HOW TO APPLY FOR A STUDENT PERMIT

The system is mostly designed for international schools and universities – for the purposes of this think of us as the school you and you as the student.

You can only apply for a student permit if you are booked on an extended package.

If you are on a course lasting under 90 days you cannot be issued with a Student Permit.

We ask you to supply all the paperwork to us via email around 6 to 8 weeks before your course starts.

We need everything at the same time – that way we can submit everything to the authorities and spot any problems and get them resolved before they become an issue.

Once you arrive you will need to go to the permit office in Verbier within 14 days of arrival – we will help arrange this with you.

THE CHECKLIST:

Here are details of what you need to send and do. See the sections below for full explanations of each one.

Getting a permit starts by filling in the Peak Leaders application form.

Just click the blue arrows (⇨) to open the linked file in another window.

1. Start by filling in the Peak Leaders Application form online and choosing your package
   ⇨ CLICK HERE ⇦
2. Proof of Health Insurance
   (see below)
3. Complete and sign a Permit Application form
   (Verbier ⇨)
   (Saas Fee ⇨)
4. Complete and sign an Arrival Questionnaire
   (Verbier ⇨)
   (Saas Fee – not required)
5. Provide proof you have adequate funds
   (eg. a bank statement showing 2’400 chf for each month of your course- about 7’200 chf in total funds)
6. Copy of your passport
   (valid for more than 3 months after the intended end of your stay)
7. Letter of motivation
   (See below)
8. CV
   (See below)
9. Letter agreeing to leave Switzerland after the course
   (See below)

After that you will help you arrange the following when you arrive:

1. We provide proof of your enrolment
2. We provide proof you have paid in full
3. You must go to the local Commune and pay 147 CHF within 14 days of the course starting
4. You must go to the Canton office in Sion to get ‘biometric data’ and pay around 20 CHF

ADDRESSES IN SWITZERLAND

The forms ask for a Swiss (residential) address and a correspondance address.

If you are on a catered course, your residential address will be as follows:

If you are not 100% certain which accommodation you are in (perhaps because you have booked late and the normal accommodation is already full) just get in touch.

For the correspondance address please use the following – but only if you are staying in Peak Leaders (or Concept) accommodation:

1 THE PEAK LEADERS APPLICATION FORM

To get a Student Permit you need to do a course longer than the normal 10 week course.

This is not our choice but a Swiss legal requirement.

So please fill in the form and choose your packages. Once you have sent that then you will need to get the documents below together.

⇨ FILL IN THE FORM

2 YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE

This is the biggest factor. So it should be the first one to get sorted.

You either need:

• A Swiss Health Insurance Policy
• A GHIC (or an EHIC that is still valid)
• A foreign policy BUT the insurer has to sign a form – this is very difficult, see below

The GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) is the best route.

(You can use an EHIC (European Health Insurance card) if it is still valid.)

You need a normal GHIC – not a ‘student’ GHIC

It’s really important to just get a normal tourist GHIC.

So in the questionnaire, it will ask “Are you studying, or do you intend to study in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein?” but please tick NO.

This might seem odd, but they are asking about university-level study, they really don’t mean our training courses. So just say no.

Swiss insurance policies

If you can’t get a GHIC/EHIC, then you will need to get a Swiss policy for the duration of your course. Which just requires some forward planning.

We can help you find one, but expect to pay around 230 chf to 280 chf per month for the duration of your course.

Foreign insurance policies

You could (theoretically) use a foreign policy – but the insurer has to sign this form.

So far we haven’t found a single insurer from any country that is prepared to sign, so it’s an unlikely solution.

Please note

As well as a GHIC/EHIC (or other Swiss or foreign health insurance) you will still also need personal liability and travel insurance.

3 THE PERMIT APPLICATION DOCUMENT

This is dead simple – but in French or German.

You should already know all the information so see the explanation in the forms below and click the link to fill in your own form.

Our explanation is done on the French version of the form, but the layout is the same for both the German (Saas Fee) and French (Verbier) versions.

