is pronounced for the semester applied for only. In the event of a subsequent application, a complete new application must be submitted and a new analysis will be carried out.
Can I transfer my application from one year to the next? How do I reactivate my application?
We do not transfer applications from one year or semester to another.
If you wish to reapply, you can follow the reactivation procedure. This only applies if you applied last semester or last year. If you applied over one year ago, you must redo the entire registration procedure (except for Masters and complementary certificates at the Faculty of Social Sciences).
How do I cancel my application?
If you wish to withdraw your application – at any time, even after you have been admitted – please inform us via our online platform.
Please note that this step is irreversible for the current semester.
Can you return my application file?
We do not return application files. However, if you wish to retrieve original documents, such as certified or apostilled copies, please contact us via our online platform to arrange an appointment at our offices.
Do I need a visa to study at the UNIGE? Can the UNIGE help me obtain a visa?
For candidates coming from countries requiring a visa for a stay of more than three months, it is imperative to be in possession of an entry visa for studies before coming to Switzerland.
It is therefore imperative for you to be up to date with the necessary documents for your entry and stay in Switzerland.
Since the visa application process can take some time, it is strongly recommended that you contact the Swiss consular authorities at the latest when obtaining the pre-registration certificate.
UNIGE is not competent to support candidates in their visa application process.
When will I get my student card?
The student card will be provided to you by the Admissions Office after your registration has been confirmed. Depending on the confirmation method, it will either be given to you during an in-person appointment or to be picked up at the Campus Life information point during opening hours.
When and how do I get my proof of enrollment for the semester?
To access your proof of enrollment for the semester, you must have paid the fees for the semester. The attestation is available by logging on to portail.unige.ch as soon as the payment is received.
How can I find information on the cost of living and housing in Geneva?
You will find all the relevant information on the UNIGE Campus Life website.
How can I get a scholarship or financial aid?
You will find all the relevant information on the UNIGE Campus Life website.
How to contact us?
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On our online platform (reply within 3 working days)
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By phone at +41 22 379 77 39 (Monday-Friday - 10:30am-1pm - excluding official holidays)