Accepted students will receive information on the visa or residency permit procedure from the Admissions Department. Depending on the candidate’s nationality one of the following will happen:

Some candidates will receive a list of documents which need to be completed for the Swiss Embassy. Candidates must make a personal request at the Swiss Embassy in their country of residence. After 6 to 8 weeks, the local Swiss authorities will notify the school of the visa status and a copy will be mailed or faxed to the candidate. The candidate must then contact the Swiss Embassy to collect his/her original visa to ensure that all formalities are settled for the journey.

All candidates will receive a list of documents that need to be sent to the school. In this case, SHML will directly apply to the local Swiss authorities for the candidate’s long-term authorization.

Candidates with European Union passports and those from countries with which Switzerland has bilateral agreements, need only to send documents to the school and fill in a special form on arrival.

PLEASE NOTE: copy of authorization to collect the visa will only be sent to the candidate if the pre-payment has been made within the 30 days of the date of acceptance.

How to apply for a visa

If you require a visa, you need to contact the Swiss Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence and make an appointment to see them.

You need to apply for a STUDENT VISA for SHML (Bern canton) and tell them that you have been accepted.

Please, DO NOT request or attempt to enter Switzerland with a tourist visa.

You must prepare the following documents and take them to the Swiss Embassy / Consulate in your country of residence and make a personal request as part of your visa application:

• Copy of your valid passport (validity must be for at least 6 months after arrival in Switzerland)
• Copies of all your diplomas and grades
• Your Curriculum Vitae
• Study Plan – why do you want to study at SHML
• Post Study Plan – what will you do upon graduating from SHML
• Certificate of bank statement
• Letter of commitment from your financial sponsor
• Acceptance letter and visa attestation from SHML

Once you have will have brought all these documents, you will have to wait for the notification before returning to the Embassy / Consulate to have the original entry visa stamped in your passport and to ensure that all formalities have been completed.

You should receive the original entry visa at the Swiss embassy / consulate where you applied. However, if you need to pick it up in a different place, you must inform the embassy / consulate when you apply.

Please note:

Any student requiring a visa and who enters Switzerland without the entry visa is subject to a financial penalty or may be refused to study at SHML.

IMPORTANT

This formality generally takes a minimum of two months; therefore it is very important that you start the procedure upon receipt of our acceptance letter and visa attestation.

If you require an entry visa for Switzerland, DO NOT make any travel plans to other countries for the first 6 weeks after arrival to Switzerland and until you receive your residency permit which you will need to gain access back into Switzerland.