Destination Switzerland, with a scholarship: this guide covers what changes for you as a scholarship holder. You will find the scholarships concerned, visa and residence permit, health insurance, housing, budget and funds, on arrival and working while you study, and every fact links to its official page.
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
Switzerland's main official scholarship for foreign students is the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship. It is awarded every year by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS, also called ESKAS), attached to SERI (the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation).
This scholarship is mainly intended for young researchers who have already completed a Master's degree. For a research or PhD scholarship, your application must be backed by an academic supervisor in Switzerland, meaning a professor who agrees to guide your project. The SERI overview table states a maximum age of 35. An art scholarship also exists for a first Master's degree in an artistic field, but only for certain countries.
You prepare your application online on the GO ESKAS platform; SERI asks you not to send applications by email or on paper. Applications are submitted to Swiss embassies and then assessed by the FCS, which announces its decisions by the end of May at the latest for the following academic year.
Scholarship types and deadlines vary by country of origin: check your country's line in the SERI list (the "Africa" document also gives the embassy to contact). Applying is free of charge: the FCS recommends never answering a fake offer that asks for money, for example for "visa costs". Getting the scholarship is never guaranteed.
- Check the scholarship types and deadlines for your country in the SERI list.
- For a research or PhD scholarship, find an academic supervisor at a Swiss higher education institution.
- Register on Grants Online (GO ESKAS) and prepare your application online.
Official links
- SERI: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships(new tab)
- SERI: the Excellence Scholarships at a glance(new tab)
- SERI: African countries, scholarship types, deadlines and embassies (PDF)(new tab)
- SERI: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (English)(new tab)
- SERI: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships at a Glance(new tab)
The visa and the permit when you hold a scholarship
The visa is the same as for other students: a national D visa, applied for at the Swiss representation, as explained in the "on your own" guide. What changes is the proof of financial means.
The SEM (State Secretariat for Migration) accepts as proof a firm guarantee that a scholarship has been awarded, meaning a document that officially confirms your scholarship. In the Canton of Vaud, for example, scholarship holders do not have to provide the other proof of financial means: they give a copy of the scholarship award documents (amount, duration).
The scholarship also requires you to live in Switzerland, in the city or canton of your host institution, and to comply with the law on foreign nationals and the FCS rules.
Where are you from? Do you need a visa?
The rule depends on the country of your passport. Choose it to see the answer that applies to you.
The rules for each group of countries
| Nationalities | Visa | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
These nationalities:Show the 54 countriesAlgeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe | Visa required | You must obtain a national D visa before entering Switzerland for studies lasting more than 90 days (SEM list, version of 3 April 2026). Apply in person at the Swiss embassy or consulate responsible for your country of residence, at least two to three months before you leave. Exception: you already hold a valid Schengen residence permit or a valid D visa. |
All nationalities except:Show the 54 countriesAlgeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe | It depends | For your nationality, the visa requirement for more than 90 days depends on the country: check your country's line in the official SEM list (annex CH-1, list 1), then ask the Swiss representation in your country of residence. |
Health insurance for scholarship holders
If you come from a non-EU/EFTA country, the FCS pays the premiums (the contributions) for compulsory health insurance. The general insurance rules in Switzerland are explained in the "on your own" guide.
Accommodation when you hold a scholarship
The scholarship includes a one-time grant of CHF 600 for the rent deposit (the guarantee asked by the landlord). You then look for accommodation like other students: the advice in the "on your own" guide applies.
What the scholarship pays and what you still pay
According to SERI, the scholarship amounts to CHF 2,450 (Swiss francs) per month, to cover the living costs of one person (amount shown on the official website on 30 October 2026). It is not a salary.
The scholarship does not pay tuition or semester fees. Some institutions ask scholarship holders for semester fees of about CHF 600 to 2,000 per semester, or reduced tuition fees: plan to pay this money yourself.
It provides no family allowance. If you want to come with relatives, the migration authorities decide on their permits, and SERI states that these applications are handled restrictively. For the rest of your budget (rent, food), the figures in the "on your own" guide still apply.
- Half-Fare Travelcard for public transport, provided
- For holders from non-EU/EFTA countries: a return flight allowance to the country of origin, usable up to two months after the end of the scholarship
- At your own cost: conferences, field research and university fees
Your arrival as a scholarship holder
Higher education institutions have welcome services for scholarship holders, which also organise excursions and activities. At the University of Lausanne (UNIL), for example, this is the SASME (social affairs and student mobility service). Registration with the municipality and the residence permit work as in the "on your own" guide.
Other income alongside the scholarship
If you receive other funding, for example another scholarship or a teaching or research assistant position, you must inform the FCS. The scholarship may not supplement income from full-time employment. Some institutions, such as EPFL, ETH Zurich or the University of Zurich, even require additional funding from the supervisor.
The other path
No scholarship? Read the guide to study there on your own.
Study there on your ownOther destinations
The same path, with a scholarship, in the other countries GradMe covers: compare before you choose.