Application & admission regulations
Due to the limited number of places, particular admission regulations apply.
These pertain to
- The application process and application deadlines
- Upper secondary school-leaving certificates (e.g. Matura certificates)
- Citizenship or residency status
Aptitude test for medical studies (EMS)
As at the universities of Zurich, Bern, Fribourg and Basel, study places are awarded via a central test, the aptitude test (qualifying examination) for medical studies (EMS). This test serves to determine the applicant’s aptitude for medical studies.
Application
Interested persons must apply online for medical studies via external pageswissuniversitiescall_made.
To sit the aptitude test and gain admission to medical studies, application via swissuniversities is mandatory. Application may be made from the end of November/beginning of December for the next respective academic year.
Admission to the Bachelor's degree programme in Human Medicine is only possible for prospective students who hold one of the following educational certificates:
a. a Swiss educational certificate in accordance with Article 23 paragraph 1 letters a-d and f of the ETH Zurich Admission Ordinance of 30 November 2010;
b. a foreign upper secondary certificate that can satisfy the prerequisites for examination-free admission to Bachelor studies at ETH Zurich in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 of the ETH Zurich Admission Ordinance, if applicable in conjunction with the certificate confirming the successful completion of the reduced entrance examination at ETH Zurich in accordance with Article 28 of the ETH Zurich Admission Ordinance.
Swiss and non-Swiss citizens holding the Swiss Matura
If you are a Swiss citizen or a non-Swiss citizen with domicile in Switzerland (see Definition of “domicile”) and hold one of the following Swiss educational certificates, you qualify to sit the EMS after applying to external pageswissuniversitiescall_made in the proper form and by the deadline:
1.
Federal or federally accredited Swiss or Liechtensteinian upper secondary school-leaving certificate (gymnasialer Maturitätsausweis) issued by a Swiss or Liechtensteinian secondary school (Mittelschule).
2.
Federal vocational upper secondary school-leaving certificate (Berufsmaturitätsausweis) or a Liechtenstein vocational upper secondary school-leaving certificate recognised by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), in connection n with the the supplementary exam certificate (external page“Passerelle” Ergänzungsprüfungcall_made).
3.
Nationally recognised upper secondary specialised school matriculation certificate (Fachmaturitätszeugnis), in connection with the supplementary exam certificate (external page“Passerelle” Ergänzungsprüfungcall_made).
The following Swiss educational credentials also qualify their holders to sit the EMS after external pageapplying to swissuniversitiescall_made in the proper form and by the deadline, provided that they hold Swiss citizenship or fulfil one of the residency criteria set out in “Citizenship / residency status”:
4.
Bachelor’s degree, Diploma, Lizentiat or passed state examinations from a Swiss university (first university degree)
5.
Bachelor’s degree or Diploma from a Swiss university of applied sciences recognised by the Swiss federal government
6.
Bachelor’s degree or Diploma from a Swiss university of teacher education
Swiss citizens holding a non-Swiss matriculation certificate
Admission to the EMS test and to studies in Human Medicine are only possible if the required respective upper secondary certificate can satisfy the prerequisites for examination-free admission (see also the country-by-country information on the external pageswissuniversities websitecall_made).
Applicants whose admission depends on a pass in the Downloadreduced entrance examination (PDF, 137 KB)vertical_align_bottom may only register for the EMS after they have passed the entrance examination.
Applicants who are required to sit the comprehensive entrance examination will not be admitted to the EMS.
Applicants who have completed non-Swiss university studies are not entitled to enter medical studies if they do not hold a upper secondary school-leaving certificate which qualifies them for admission to the EMS test.
A German language certificate must be submitted
- until 31.03.2024 at the latest
Non-Swiss citizens holding a non-Swiss matriculation certificate
Admission to the EMS test and to studies in Human Medicine are only possible if the required respective upper secondary certificate can satisfy the prerequisites for examination-free admission (see also the country-by-country information on the external pageswissuniversities websitecall_made).
Applicants whose admission depends on passing the Downloadreduced entrance examination (PDF, 137 KB)vertical_align_bottom may only register for the EMS after they have passed the entrance examination.