YOUR GUIDE TO FILLING IT IN:

(You can download the guide as a PDF or open in a new window here if that’s easier)

THE DOCUMENTS:

⇨ OPEN THE VERBIER DOCUMENT

⇨ OPEN THE SAAS FEE DOCUMENT

4 THE ARRIVAL QUESTIONNAIRE

This one is in English and you can complete it digitally (as long as you can sign documents on your computer – if not you will need to print and scan).

This is basic information plus a load of stuff for the Swiss national office of statistics.

YOUR GUIDE TO FILLING IT IN:

(You can download the guide as a PDF or open in a new window here if that’s easier)

If possible: Please complete all the information in the link attached then download and sign the PDF digitally – then just send to to us. That way we can make any small edits when we receive the forms. Thanks.

⇨ OPEN THE VERBIER DOCUMENT
(NOT REQUIRED FOR SAAS FEE)

5 PROOF OF FUNDS

This is simply to prove you can support yourself financially. You will need a bank statement in your name that shows you have enough savings for the course.

A PDF of a statement or something formal is best – a screen grab (especially from a phone) might get rejected.

The bank document must include the name, amount and date clearly.

We have been told to allow 2’400 chf per month (about £1,900).

So for a 10 week course you should show around £4,500 – £4,800.

6 COPY OF YOUR PASSPORT

Please make sure your passport is valid 3 months after your anticipated departure date. We expect this to be checked at the border and it is also a requirement for a Student Permit – a permit won’t be issued if you don’t have enough time remaining on your passport!

7 LETTER OF MOTIVATION

This is simply a brief letter that outlines why you want to come to Switzerland to study. It can also be in English but we recommend supplying an English version and a translation into French if you can (try the deepl.com website).

The letter needs to persuade someone you have chosen Switzerland (and Verbier) for a reason – not just on a whim.

You also must explain why you are taking these exams. Usually trainees want to teach straight away, but maybe you want to teach in the future?

After all, even at University many trainees come back to teach in Switzerland during the high season when you have holidays (and when permits are available again).

So persuade them you will use this qualification.

WHAT SHOULD YOU SAY?

You definitely should include the following but in your own words:

• That this is part of an educational pathway – leading to a career in snow sports (either in or out of Switzerland)
• That you have booked with a Swiss company
• That your BASI exams are scheduled to run in Verbier
• That you want to train on the same slopes as your exam terrain
• That your qualifications are recognised in Switzerland
  (even though you cannot currently work here)
• That you want to train with coaches qualified in the Swiss and British systems

We suggest it should also include some or all of the following information (but generally speaking the more reasons the better):

• If you have skied in Verbier before
• If you have skied with any Peak Leaders coaches before
• If you want to learn French
• If you want to learn about Switzerland and the Valais area
• Switzerland and Verbier are a major centre for BASI exams
• If you have a property in Verbier or Switzerland
• If you have any family connections in Verbier

And please remember to sign it…

8 CV

You simply need to supply a simple CV that covers your education, your employment but crucially any skiing related history.

Please refer to the guide to writing CVs in the Employment Section of the Members Area.

However make sure any of the following are very, very clear and at the top:

• sporting history
• sports qualifications
• ski qualifications
• coaching qualifications
• ski racing history

Remember, GCSEs might seem important, but in this context any coaching badges are equally important – if not more important.

Make sure they don’t get lost in a jumble of other information.

9 LETTER AGREEING TO LEAVE SWITZERLAND

This seems to be required to prove you will not over-stay in Switzerland or try to work illegally here. It doesn’t effect your Schengen rights.

We suggest you paraphrase this (and also please make sure you sign and date the letter):

PROOF OF ENROLMENT, PAYMENT, ETC

This is a letter we supply. So don’t worry about this and we will give you a paper copy when you get here.

ALL DONE?

If you have all the documents on the list above ready, please just send it all to us at enquiries@peakleaders.com and in the subject write “Student Permit” then your course location and then your name.

Eg: “Student permit – Verbier December start – John Jones”.

We can then get the application ready and if you need Swiss health insurance we can put you in touch with a few providers.