Guideline for Exchange Students at the ZHAW School of Management and Law

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1 Guideline for Exchange Students at the ZHAW School of Management and Law We look forward to welcoming you at the ZHAW School of Management and Law in Winterthur, Switzerland! This guideline contains important information, please read it carefully! In case you are not sure about certain issues or you do not understand the content, please ask, we will be happy to clarify. Letter of Acceptance Non-EU citizens need to apply for a visa, and the Letter of Acceptance is an integral part of the application. Non-EU citizens will soon receive an electronic copy of the letter, a printout of it will be sufficient for the visa application. Health Insurance Students living in the EU and holding a public health insurance have to send us a copy of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as proof of insurance coverage. Please make sure that your EHIC card is valid for the entire duration of your stay in Switzerland. Students without public European health insurance have to buy a Swiss health insurance. The ZHAW School of Management and Law co-operates with the CSS Health Insurance (further information see attachment of ). Therefore, you either have to send us the completed CSS application form or copy of a contract with another Swiss health insurance provider. The approximate costs are between CHF and per month. Letter of Acceptance will only be sent out when we have proof of health insurance!! Visa If you are an EU citizen, you do not need to apply for a visa. You will be registered upon arrival and will receive your residence permit. Non-EU citizens need to apply for a student visa at the Swiss Embassy in their home country. 1

2 In order to apply for the student visa, you need a Letter of Acceptance (study confirmation) from the ZHAW School of Management and Law. Please enclose with your visa application both the English and German version which will be sent to you. It is essential that you apply for the visa as soon as possible; you have to consider a minimum processing time of 3-4 months! Please check with the Swiss representation of your country the precise and latest requirements for the visa application: Keep in mind that the migration authorities will only process complete applications! Bank Statement For Non EU students, the migration authority requires for the visa processing a financial statement (the amount is CHF /month) as proof that you are able to cover the expenses for your stay. The statement needs to be issued by a bank which is either: a Swiss Bank a bank domiciled in Switzerland (ask at your bank if this is the case!) Or if you have a private sponsor living in Switzerland, this will be accepted as well (statement has to be provided, please ask us for details). EU students are also asked by the migration authority to provide such a statement for their residence permit, so please be prepared to deliver this document upon arrival so you can include it in your residence permit application. Date of Departure When applying for your visa you need to provide a written statement that you will be leaving the country after your exchange period. Please indicate an exact date (can be any day before the end of the semester as mentioned in the Letter of Acceptance). Authorization (Vollmacht Visa) In case there should be any trouble with your visa application it might be easier and faster if we, as your host institution, have your authorization to receive information from the migration authorities in Zurich. This helps us in case we are able to answer questions or deliver missing documents. Please sign the authorization form (will be sent to you together with the Letter of Acceptance) and enclose it with your visa application. However, Swiss Embassies might give you the information that we as the host school have an influence on the processing time of your visa application. This is not the case; if you apply late it is your responsibility! 2

3 Accommodation A number of single, furnished student rooms and apartments within the SWOWI offer are reserved for exchange students. If you would like to apply for an accommodation please check the homepage of SWOWI at and apply directly for one of the accommodations. Please note that there is only a limited number of rooms available, therefore, early application is important to ensure the accommodation of choice. Rental Period for rooms offered by SWOWI: Fall Term: August 1 January 31 Spring Term: February 1 July 31 Some of our Swiss students who will be abroad for the next academic year are also interested in renting their rooms or apartments for the period of their exchange. If you are interested in renting such a room please get in contact with Mrs. Elisabetta Gruenenfelder (grle@zhaw.ch). For finding accommodation by yourself, you can check the following websites: Oxford Placement Test Please hand in the Oxford Placement Test only in case you wish to attend a Business English language course as it helps us defining the right level for you. Please print out and fill in the test and return by post only. We will be using marking overlays so please do not alter the layout, size or printouts. We do need the information for planning our course offer; if you do not send us the Oxford Placement Test you will not be able to attend English language courses during the semester. 3

4 Erasmus Mobility Grant As from the Academic Year 2011/12 Switzerland is a full member of the Erasmus LLP- Program. Therefore, Mobility Grants for Incoming Students will be paid by their home countries (and can no longer be applied for from Switzerland). Arrival and Departure Dates We expect students to arrive one week prior to the official start of the semester for the Orientation Week. Attendance is mandatory! Starting Dates of the Orientation Week Fall Term: Monday of Calendar Week 37 Spring Term: Monday of Calendar Week 7 Final Day of Exams Fall Term: Friday of Calendar Week 5 Spring Term: Friday of Calendar Week 26 4

5 If you have further questions, check our website or contact the International Office. See you soon Address ZHAW School of Management and Law International Office St. Georgenplatz Winterthur Switzerland International Office: international.sml@zhaw.ch Nina Meier (Incoming Students): meni@zhaw.ch Elisabetta Grünenfelder-Caslani (Outgoing Students and Housing): grle@zhaw.ch Bernadette Einsmann (Head International Office): einb@zhaw.ch Jasmin Uhrig (Exchange Programs): uhri@zhaw.ch Phone Nina Meier: +41 (0) Elisabetta Grünenfelder-Caslani: +41 (0) Bernadette Einsmann: +41 (0) Jasmin Uhrig: +41 (0) Fax +41 (0)