Have you already found a suitable candidate that you would like to take on for an internship?
If this student is a national from a third country (non-EU/EFTA), we are pleased to assist you in submitting the application for a residence and work permit. If the person is a national from the EU/EFTA area, please contact the migration office in your canton.
Why submit your visa application via IAESTE?
- Simplified process: as an exchange organization, IAESTE is mandated by the SEM to submit simplified visa requests on behalf of Swiss employers hiring interns from Third countries (ref. State Secretariat for Migration instructions, chapter 4, point 4.7.5 – in German, French or Italian).
- Know-how: navigating administrative bureaucracy can sometimes be difficult, we have been working closely with authorities for many years and will provide guidance to you and your intern to ensure a smooth process.
- Time saving: we take care of assembling, checking and submitting all documentation.
- Intern integration: interns are admitted to the IAESTE network, this means they are invited to participate in the activities we organize, giving them the opportunity to meet other students/interns from all over the world.
- Support our mission: every internship in Switzerland handled by our organization supports our exchange program and helps us send Swiss STEM students on internships abroad.
Conditions & requirements
In order to request a visa for your student, the following conditions must be met according to Swiss authorities:
- The internship must be a compulsory part of the study course and this must be confirmed by an official letter from the university
- The student must remain enrolled throughout the period of the placement (graduates are not eligible)
- Only one mandatory internship shall be granted per study level (bachelor’s/master’s degree)
- The internship can last a maximum of 12 months
- It is not possible to extend the original duration of the internship
- The internship must be paid, usually minimum 2000 CHF/ month, but this can vary by canton, study field and study level
Required documents from the Employer and from the Student
To ensure a timely start, the visa application should be submitted to us at least eight weeks before the start of the internship. Please keep in mind that the student often has to pick up a visa abroad which takes additional time.
- A training programme* for the internship: A detailed list of the intern’s work activities/goals, with information about the period of time spent at the relevant department
- A copy of the employment contract*: Signed by both parties and with a minimum salary of CHF 2000 per month (there are different approaches taken by the Swiss cantons, depending on the field and level of study). Only full-time employment is permitted
* on official letter paper, dated and signed
- A CV
- An official document from the foreign university which confirms that the student is undertaking a compulsory internship* (authorities will refer to this document to determine the duration of the permit, the dates/duration mentioned should therefore match the internship contract)
- A certificate of enrolment from the foreign university for the entire duration of the internship*
- A copy of the intern’s passport which we advise to be valid for at least three months beyond the internship’s end date
- If the candidate is currently studying in Europe: proof/copy of residence permit
* on official letter paper, dated and signed
Visa service fees
IAESTE service fee: CHF 980 (excl. VAT)
Processing fees from the authorities are in addition and vary according to canton and internship duration, amounting to approx. CHF 350-650. Corresponding invoices are sent by authorities directly to the employer, these are usually sent with the permit/visa decision.
We kindly advise to submit all required documents for your visa request as soon as possible. Please note that should your complete visa documents be received less than four weeks before the planned internship start, an additional fee of CHF 250 will be incurred due to the tight deadline and ensuing work load. This will however not affect authorities’ standard processing time of up to 8 weeks.
The IAESTE service fee of CHF 980 applies even in the event of refusal by the authorities or cancellation by the student or employer after the request has been submitted. However, our thorough documentation checks, extensive immigration experience and close contact with authorities means that this is very rarely the case.