Applicants who are required to sit the comprehensive entrance examination will not be admitted to the EMS.
Applicants who have completed non-Swiss university studies are not entitled to enter medical studies if they do not hold a upper secondary school-leaving certificate which qualifies them for admission to the EMS test.
Non-Swiss citizens must also fulfil one of the residency criteria set out in “Citizenship / residency status”.
A German language certificate must be submitted
- until 31.03.2024 at the latest
Domicile (definition as per Art. 23 of the Swiss Civil Code)
1 A person’s domicile is the place in which he or she resides with the intention of settling; residence for the purpose of education or the accommodation of a person in an educative institution or care home, a hospital or a penal institution does not by itself establish domicile.
2 No person may have more than one domicile at a time.
Admission prerequisites for non-Swiss citizens holding a Swiss Matura or a non-Swiss matriculation certificate
The following persons can be admitted to the Bachelor’s degree programme in Human Medicine and can therefore be admitted to the EMS test:
a. Citizens of the Principality of Liechtenstein
b. Non-Swiss settled citizens (C permit) with domicile in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein
c. Non-Swiss citizens who have had domicile in Switzerland as per external pageArt. 23-26 of the Swiss Civil Codecall_made,
- who are married to or in a civil union with a Swiss citizen;
- whose spouse / civil partner has either been a settled resident (permit C) in Switzerland or has had domicile in Switzerland for at least five years with an uninterrupted residency permit with the main reason for residency given as “gainful employment” (Erwerbstätigkeit);
- who have held an uninterrupted residency permit in Switzerland for at least five years with the main reason for residency given as “gainful employment” (Erwerbstätigkeit); or
- who hold one of the educational qualifications set out in Art. 23, Para. 1 (a - bbis) of the ETH Zurich Admissions Ordinance (see above “Upper secondary school-leaving certificates”);.
d. Non-Swiss citizens who have had domicile in Switzerland for at least two years as per external pageArt. 23-26 of the Swiss Civil Codecall_made, and whose parents
- are settled resident (C permit) in Switzerland, or
- have had domicile in Switzerland for at least five years and hold an uninterrupted residency permit with the main reason for residency given as “gainful employment” (Erwerbstätigkeit);
e. Citizens of one of the member states of the European Union, Iceland or Norway holding a Swiss residency permit EU/EFTA for “gainful employment” (Erwerbstätigkeit) who can verify that their professions are closely associated with medical studies. Professions closely associated with medical studies are those listed in Art. 2 of the Medizinalberufegesetz (Swiss federal law on university medical professions of 23 June 2006 (SR 811.11); in German); the applicant must have spent at least one year working in one of these professions in Switzerland;
f. Children, irrespective of their citizenship, of citizens of European Union member states, Iceland, Norway and the Principality of Liechtenstein, who hold a Swiss residency permit as a family member of the EU/EFTA designated “Family reunification” (Familiennachzug);
g. Children whose parents enjoy diplomatic status in Switzerland and who hold a legitimation card of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of type B, C or “D blau”);
h. Refugees recognised as such by Switzerland.
The following prerequisites apply:
- The documents referred to above proving the legal status for admission to medical studies must be submitted by the persons referred to in letters "a" to "h" no later than the last day of the application period for medical studies set by swissuniversities (15 February).
If applicable, the minimum durations according to letter "c", "d" or "e" must also be fulfilled by this date (15 Februry). - The documents qualifying them for admission must be submitted at the latest by the last day of the application deadline for medical studies set by swissuniversities (15 February). The education certifications listed in points 1–6 under “Upper secondary school-leaving certificates” above can (in the event of admission to a place at ETH Zurich) be submitted subsequently, at the latest by Friday of the second week of the semester [1].
- The general admission requirements of ETH Zurich still apply.
[1] The second week of the semester is calendar week 39.
Domicile (definition as per Art. 23 of the Swiss Civil Code)
1 A person’s domicile is the place in which he or she resides with the intention of settling; residence for the purpose of education or the accommodation of a person in an educative institution or care home, a hospital or a penal institution does not by itself establish domicile.
2 No person may have more than one domicile at a time.