Who needs to apply for a visa?

You do not need a Type D visa if you have:
A passport from a country in the European Union (EU) or from a European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member state (Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland).
All other passport holders are advised to check your visa eligibility by clicking the link below or consulting with your Education Counselor.


Passport holders from Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore & United Kingdom:
These countries might require the AAS (Assurance d’Autorisation de Séjour) in lieu of a student type D visa to enter Switzerland. This is managed by the Admissions Team and they will send a copy to
the Educational Counselor one month prior to intake.

Check if you need a visa to enter Switzerland

When should I apply?
You should apply for your study visa as soon as you receive your acceptance package. It can take up to three months to obtain your visa, so please make an appointment with the Swiss Embassy or
Consulate in your country of residence as soon as you receive your acceptance package.

Contact your local Swiss Embassy or Consulate
Contact the Swiss Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence and make an appointment.
If you have a residency permit from a Shenghen country, you are permitted to apply for your student visa type D at your local Swiss consulate or embassy.

Apply for a type D (study) visa
Tell them you need to apply for a TYPE D VISA for Les Roches and that you have been accepted to the school. Please ask them for an ORBIS number and provide this number to your Educational Counselor who will add it to your file in case your visa needs to be tracked.

Please, DO NOT request or attempt to enter Switzerland with a tourist visa. Please make sure to write the correct school address on the visa application form that the Embassy provides. Follow the steps for how to fill in this form on the next pages (only fill in the left side of the form, the right side is for the authorities).

Prepare for your appointment
Please review the list of documents required for your student visa application appointment and take them to the Swiss Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence:
Please never give original documents to the Embassy/Consulate because you will not get them back, only give good/readable copies.
Keep the originals for yourself as you will need to present them at the authenticity session once you have arrived on campus. Study and post-study statement guidance for applicants over 30 years old
The visa process carries more risk of refusal for Master’s students, particularly mature students over the age of 30. To help mitigate these risks, we strongly recommend the following:
Make sure your Study/post-study statement is convincing, containing the reasons why you have chosen Master’s study ahead of direct employment.
The Post-study statement mentions that you will be leaving Switzerland upon completion of your program, please sign and date the document.

If you are married or have family dependents, you should be aware that the study visa does not allow your spouse or family to join you for the duration of your studies.

  • Copies of all your diplomas and grades (and official certified/notarized English translation if original document is not in French/Italian/German/English)
  • A copy of your Curriculum Vitae/Resume
  • Study/post-study statement – A short essay explaining why you want to study at Les Roches, signed and dated (applicants over 30 years old: please read the guidance)
  • Post-study statement – Signed and dated
  • English Language Certification (if needed)
  • Official Bank Guarantee
  • Letter of commitment from your financial sponsor
  • Acceptance letter from Les Roches (enclosed in your acceptance package)
  • Visa attestation from Les Roches (enclosed in your acceptance package)

Wait for your return invitation
Once you have presented all of these documents, you must wait for an invitation to return to the Embassy or Consulate to have the original entry visa (sticker) stamped in your passport and complete
all formalities.

Pick up your visa
You should receive the original entry visa at the Embassy or Consulate where you applied. However, if you need to pick it up in a different place, you must inform the Embassy or Consulate (as well as your Education Counselor) when you apply for the visa.

Important notes
Proof of payment
The visa process can be expedited if you provide evidence of payment. Some embassies even require proof of payment from both the student and the school. Penalties if you enter Switzerland without a study visa Any student who requires a visa but enters Switzerland without the study visa is subject to a financial penalty and may be refused entrance at Les Roches.

Deferring your studies
If you must defer your studies to the next semester, and you have started the visa formalities at the embassy or consulate, but your passport has not yet been stamped, then the visa can easily be
deferred to the next semester. Once the passport has been stamped, a deferral is no longer possible, and you will have to start the visa formalities again.

Do not make travel plans for your first ten weeks in Switzerland If you require an entry visa for Switzerland, depending on your visa status (single or multiple entry and validity date) you should
not make any travel plans to other countries for the first 10 weeks after your arrival to campus and until you receive your biometrical residency permit, which you will need to gain access back into
Switzerland.

Check COVID regulations
Depending on your home country, you may be subject to a mandatory quarantine upon arrival in Switzerland. The list of countries is continually changing, so we strongly advise you to regularly check the Swiss Government website ahead of your journey as well as your local airline policies before flying.