All countries
Dossier
Switzerland
National Type D visa
Verified 2026-02-19 · Secondary, consistent
Switzerland is genuinely simpler on the India side — a single embassy in New Delhi handles every applicant, so no state-based center lookup. Post-arrival is a two-step: commune registration within 14 days, then your canton's Migrationsamt issues the permit.
Visa fee
CHF 88 — Standard national visa fee · 2026
≈ ₹10,350
Proof of funds
CHF 21,000/yr
≈ ₹24,69,810/yr
Processing
8-12 weeks
Apply before
90 days
Live rate (ECB via frankfurter.app), as of 5 Aug 2026: CHF1 = ₹117.61
Consular jurisdiction · India
Which center covers your home state?
For a long-stay / national visa, you must apply through the center covering your home state — Schengen short-stay visas are more flexible, this rule applies specifically to the long-stay visa exchange students need.
New Delhi (Embassy)
Embassy of Switzerland · New Delhi handles every applicant regardless of home state.
Covers
All India
Genuinely simpler than Germany or France — Switzerland does not maintain multiple visa-issuing consulates across India for long-stay national visas.
Book at this center Official checklist
What you need for Switzerland
- National Type D visa form (3 copies)
- Passport valid 3 months beyond stay + 2 copies
- 4 recent passport photos
- Admission letter from Swiss institution
- Proof of funds ≈ CHF 21,000/year
- Health insurance
- CV & motivation letter
- Written commitment to leave Switzerland at course end
- Visa fee CHF 88
Indian B-schools with partners here
10 schools · 14 partners
Nikshala partner services
Services in scope for Switzerland
Vetted partners for the practical parts of your move. Referral partners help fund Ministry of Exchange. Nikshala products are shipped in-house.
Accommodation
Forex & finance
Language learning
Partner links: Ministry of Exchange may earn a commission if you sign up through this partner. Official actions above are never re-ranked by fees.
Nikshala products: Provided by Nikshala.
Legal & identity
Commune registration within 14 days · then cantonal permit · Within 14 days of arrival
Swiss residence is a two-step flow: first you register at your commune (Anmeldung), then the canton issues the residence permit itself. Timing of the cantonal step varies — some cantons process in days, others in weeks. Your host university's international office will tell you what to bring for your specific canton.
- 1Register at your commune's Einwohnerkontrolle / Contrôle des habitants within 14 days.
- 2Bring: passport + Type D visa page, admission letter, rental agreement, passport photos.
- 3Wait for the canton's Migrationsamt / Service de la population to issue your residence permit (timing varies).
SEM · Federal Office for Migration
Federal migration site — actual filing happens at your commune and then your canton's Migrationsamt, not on a national online portal.
www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home.html Home & essentials
SIM, groceries, marketplace.
Supermarkets
MigrosCoopDennerAldi SuisseLidl Suisse
SIM / Mobile
SwisscomSaltSunrise
Marketplace
Ricardo.chAnibis.chIKEA Schweiz
Food delivery
SmoodUber Eatseat.ch
Money & digital
Bank, statutory health cover, doctor booking.
Banks
UBSPostFinanceZürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB)Raiffeisen Schweiz
Doctor booking
Doctolib
Blocked account, forex and insurance partners → see Nikshala partner services above.
Mobility
Trains, rideshare, rentals, cross-Europe rail.
Notable universities
University of St. Gallen (HSG)ETH ZürichUniversity of ZurichEPFL (Lausanne)HEC LausanneIMD (Lausanne)University of BernGeneva School of Economics and Management
Major cities · train app
Zurich (3 partners)St. Gallen (2)Lausanne (2)Bern (1)Geneva (1)
SBB Mobile · Trainline (cross-border)