Student Permit Advice

 

 

DO YOU NEED ONE?

You don’t need a Permit (or a Visa) to do a Peak Leaders course.

That’s because our courses are a maximum of 70 days long and you can stay in Switzerland (and the Schengen Area as a whole) for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 day period if you are not from the EU.

But if you need to, you can get a Student Permit (if you’re British) that effectively stops the clock when you are in Switzerland.

If you are non-EU you might be able to get a Student Visa for the same reasons.

(Click here to check your Schengen allowance using your actual dates).

 


 

STUDENT PERMITS AND VISAS FOR SWITZERLAND

First of all there are Student Permits and Student Visas. They are different things.

Both are for stays in Switzerland of over 90 days and only apply to trainees from outside the Schengen Area.

The easiest way to think about it is that a Visa is (generally speaking) needed to enter the country, the Permit is needed to stay once you’ve arrived.

So British Trainees need a Permit not a Visa.

Which is good news as Visas are more complex than Permits.

When you are on the Swiss Student Permit and in Switzerland the days do not count towards your Schengen allowance. It’s like they never happened.

This page is mostly about British passport holders staying on an extended course and applying for a Student Permit.

If you are not British but you are from outside the EU, then get in touch directly and we can talk to you about a Student Permit or Student Visa.

 


 

WORK PERMITS

Following Brexit, British passport holders have lost the right to work in Switzerland.

So there is currently no option to get a Work Permit or Work Visa if you are British.

We are optimistic that this will change soon – perhaps before your course or even during it – but there are no certainties.

If you get a Student Permit or Student Visa you still cannot work.

 


 

WHAT’S AN EXTENDED COURSE

Our normal courses are 10 weeks in Verbier (sometimes 9 weeks).

That’s 70 days.

As you can stay for a maximum of 90 days in the EU and Schengen Area in any 180 day period if you are British, you don’t need a student permit for a normal course.

In fact you cannot get a Student Permit on a normal-length course as your course is under 90 days.

To be eligible for a Student Permit you must be on a course longer that 90 days.

So you need to add an extended course after the normal course ends.

An extended course is simply an extended training package – with an optional accommodation extension if you need it (and if we have space).

 


 

BRITISH STUDENT PERMIT APPLICATIONS

To qualify for a Student Permit you must choose an extended course.

This will allow you to stay in Switzerland for longer and complete your course.

When you are on a Permit your days do not count towards the 90 day Schengen allowance.

You will not be able to work, but it does mean you can enjoy a longer winter.

There are extra costs for the permit – you will need to pay for the application (around 140 CHF) and the biometrics (around 20 CHF).

You will also need a GHIC or an EHIC. Please make sure you have one of these that is still valid. If not apply as soon as possible.

 


 

APPLYING

You cannot apply directly – we have to submit your application as we are the education provider.

We ask you to supply all the paperwork to us via email around 6 to 8 weeks before your course starts (everything together to keep things streamlined). That way we can submit everything to the authorities and spot any problems before they become an issue and become a problem for your course.

To see the requirements and the details just click the link below, and if you’re ready you can get started.

 

HOW TO APPLY

 


 

QUESTIONS?

If you want to chat just get in touch. You can also find blogs about permits, Brexit and work in the Blogs area. All worth looking through to help explain what has been a complex and constantly changing situation.

 


 

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