Cross-border commuters
Students from other countries near the Swiss border are, in general, required to apply for a regular Swiss residence permit.
Usually, the Migration Office of the Canton of Zurich does not issue cross-border commuter permits ("Grenzgängerbewilligung" or "autorisation frontalière") for students from border regions (for example, Germany or France).
Everybody who stays in the Canton of Zurich for more than 3 months for study purposes must apply for a regular residence permit with a residential address in Switzerland / the Canton of Zurich. Further information can be found at: Applying for a residence permit.
Different regulations may apply in other cantons. Please contact the external pageMigration Office of the respective canton if you have any questions.
Please note: The information on this page is meant for information purposes only. No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. The rules and regulations may have changed in the meantime. For legally binding information please contact
the respective authorities.